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Emma

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I started working in medical communications not long after graduating from the University of Birmingham with a BSc in Natural Sciences. My degree combined biology, maths and Spanish, but I chose to specialize in biology, completing a literature review project in my final year. This involved reading a lot of journal articles, which made me appreciate the importance of clearly written and well-structured text. In my spare time, I became a Science Editor for the university newspaper, which gave me my first taste of editing, layout and design.

I was introduced to medical communications at a university-run workshop about non-laboratory-based careers in science, but editing wasn’t very well advertised as an option. I initially applied for writing roles before being contacted by a company who informed me that, based on my CV, I might be better suited to editing. I decided to give it a go and got my first job as an Editorial Project Assistant. I was delighted to discover that being a medical editor is both interesting, giving me plenty of opportunities to use skills from my degree, and satisfying. I feel like I make a difference; after all, it is extremely important for medical information to be conveyed clearly and accurately, and in a way that is appropriate for the audience. After short stints at two other companies, I joined °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø in 2018 and am now an Associate Principal Medical Editor.

For me, one of the best things about working at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø is the variety of work. The Editorial team that I belong to works with four different project teams, each of which has a variety of different clients and therapy-area focuses. As editors, we are familiar with our clients’ specific style preferences and work flexibly to provide the different levels of editorial input required at each stage of a project. In terms of project types, we do a lot of work on publications, such as journal articles and abstracts, which require focus on flow and scientific accuracy, as well as on spelling and grammar. We also do a lot of work with posters, PowerPoint presentations, booklets, meeting materials and newsletters, for which layout and design are important considerations as well.

I am a hybrid worker, meaning that I go into our Oxford Barns office once or twice a week and work from home the rest of the time. This flexibility is fantastic for balancing work- and home-life responsibilities, and there is plenty of support to ensure that, even when working remotely, team communications are regular and easy.