Today continues our Professional Identity and Medicines Development: Insights from Academy Alumni series. We are excited to feature a well-written essay by Academy alumni Dr. Muhamad Asif Ijaz, a student of our 2022 course. We extend our gratitude to Dr. Ijaz for his contributions to our learning community.

“Discuss Professional Identity and the Sense of Purpose in Medicines Development and their relevance for professionals involved in the field.”

Professional Identity and Medicines Development: Dr. Muhammad Asif Ijaz
Dr. Muhammad Asif Ijaz is a health professional with an academic background in medicine and public health. Dr. Ijaz holds a professional certification in medical affairs and a board certification in lifestyle medicine. He has over a decade of experience working in the clinical research and medical affairs departments of GSK and Ferozsons Laboratories, Pakistan. He has worked as a health researcher in the Ministry of Public Health Qatar for five years.

“Professional identity is the image that defines a person vocationally. It underscores how, as a professional, he wants to be known by others and how the community perceives him[1]. Professional identity is an ever-developing status that relies upon, amongst others, education, social norms, values, beliefs, family circumstances, and individual experiences in the personal, social, and work life[1, 2]. As an individual grows or develops through education, social interactions, and on-the-job experiences, they establish new meanings to the different aspects of life[3]. The tasks and duties an individual performs or plans to do change perspective based on their experiences and knowledge[2, 4]. Therefore, Professional Identity development requires constant correlation with social context and introspection, where one can connect the dots with different aspects of life. This contemplation has one essential component and heavily benefits from realizing one’s purpose in life, the workplace, or the field in which one works.

Clarity on what a person is doing, what he aspires to be, what motivates him or propels him towards his desired goals, and the challenges that stand in achieving the outcome of interest is essential for clarity around the purpose of life or carrier objectives[5]. Without a clear purpose or identified aspirations, one may feel disconnected from his life and field of work or feel chained or suppressed by his life choices[2]. It may lead to mental or emotional turmoil and feelings of despicable or meaningless existence that gradually builds inside, eventually hindering an individual’s personal, professional and social aptitude[1].

I have a decade-plus of experience in different capacities (trial monitor, manager, local trainer, and Quality manager) in the R&D sector of the pharmaceutical industry. During that time, I got exposed to many steps involved in the clinical development of potential medicines. I always thought that clinical trial management teams and clinicians were the professions driving the development of medicines. However, during the Medical Affairs in Medicines Development program, I was exposed to many steps and jobs fundamental to bringing new, better, or more economical treatments to the market. Medicines Development is an umbrella term for people working in different sub-fields or areas. From analytic or biochemistry to clinical trials, from animal studies to bioequivalence studies, from clinical trial monitoring to the interpretation of data and regulatory submission, and from assessing the benefit-risk ratio of an approved drug to ascertaining the economic value of a new treatment, people involved in various tasks work towards a common goal of improving health and decreasing morbidity and mortality. The medical community or society knows some of the professionals involved better than the rest; over time, they have become the face of the Medicines Development field. Despite being indispensable, other roles in drug development get overshadowed, e.g., clinical trials will only exist with the in-vitro pharmacologist or the plethora of preclinical studies.

Various chemical laboratories, academic institutes, pharmaceutical companies, and health technology assessment bodies are involved in developing a lead chemical compound advancing to regulatory approval and inclusion in the healthcare system. They need to nurture the right environment and culture that leads to efficient use of their resources[6]. Appropriately qualified and motivated people working with confidence in a team with properly defined Key performance indicators and recognition of hard work will ultimately nourish a healthy purpose[1, 4]. Inculcating the perception of helping humanity will also help foster the development of a progressive Professional Identity[5]. This certificate program by IFAPP helps bring together like-minded professionals and is a vital tool for developing advanced professional competencies in drug development. I feel more enlightened, confident, and committed to performing and contributing to the best of my abilities and capabilities.”

References

  1. Fitzgerald A, editor Professional identity: A concept analysis. Nursing Forum; 2020: Wiley Online Library.
  2. Wilson I, Cowin LS, Johnson M, Young H. Professional identity in medical students: pedagogical challenges to medical education. Teaching and learning in medicine. 2013;25(4):369-73.
  3. Wikipedia. Identity formation, 19 October 202 [15 November 2022]. Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identity_formation.
  4. What is a professional identity. PSYCHOLOGY4U. Available from: https://psychology4u.net/psychology/professional-identity/.
  5. Lane S. Professionalism and professional identity: what are they, and what are they to you. Australian Medical Student Journal. 2018;8(2):10-1.
  6. EY (Ernst & Young Global Limited). A Harvard Business Review Analytic Services Report, The Business Case For Purpose.
  7. Rebecca. How To Identify and Work With Your Core Purpose,  [updated September 29, 202015 November 2022]. Available from: https://www.worldclassseminars.com/identify-core-purpose/.
  8. The Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs (ACMA). BCMAS program information  [16 Nov 2022]. Available from: https://www.medicalaffairsspecialist.org/certifications/bcmas/program-info.
  9. Gbenga Ogunjimi. 5 REASONS YOU SHOULD DEFINE YOUR PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY BY YOURSELF,  [16 November 2022]. Available from: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-reasons-you-should-define-your-professional-gbenga-ogunjimi/.
  10. EduTech Wiki. Professional Identity  [16 November 2022]. Available from: https://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Professional_identity.

Disclaimers

  • The material in these reviews is from various public open access sources, meant for educational and informational purposes only
  • Any personal opinions expressed are those of only the author(s) and are not intended to represent the position of any organization(s)
  • No official support by any organization(s) has been provided or should be inferred