Global Lead Emphasizes That There Are No Rules

Name: Patricia Valerio (she/her)

PhD: Neurosciences, University of Basel, 2022

What was your main area of research?

My PhD focused on brain development, specifically on the development of one of our sensory systems — audition/hearing. I studied how our brain processes simple and complex sounds, and how we develop different auditory skills as we grow up.

My thesis focused on the adolescent period, a time when we are still acquiring these skills, and which internal and external factors might affect this development. I used mouse models and brain recording methods to explore these questions.

What is your current job?

I am the Global Lead of Medical Information at the Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AG (Sobi) in Basel, Switzerland.

As a Medical Information professional, I am part of the Medical Affairs team, where clinical data and preclinical research on drug development are handled.

In my role, I support and collaborate with Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) who are on the front line, meeting healthcare professionals (HCPs) and being inquired about the therapies. The incoming questions can range from administration doubts, drug efficacy and safety for specific patient populations, existing scientific evidence on the potential development of certain complications, etc. These questions are then forwarded to my team, the Global Medical Information team, where "global" means that questions can come from different parts of the world.

I conduct literature searches, revise clinical study reports, health authorities' documentation, etc., to gather this information and provide it to the MSLs, who then share it with the HCPs.

My day-to-day tasks involve preparing response letters for these inquiries, meeting with Medical Directors to consult on the information we can provide, and collaborating with further stakeholders on preparing other documents that are part of the medical information portfolio. The goal is to ensure HCPs have all the information they need to ensure the different therapies are properly provided to the patients.

These therapies are for rare diseases, which makes it more challenging to gather evidence, but ultimately very rewarding when you understand you are having a positive impact on patients' lives, even if behind the scenes.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

I like two things that go hand in hand: remaining close to science even outside of academia/research, and contributing to the powerful journey of providing life-changing therapies for chronic and severe rare diseases. Knowing that my work is having a positive impact on patients' lives, even if I am behind the scenes, is incredibly rewarding.

What is the most important skill you developed or experience you had during your PhD that now helps you in your current position?

Parallel task handling and time management to meet tight deadlines; writing skills; problem-solving and collaborative skills; and, of course, scientific expertise and the capability to interpret scientific data and summarize key findings.

How did you build the skills necessary for your current role?

During my PhD, I had the opportunity to attend free courses and workshops provided by the University on various soft skills, including scientific writing, presentation, communication, networking, personal branding, CV preparation for industry roles, etc. I also joined a mentorship program in collaboration with my University and a pharmaceutical company to learn about the different roles I could potentially transition to after finishing my studies and leaving academia.

Exploring online resources from medical writers' associations like EMWA or AMWA, taking part in webinars, and joining LinkedIn groups of people trying to transition to medical communication roles was very helpful.

Additionally, to strengthen my CV, I decided to stay in my PhD lab for a few months as a postdoctoral researcher to finalize my work, but do so part-time, while working as a freelance science writer for a remote company during the remaining time. This experience gave me the lift I needed to find a job opportunity when I fully left academia.

And finally, I also did some volunteer work during the third year of my PhD, when I decided to explore careers outside of academia. I worked part-time remotely as a Science Communication Assistant for an online science education school. It was just a few hours per week, and it helped me gain many skills.

How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?

LinkedIn job ads

PhD graduate/Science Communication Assistant ➡️ Postdoctoral fellow/Freelance science writer ➡️ Communication intern in CDMO company/first experience in industry ➡️ Scientific Communications Specialist in Biotech company ➡️ Global Lead Medical Information in Pharma company

If someone is interested in a similar role, what would you recommend they start doing now to prepare?

I would recommend:

Exploring and joining available courses/workshops at your university/institute, or online, on key soft skills for roles similar to mine, including medical/scientific writing, editing, proofreading, project management, time management, etc.
If interested in pharmaceutical roles and you have no pharmacy background, participate in webinars/workshops about drug development, drug policies, etc. When applying for positions, having these in your CV section will help. You show the recruiters that, while you may not have industry experience, you have learned the basic/foundation knowledge about it.
Using LinkedIn to find people in job roles you like. Send them a message and ask if they have some time to tell you more about what they do. Create these connections and build a network.
Creating filters and alerts on LinkedIn and other job search platforms for roles you like. Even if not yet actively applying, you can get a better feeling of how frequently the positions open and what the job requirements are. Knowing these requirements can help you prioritize what courses/experience you should get in the meantime to have better chances of being called for interviews when applying.
Sharing your CV for feedback/improvements so it better matches what recruiters are looking for. In my case, I shared mine with friends/other PhD graduates I knew from my University who transitioned to the career area I wanted to pursue. They had experience with job searches/interviews for the roles I liked, and their input was extremely helpful.
Doing these things without pressuring yourself. Doing a PhD is already a lot, so take these extracurricular activities to prepare you for your next step with a light spirit. Feel happy, motivated, and energized while doing all these things. You are doing your best to prepare yourself for this chance.

Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?

It was a somewhat difficult decision, but one that, when made, came with a positive feeling and lightness, telling me it was the right choice.

During the third year of my PhD, I fully decided not to continue my academic journey to become a principal investigator/professor. One of the reasons was the feeling that my work was not fulfilling or meaningful enough, and that I was not having a direct impact on society.

You might ask, "But couldn't you have transitioned from basic to translational research?" Yes, true. But then, I considered the other reasons that led me to this decision: the unpredictability of academia in terms of funding, the "publish or perish" mentality, high competitiveness, and uncertainty about whether I wanted to be a leader and take on the big responsibility of managing people.

I also did not see myself doing lab work in the long term. I wanted the communication part — to get the science out there for the world to learn from and be inspired by. With my background in pharmacy, working with patients and contributing to their better quality of life felt like something that was more right for me and for a lifelong career.

What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?

I heard a few times when I decided to move from academia to industry that it would be very difficult and almost an impossible task since I did not have any industry experience and that the PhD was not seen as work experience. Please do not believe that. Every PhD graduate is worthy, and we develop so many valuable skills during these PhD years. Explore how you can "sell" those skills in your LinkedIn profile, CV, cover letters, and networking chats with people who are doing jobs you like. Build this confidence and then apply it to your job search, applications, and interviews.
It is also important, and for me, it was one of the most difficult parts, to understand what exactly the roles in biotech or pharma companies are that align with what you like and what you would like to do in the long term. By talking to people in job roles that sound interesting to you, exploring company websites, and job ads, you will get there and figure this out.
- For example, do a paper/mind map exercise to identify the tasks you like and those you do not like. Are there job roles focusing on these tasks you were doing in your PhD that you enjoy? Which ones? Which companies have these roles? Are there people in your network doing these kinds of roles? Let's talk to them. Can they look at your application documents and tell you if they are good and match what recruiters are typically looking for?
And please, above all, do not give up when getting a no on a job application, getting ghosted, or when it seems that the world is not on your side. Each PhD graduate, from my experience, follows his or her own path. There are no rules when it comes to creating your own path. No perfect equation on how your CV should look.

You will learn along the way and make it work for you, for your own journey.

Are there any components of your identity you would like to share, including how they have impacted your journey?

Having learned that I was perceived by colleagues as a good communicator, a good handler of problems and quickly finding solutions for them, and that I actually have nice management skills, helped a lot to gain the confidence I needed to grow in previous job roles and now in my current role.

Additionally, I am a petite woman so building a confident and a "I am small and look young but I know my stuff" posture has/is helping me a lot during my career journey.