Medical Affairs Graduate

What do you do?

My name is Jasmine, and I'm a first-year medical excellence medical affairs graduate. My 2-year graduate program allows me to work with all of the sub-teams within the medical excellence department but currently, I am working most closely with our medical ethics and integrity team, and this team is responsible for all things governance compliance and process Assurance here in the UK business.

What attracted you to a career in the pharmaceutical business?

The pharmaceutical industry attracted me personally because I get to utilise the scientific knowledge that I learned at University without being stuck in the labs or in the field, which I knew didn't appeal to me primarily though I think I'm a people person, and I'm really passionate about helping other people which I think aligns really nicely with the industry's collective aim of improving patient outcomes.

What does your typical day involve?

This is very cliche but every day is very different as a graduate I feel really privileged to work on a range of cross-functional projects with a whole breadth of different people um in general though most of my days involve team meetings as well as individual time to continue work on ongoing projects as well as um do some personal development So currently I'm undertaking some signature training to bolster my knowledge of the code as well as doing some courses on NHS financing to understand better the structure um of the NHS and how it's funded.

What qualifications and experience do you have?

I graduated with a first-class honours in biology in June 2023 from the University of St Andrews and so this is technically my first professional corporate role after graduating university. I've also completed an internship with a biotechnology organization which gave me my real insight into the pharmaceutical industry particularly the research development and manufacturing of medicines of the pharmaceutical industry and this I think combined really gives me a lot of transferable skills and knowledge that allow me to succeed in the industry today.

How does your employer support you in your job?

I believe my employer provides immense support in my job despite being a graduate and often technically the most junior person in the room. I'm always encouraged to share my thoughts and opinions to push my skills and to seek new opportunities and this encouragement not only comes from my manager but it also comes to my graduate peers all the way up to senior colleagues too.

What are you most proud of in your career so far?

I would have to say I am most proud of graduating and securing this role. I'm from a low-income background and grew up in a really rural area where there aren't many opportunities outside of the tourism industry. I'm also the first in my immediate family to go to university and pursue a career in the sciences so I'm really proud to share my success so far with my family and I'm really excited for where my career will take me in the future.

What piece of advice would you give to someone seeking a career in the pharmaceutical industry?

I would say doing research as there are so many opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry and so many areas that you can go into and specialise in, so doing your research is paramount in understanding which of those opportunities appeal most to you um such that you can tailor and build the knowledge and experience needed to pursue and succeed in that particular area.