Name: Sean Ogden (he/him)
PhD: Neuroscience, Florida State University, 2019
What was your main area of research?
As a grad student, I utilized rodent models to pilot the efficacy of novel cannabinoids for alleviating dysregulated eating behaviors. Specifically, I've focused on preclinical screening of the novel cannabinoid AM11101 for the treatment of disorders characterized by low calorie intake and body weight loss, such as anorexia nervosa.
During my postdoc, I investigated the effects of the hunger hormone ghrelin and the sex hormone estrogen on the metabolic responses to exercise and exercise endurance capacity. Specifically, I studied sex differences underlying the metabolic responses to exercise, specifically within endurance and high intensity interval training programs in preclinical rodent models.
What is your current job?
I am a Medical Writer for EBSCO Industries/DynaMedex, and I work remotely (company based in Ipswich, MA).
My job involves the creation of evidence-based healthcare content, specifically using the latest medical research to provide guidance for clinical decision making at the point of care. I also help create and maintain content for the company's social media outreach.
Big picture: I help clinicians make decisions on how to treat their patients with the best available evidence I can find. It's a team effort with multiple layers of review with PhD's and MD's.
Here, I know my work is being used and it's very rewarding to update a topic/disease to inform doctors how best to treat their patients. With research manuscripts, it didn't seem like it was being read/used.
How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?
A friend from grad school encouraged me to apply. I was on the fence about leaving academia initially, but she convinced me!
PhD graduate ➡️ Postdoc fellow ➡️ Medical Writer
Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?
It was an easy decision for me, particularly for my physical and emotional health.
Nowadays, I describe academia as all the cons of a start-up culture without the reward. Combine that with the "publish or perish" ideology, I didn't see a future for me in academia.
I also observed how the PIs I worked with worked and lived. I didn't want that life for myself and I chose to deviate from the academic path.
I couldn't be happier with my decision to step away from academia (and research).
What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?
Be open to many roles when you're first starting out. If you like more science communication roles, cast a wide net for your initial job search (e.g. look at medical writer, science writer, journalism, medical affairs, regulatory affairs). Find people that have those jobs and ask them about it. Even if it's a 10 min call from someone on LinkedIn, nearly all PhDs are willing to talk about it.
Find a mentor or someone to bounce questions off of and for support. It could be someone you know or a cold call on LinkedIn. Don't be afraid to reach out to people to learn about what they did and seek advice. It's scary at first, but support really matters from the right people (even if your mentor may be disappointed).
Be involved in things outside of research. My career path stemmed from being actively involved in community outreach and science communication that were not directly related to my research. Seek those opportunities and volunteer, you'd be surprised with what resonates with you.