A Day in the Life
At ACUMED® we are confident that we’re a great company to work for and that we offer a rewarding and challenging career opportunity. That’s an easy claim to make of course, so we thought you’d like to hear it first hand from some of the people who are already enjoying being part of the ACUMED team.
Tracey Atkinson, Senior Editorial Assistant.
My role is varied, interesting and busy. On a daily basis I work within an account team including scientific and account management people. As a team everyone helps out when we’re mega busy and we often sit down together to brainstorm ideas to support client strategy and how best to communicate this. I provide editorial support to the team on all projects involving scientific content. These projects can be, for example, a manuscript for publication in a journal, a scientific poster, training materials, CD ROMs, intra- and internet sites, or items for a congress such as abstract book and exhibition booth content. I also have ownership of some tasks such as associated correspondence with key thought leaders and clients.
There is a lot of liaison required, as I work closely with our Visual Services people (Mac and PowerPoint operators and the creative design team) and, dependent on the job, with Medex-Media (for exhibition-related work), e-Med Fusion (all e-related items) and Medical Information (compilation of information on congresses and journals). I also collaborate with many people outside of ACUMED, such as, our client, other third party agencies, journals, publishers, physicians, congress secretariat, printers, copiers, couriers and many more.
A typical day can involve proof reading, copy editing, photocopying, filing, tracking of projects to check they are on schedule, processing copyright permissions, adhering to good publication practice, attending meetings and taking minutes, and liaising with one or more of the aforementioned people/teams/companies. I need to be able to juggle several jobs and prioritise them. Also, as I support a team, I need to prioritise the work coming from many different people. As mentioned, the work is varied – one day I can be providing editorial support on scientific content and the next working on some advertising to go up a flight of stairs at a congress.
Gary Cotter, Team Leader Medical & Scientific Services
The Team Leader role encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, from line management and resourcing to writing, editing and proofing copy for a range of medical educational materials and audiences, and the development and implementation of data dissemination and communication plans. In doing this, the Team Leader must develop and manage relationships with fellow team members, clients and key thought leaders.
As a Team Leader, I work with all functions within the ACUMED account teams, including the Editorial Assistants, Medical Writers, the Director of Scientific Strategy, Account Executives, Managers and Directors and the VP, Client Services. As a group we ensure all work is delivered on time, to the required standard and on budget! From a resource perspective, I work closely with the Editorial Assistants and Medical Writers to ensure that they have the support required to deliver their workload. I also work with the Account Management Team to identify the long-term scientific resource needs of the team. I play a key role in securing additional resource where required, by driving the recruitment process or securing freelance contracts.
In my capacity as a line manager, I meet frequently with my line reports to discuss workload, any work-related queries they may have, or simply to have a chat. I also work with my line reports to identify training and development needs and to help them develop their objectives and career development plans.
I am also responsible for the quality of the scientific content delivered by the team. To this, an important aspect of my role is reviewing content developed for a range of educational materials and audiences, ensuring it is grammatically and scientifically accurate, aligned with strategy and in line with client expectations.
Working closely with a number of key clients from both the Clinical and Commercial teams and with key thought leaders, along with other team members I lead regular teleconferences and face-to-face meetings, during which we can discuss anything from the status and progress of ongoing projects to the development and implementation of communication plans for the year ahead.
It’s a demanding job that requires a broad skill base. However, when done well, it can be a very satisfying and rewarding role!
Graham Allcock: Principal Writer
As a Principal Medical Writer it is my job to really understand the science and offer expert scientific support across a wide range of communications including; supporting authors in their submissions, editorial support for meetings such as advisory boards and symposia, and to help produce marketing and internal training materials for the pharmaceutical industry. I also mentor junior writers, reviewing their work. As Principal Writer I take responsibility for ensuring that work is delivered on time and to the highest standards for my accounts. I never get bored of my job as I get to work on a wide variety of projects. I love the science aspect of the job and enjoy researching information for new projects and when working on new therapy areas.
Mary Goodsell, Scientific Director
I am a Scientific Director at ACUMED, one of the senior scientific roles in the agency. This means that I can discuss my specific therapy areas with some authority, as well as provide input in other scientific fields, beyond my immediate areas of expertise.
