How to Succeed in the Pharma Industry: Conversations with Instructors at MMS Academy Part 1

Part 1: Medical Writing and Pharmacovigilance

We sat down with the instructors for MMS Academy, MMS’ learning arm, for some advice on how to be successful to help those looking to work in the pharma industry.

In this first article, we talked with our instructors for medical writing and pharmacovigilance. Part 2 will highlight advice from our statistical programming and quality and compliance instructors.

Succeeding as a Medical Writer

Teresa Cesena, Director of Regulatory and Medical Writing, has over 10 years of pharmaceutical writing experience, and now leads the medical writing department. Her advice to students interested in entering the field of medical writing is:

• Earn a degree in STEM
• Grammar counts
• Seek mentorship
• Be ambitious

Amanda Beaster, Senior Manager of Regulatory Strategy, has over 10 years of experience in scientific writing for the research and pharmaceutical industries. She shares some advice below.

“A successful career in medical writing can open up a world of opportunity to scientists seeking to be a part of the development of life-changing therapies that positively improve lives worldwide.” 

Tejaswini Ravindranath, Senior Medical Writer, has over 7 years of experience medical writing in the scientific research and pharmaceutical industries. She shares her advice for future medical writers in an acrostic poem below.

“Medical writing is one of the most dynamic branches of clinical research. My advice to anyone who wishes to pursue a career in medical writing is to follow the mantra ‘Go Data.’

G: Great quality

O: Ownership

D: Data Driven

A: Attention to Detail

T: Team Player

A: Ability to present data in a succinct manner

Amina Wofford, Medical Writer with over 10 years of scientific writing experience. Her advice is

“Medical writing is a career field with tremendous growth opportunities. If interested in pursuing a career in medical writing, there are two key steps to help start your career.”

• Have a background in STEM
• Be willing to learn!

Succeeding in Pharmacovigilance

Arunima Sen, Director of Pharmacovigilance and Medical Writing, has more than 14 years of experience in medical affairs and drug safety. She has 3 tips for a successful career in pharmacovigilance.

• Be passionate about safeguarding patients’ interest in the life cycle of a drug
• Get the basic understanding of drug development and regulatory landscape right
• Being tech-savvy helps 

Pallavi Dua, Senior Manager of Pharmacovigilance has over 14 years of experience in the healthcare and pharmacovigilance domains. She shares what it has been like for those working in pharmacovigilance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, we at MMS worked hand in hand with Pharma organizations to ensure the timely and seamless launch of vaccines. Come be a part of an industry that directly makes a difference to the lives of people globally through cutting edge pharmacovigilance, which keeps the world safe and ready for any future health emergencies.”

Sign up for courses here.