Working Life: Merck Sharp & Dohme medical director Paul Robinson
pharmafile | February 4, 2011 | News story | Business Services, Research and Development | MSD, Paul Robinson, Working Life, careers, merck sharp and dohme, recruitment
Paul Robinson, medical director at Merck Sharp & Dohme, looks at how his field is changing, the most enjoyable things about his current role and how a desire to be more involved with clinical trials lead to him joining the pharma industry.
How did you find your way into your current role?
I was a cardiology registrar, in a post which included clinical trial work. I found the relationship with patients in trials more gratifying than that of routine clinical care.
As well as the extra time available to complete the study requirements and the more frequent visits, at the end of a consultation I found myself saying ‘thank you’ to the patients as much as they were saying ‘thank you’ to me for looking after their angina. I enjoyed that two-way relationship.
I began to know what a good trial looked like, and wanted to be involved in this area of medicine.
After a short sojourn in contract clinical research, including some normal volunteer work, I joined MSD. I have now worked for MSD for 17 years, in both clinical research and medical affairs, so becoming medical director has been a natural progression.
How is your field changing?
In days gone by, drug development and commercialisation was fairly predictable: phases I-III research, a big launch, a few formulary committees and hey presto, if you’re lucky, you have a blockbuster.
MSD was usually first or second to market. Changes in the environment have made the outcome of clinical development less predictable, the health economic hurdles higher and the frustration of having a great medicine, but being unable to bring it to patients.
What are the most enjoyable things about your role?
I still get a buzz from a successful clinical trial – well designed, with a result in which you can have great confidence. I also enjoy the opportunity to recruit new talent into the company, and watch individuals develop their confidence and competence.
My aim is to leave a trail of successful senior staff at MSD, whose careers started in the UK Medical Department. Finally, I relish ‘doing the right thing’, even when it’s not the easiest thing.
This often means persuading someone to move out of their comfort zone, to take a risk. When taking that risk turns out to have been the right thing, it’s great.
And the least enjoyable?
As someone who likes to roll their sleeves up and get their hands dirty, I get frustrated by bureaucracy. Regulation is necessary, but there has been a notable shift away from a risk-based approach, and an assumption of ill intent that needs to be caught, rather than assuming that all is in order unless there is reason to believe otherwise.
I hope the pendulum moves back to allow common sense and judgment back into day-to-day decisions.
What are the most common misconceptions about your field and the people who work within it?
On a personal level, the misconception that upsets me most is that working in the pharmaceutical industry means that you have somehow ceased to be a doctor. I still regard myself as a doctor, bringing medicines of increasing value to patients.
The other misconception is that pharmaceutical companies won’t do anything unless there is profit in it. I have seen examples where the needs of patients have been put ahead of profits, but the cynicism and criticism I sometimes receive about our motives is disappointing. We need to be appreciated as an integral part of a healthcare system.
Is there someone in your field who has inspired you or from whom you have learnt a lot?
I have learned so much from so many. My immediate predecessor, Dr John Young, had developed a great sense of proportion. If John thought something was a problem, it usually turned out to be a much bigger problem than I had appreciated.
Similarly, is there someone outside your field who has been a big inspiration for you?
I recall working in my early days in MSD with Professor Phillip Poole-Wilson, a great cardiologist with an incredible sense of right and wrong, an ability to simplify complex issues and a giant intellect. Simply being in his presence was inspiring in the days when statins and ACE inhibitors were in the ascendency. I was very saddened at his premature death in 2009.
What is the secret to a happy working life?
I am not sure I am the person to give advice on that! I think a healthy mix of work and play, not neglecting your family and an early acknowledgement that if you are not at work for a few days or weeks, the world doesn’t come to an end and the share price doesn’t tumble.
I spent 18 months in the US, but left my wife and daughters in the UK, commuting every three weeks – I don’t recommend that for a happy life!
Laughing at work is important too. I have been told I need to ‘use humour with caution’ – so it looks like not everyone has the same sense of humour as I have.
If you had advice for anyone starting out in your field now, what would it be?
The pharmaceutical industry is a great place to work and I would encourage anyone thinking of joining to give it a go.
Don’t be too obsessed with a career ladder, where each job change has to be a promotion. Think of it more as if your CV has a series of boxes that need ticking for you to get to the next major level, and take opportunities to tick those boxes when they come along.
That way, you move through your career ladder gathering all the skills you need on the way.
Dr Paul Robinson is medical director of MSD. After qualifying in Medicine at The London Hospital, and junior hospital jobs in East London, he joined MSD in 1994.
His career has included medical affairs and clinical research, in the UK and US. He is also visiting Professor at the School of Pharmacy, University of Hertfordshire, and a member of a NICE Technology Appraisal Committee.
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