Most days I can be found working in the Tytherington office, helping the writing team to deliver projects of consistently high quality and scientific rigour, constantly aiming to exceed client expectations. However, no two days are the same – in a given week I might be writing or reviewing documents on three different products, providing QC checks for another product, attending a meeting to give scientific input into a new business pitch, chairing a conference call with a client to discuss their plans, and calling key thought leaders to gain their feedback on the latest hot topic. Or I might be out on site, discussing product strategy with our client or helping the team deliver a symposium or advisory board meeting.
This is all great fun, and science is my passion, but one of the most rewarding aspects of working here comes from my additional role as a mentor, seeing junior members of the team gain confidence and helping them develop as writers.
Nicci Crofts, Senior Medical Writer
Clinical trials are complex entities. They have to be, given that establishing whether one drug is superior to, or equivalent to, another is a challenging process riddled with potential pitfalls and hurdles that must be overcome to produce accurate and reliable data. The impact of poorly communicated trial results, on both the industry sponsor and ultimately the patient, is profound. Therefore, every effort must be made to ensure effective communication between the sponsor and the oncologists involved with the trial to ensure that the data are reported accurately and reach the most appropriate target audience.
As a Senior Medical Writer working on a large, fast-moving oncology account I work with clinical trial data on a daily basis. The work is challenging and requires methodical attention to detail and the flexibility to switch my attention from one study to another. We work with investigators and the sponsor to support the appropriate dissemination of clinical trial data in manuscripts and to present the data at large, international oncology congresses. Attending a congress where these data are being presented brings a real sense of achievement, and it is always rewarding to receive great feedback from the oncologists we work with - they seem very grateful for the support we can offer them given their busy schedules!
Rob Thomas, Account Manager
The role of Account Manager offers unrivalled opportunities to travel the world delivering high quality services to the global leaders in the pharmaceutical industry.
Working on numerous accounts, my responsibilities are varied and wide ranging, ensuring the clients are provided with the highest standard of service.
Since joining ACUMED as an Account Executive I have broadened my skill set and have been afforded a number of opportunities to learn new skills and develop my career. I have progressed by managing projects as diverse as scientific materials such as posters, manuscripts and publications, to events such as symposia at international congresses, advisory boards and e-media projects working with our in-house experts, e-Med Fusion.
As ACUMED is an organisation with a strong emphasis on teamwork you can always rely on your team members to pull together to get the job done. This is where the great sense of achievement in this role comes from. There are often occasional challenges you meet on the way in dealing with suppliers and professional bodies based all around the world. The real challenge and excitement comes from adapting to a role that truly is global in its outlook.
If you want to give yourself a role with responsibility and creativity in the new global economy there is no better way than taking on the role of Account Manager. The social committee always seem to cause enough distractions to pull you away from your desk too!
Lisa Druce, VP Client Services
A typical day as a VP offers a variety of challenges! A key priority will be ensuring that all of my line reports and the day-to-day managers of the various accounts are happy with everything, discuss any queries they may have and check they have everything in place to deliver the planned client business. From a wider resourcing and planning perspective, I will liaise closely with the senior Medical and Scientific Services people. Together, we will look across the various accounts to look at the key areas in which we will be required to provide input or to review work and review resourcing plans and account structures. This close level of communication is critical to ensuring the accounts run as smoothly as possible.
Another key aspect of the VP role is working with my senior commercial people to monitor and manage the financials for my side of the business. We will regularly review all the business and identify areas where we may be adding to the planned business or conversely, areas where work has not progressed as quickly (there are many reasons for this, from difficulties or delays with the product development, to clients having their budgets cut) and look at ways to address this.
A typical day may also include telecons with clients to discuss project briefs, product developments or even just to check that they’re happy with everything. This is a very important aspect of the role, as this client feedback allows the team to be responsive and provide a level of service in line with client expectations.
On a bi-weekly basis, as a member of the ACUMED Senior Management Team we meet to discuss and review key topics that impact upon the running and development of ACUMED.
Career building at ACUMED®...
Wendy Sacks, Principal Medical Writer
I joined the Group in October 1999 after running a technical writing group at a biotech company in Germany for the previous 6 years (after many years as a post-doc in molecular plant pathology) and was looking for a change of scenery as well as a broader career and learning path. I got that and have been here ever since, working for 6 years in the UK and the last 4 in the USA.
