Job title and company: Medical Instructional Designer, Delta KN (part of AMICULUM)
Approximate salary range for your type of role: £20-30k
My journey to my current role…As you may not be surprised to hear, I realised early on in my PhD that academia wasn’t the right path for me. If I am honest, I felt uncomfortable with this realisation for a while and I wasn’t sure what to do. However, one thing I was sure on is that I loved science and whatever I did with my life beyond academia it had to be science-based. To prepare myself for life outside of academia, I decided to broaden my CV by making the most of the fantastic opportunities available to researchers at the University. To name but a few: I took part in multiple outreach events, teaching pupils from primary school up to sixth form about all thing’s science related; I was an Academic Assignment tutor for the Realising Opportunities scheme, supporting two AS level students through writing a 1500-2000 word academic report; I was a Graduate Demonstrator teaching second year undergraduates in the laboratory; and I gave multiple lay talks to patient groups in my research field. All this experience clarified my passion for learning and science communication. I finally didn’t feel uncomfortable about my decision to leave academia anymore and I was excited to see what jobs were out there for me.
During my write up I ran out of funding and needed a part-time job to support myself. Luckily, I was offered an amazing role interning at Arthritis Research UK (now Versus Arthritis) with the Research Liaison and Evaluation team. I gained masses of science communication experience during my 6 months there, from writing blogs for the internal team to writing lay content for their website. It also gave me some much-needed time to focus on something other than my PhD thesis! Towards the end of my write up I started to think about my long-term career plan, and with my passion for communicating science, medical communications seemed the perfect fit for me. I applied for a role at Delta Kn, a medical communications agency part of AMICULUM, and started working there shortly before my viva.
What I do at work day to day…Delta Kn is a specialist learning agency which partners with global pharmaceutical companies to develop learning initiatives for medical affairs and commercial teams. We as a team are dedicated to optimising the capabilities and performance of healthcare audience globally by harnessing innovative digital technologies. My role within the company is a Medical Instructional Designer. ‘What does a Medical Instructional Designer do?!’ I hear you ask – well, no two days are ever the same! One day you could be developing a training programme for the launch of a new drug, which may involve creating animations or videos, and the next you could be supporting a virtual medical education meeting for teams located across the globe. I love the fast-paced, varied environment I work in and I feel like I am learning something new every day.
My words of wisdom to you…If, like me, you have decided academia isn’t for you, I would strongly recommend that you to take every opportunity you can to try new things and broaden your CV. The skills you develop during your research are hugely desirable to any employer but try and do at least one extra thing to stand out. Additionally, get talking to people who have already jumped ship, as they will have invaluable advice on the type of skills you may need and even interview advice. However, my biggest piece of advice to you is not to feel stigmatised for wanting to leave academia. Be true to yourself, academia isn’t for everyone and that’s ok – there is a big wide world out there with so many exciting careers!
Where can researchers look for jobs like yours? www.altogetherdifferent.biz ;www.firstmedcommsjob.com; www.medcommsnetworking.com; LinkedIn; https://www.indeed.co.uk/; Google Jobs
What professional/accrediting bodies, or qualifications are relevant to where you work? An academic background in biomedical science (PhD desirable)
Think Ahead Blog 