Working Life: Dr Meena Jain
pharmafile | September 8, 2010 | Feature | Business Services, Research and Development | Napp, Working Life, careers, recruitment
How did you find your way into your most current role?
I’ve been at Napp for four years now having come straight from the NHS as a practising physician. I was attracted to work for Napp, due to its location on the Cambridge Science Park, its developing product portfolio and its reputation as being a great place to work.
The company is very focused on people development and I have really been supported to gain the experience required to progress to the position that I now hold as head of medical affairs.
How is your field changing?
Medics within industry have always taken an important role in communicating the clinical efficacy and safety data of a company’s products. We are responsible for providing the robust and comprehensive scientific information customers need, informed by our own insights, knowledge and experience.
As the NHS continues to evolve and becomes more focused on cost and value for money, in-house medics will continue to play a crucial part in helping pharmaceutical businesses to demonstrate the overall benefit that their products represent to the NHS now and in the future.
What are the most enjoyable things about your role?
The variety! Working for a medium-sized UK company like Napp has meant that I have not been niched in one therapeutic area. Instead I have had the opportunity to support the development and commercialisation of a diverse range of products at various stages in their lifecycle.
I enjoy the cross-functional nature of the role, being able to interact with individuals from different departments and also to get involved in more company-wide initiatives that allow me to broaden my knowledge outside of the direct remit of my job. One such activity is our company’s strategic planning process known as ‘Charter’ which runs every year and involves everyone across our company.
Each year a number of the individuals leading the Charter process rotate and I am on the team for this year. I’m really enjoying the scope this is giving me to understand the business better and take a direct role in shaping its future direction.
And the least enjoyable?
As I have become more senior, I seem to be involved in more and more projects and it has become a lot harder to manage my diary.
I sometimes feel that I can’t devote as much time to things as I would like, but at least I am never bored!
What are the most common misconceptions about your field and the people who work within it?
For medics working in the industry, there is often a misconception from our peers in clinical practice about what we actually do and the diverse career opportunities open to us! Many are very surprised to hear that there are doctors working in pharmaceutical companies at all, as most of their interaction with industry has been through sales professionals. They may not necessarily have appreciated all the work that goes on ‘behind the scenes’ at head office in producing the evidence and materials they are used to seeing.
Is there someone in your field who has inspired you or from whom you have learnt a lot?
Dr Paul Schofield, as medical director of Napp, he gave me my first job in the industry. He has supported my career ever since and is someone who I greatly admire and respect.
Similarly, is there someone (or something) outside your field who has been a big influence or source of inspiration for you?
My father, who sadly passed away in 2008 has probably been the biggest influence on my career, and I will always be grateful for the encouragement he gave me to pursue my current path.
What is the secret to a happy working life?
For me it is definitely having the ‘right’ people on your team – not always easy to achieve but when you do, it really makes a difference.
If you had advice for anyone starting out in your field now, what would it be?
For those medics coming into industry from clinical practice, make sure you do your research first as there really is a wide variety of options open to you including the opportunity for further qualification. If you do take the plunge, be prepared for some hard work, but be assured that you will have a really rewarding time doing it!
Dr Meena Jain is head of medical affairs at Napp Pharmaceuticals Limited. She joined the company in 2006 as a medical advisor after spending three years working as a junior doctor in hospitals around the East Anglia region.
Meena studied medicine at the University of Cambridge, and has also completed a PhD in neuroscience at the same university, exploring the therapeutic potential of neural stem cell transplantation for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
She is currently a member of the faculty of pharmaceutical medicine and is due to complete higher medical training in pharmaceutical medicine next year.
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