Diversity in so many aspects of what I’ve done at ACUMED has been a huge plus, in particular the variety of people with whom I interact on a regular basis (such as top clinicians; medical, scientific, and technical personnel within pharma; as well as business, artistic and electronic-media specialists within our multifaceted company). Diversity also in the types of writing in which I’ve been involved, ranging from scientific/medical writing for academic journals to producing congress presentations, training materials and more promotional items. Likewise, life here is rarely just sitting behind a computer for a writer, and for me, has involved organising and helping to run symposia, workshops and meetings with clinicians in a variety of locations and venues. Over my years with the company, I’ve also enjoyed the opportunity to work with a variety of clients on products in a number of therapy areas, and have particularly valued ACUMED’s readiness to ensure that my particular inclination towards “high-science” projects has always been fulfilled.
One of ACUMED’s real strengths is its responsiveness to the needs and aspirations of its staff. I started as a Senior Medical Writer, progressing through the ranks to a senior management position. When I realized that my first love was really the actual writing and scientific/medical aspects of our work, rather than the management and business aspects, I was provided with a position appropriate to my interests and experience. When family obligations called me back to the US, ACUMED offered me a role in which there was a need to have someone based in the US and provided considerable help with my move. When my personal situation evolved again and I needed to move to a location far from any of our offices, the company gave me the opportunity to continue in a similar function via telecommuting, which is what I do now and it’s been working out fabulously!
Molly Heitz, Senior Medical Writer
I’ve worked as a medical writer at the Group for over nine years, and my role, as well as my personal circumstances, have changed a lot in this time. After completing a PhD, I joined the company as a trainee writer and then rose through the ranks to Senior Medical Writer while gaining experience in numerous therapeutic areas and a broad spectrum of medical communications media, including training materials, publications, meetings, website content, videos and press materials. Five years ago my fist child was born, and as the saying goes, everything changed overnight. After my maternity leave, I came back to work on a part-time basis. For me, it’s the best of both worlds. I enjoy working as part of a busy team, and am also able to spend time with my daughter. More recently, my circumstances changed again when I moved away from the office and began working remotely. I’m in regular contact with my team through e-mails and the telephone, and occasionally travel to the office for meetings. Although we’re separated by over 50 miles, I still feel very much a part of the team, and this new arrangement is working well for all of us.
Andrew Thompson, Vice President, Client Services
I joined ACUMED back in 2002 as an Account Manager with no direct Pharma or agency experience but with over 6 years travel industry product marketing history under my belt. Initially, it was a steep learning curve having changed industry and moving to the agency side, but the support I received from managers, colleagues and clients was phenomenal. I really enjoyed building my client relationships and with each day bringing something new and different I soon settled into the role. My client at the time even attended my wedding due to the great relationship I’d built with her!
After 18 months in this role I was promoted to Account Director and soon after took up the reins of a new account in a different therapeutic area which was a real challenge but an exciting one! My development continued and as well as on the job coaching, I also attended in-house training courses such Influential Client Management which really helped me to learn new skills quickly and effectively. More recently I extended my knowledge and insight through shadowing a member of a client’s salesforce. Ths enabled me to get a view of the many changes in that area and really gave me an excellent insight into the sharp end of what we are trying to achieve in working with a pharma company – educating customers with fair balanced scientific medical data and reasoning, leading to them making better informed decisions.
I was promoted again to Senior Account Director after 4 years as an Account Director. I believe I really needed the time as an Account Director to fully hone my skills and I wanted to be ready and comfortable before taking another step up. Even though I’d been promoted quite quickly from AM to AD level I still had a lot to learn because of my lack of previous experience but once again the support from managers, colleagues and clients was top notch. The position was very stretching but it prepared me perfectly for promotion to senior management to the position of Vice President, Client Services, with the additional responsibilities of now being a member of the ACUMED Senior Management Team. This new challenge is really exciting for me as I’m now exposed to new business management areas on a daily basis and I’m learning rapidly how to make effective contributions in the SMT forum to manage our existing business as well as looking at the longer term strategy for ACUMED and the wider business.
I love my job and I would have to say that ACUMED is a company which is second to none. I’ve worked for several companies in my career so far, large and small, however I’ve never had a better culture and ethos fit as I enjoy with ACUMED
