Continuing our series on Professional Identity and Medicines Development, we are pleased to feature another well-written essay by a talented student of our 2022 cohort, Dr. Dragana Kolarski.
Dr. Kolarski is a medical doctor specialized in internal medicine. She is currently working as the Internal Medicine Medical Affairs Scientist Lead in Adriatic, Serbia and CBC for Pfizer. She is based in Belgrade, Serbia.
“Discuss Professional Identity and the Sense of Purpose in Medicines Development and their relevance for professionals involved in the field.”
The driving force behind every medical doctor is providing a service which results in the improvement of one’s wellbeing. Whether working in clinical practice or in other fields such as Medicines Development in the pharma industry, our final goal is to ensure better health on individual and general levels. Sometimes it seems as though this sense of purpose to heal is intrinsic to medical doctors, long before we consciously decide on that as our future profession. Once we make that decision, we know there is a certain path of education we should take. However, we are seldom aware in the beginning what awaits us and how much our journey and experiences will change us along the way.
In consulting supportive documentation, reference papers and additional resources, I’ve come to the conclusion that after all there is no agreement on a unique definition of Professional Identity for medical doctors nor persons working in Medicines Development. As I see it, we are all trying to find the best way to be of good service to patients and community. This would be the basic principle.
We are all different persons being influenced and transformed throughout our lives and careers by individual experiences and general events. As I see it, there are as many different professional identities as professionals. In addition, the development of one’s Professional Identity is also shaped by their specific career path. For example, a medical doctor’s Professional Identity may differ depending on his/her clinical experience, pharma experience, or a combination of the two.
We are not our jobs, but our jobs are a significant source of our individual wellbeing. Being professional in the field of Medicines Development is very challenging nowadays. The environment is constantly changing, and the role of Medicines Development keeps pace with the change. It is undergoing significant transformation and from mere support to marketing and commercial, Medicines Development and Medical Affairs are established as third strategic pillars in pharmaceutical companies. It is indeed the only department which connects all the dots of the medical process, from very early phases of Medicines Development to the latest stages of product life cycle. Because of that, Medicines Development professionals are essential partners to all internal and external stakeholders.
How one could go about forming the best or strongest Professional Identity is complicated. One potential framework might include formal education, practical relevant experience in the field (for MDs, the clinical field), postgraduate courses/specialization in pharmaceutical medicine, and then working in the pharmaceutical industry.
Since employees bring their own professional identities and individual experiences to the work they do, it is very important that they have a sense of belonging to the communities of their peers. Professional associations of people working in Medicine Development are crucial, as well as the possibility of additional education and professional development in the field. This should take the form of different activities: meetings, courses, peer discussions, just to name a few. Everything that facilitates ongoing communication not only with internal colleagues but with an external network of peers to exchange experiences and share best practices is of utmost importance for the development of Professional Identity.
During this challenging journey that is our career in Medicines Development, our own responsibility is to touch base with ourselves and reflect of if we are on the right track. Our goal should be to keep high individual standards in performing our jobs, maintaining ethics and compliance along the way. We should always remember that we touch not just patients’ lives, but also lives of their caregivers and families and the public in general. If we do our best in the process, we can be sure that this will be a rewarding journey with the best outcomes for all.
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
