Medical Affairs Associate Review

It's been a really interesting experience and I have learnt so much more than I could have asked for. I have developed in many different ways, personally and professionally, and I have been given fantastic opportunities. I'm treated as a real member of the team and the fact that I'm a student does not affect the opportunities I'm given.

My colleagues have always made me feel like I am a permanent member of the team and I truly feel valued. They show their gratitude for my work and they value and trust my opinion - something for which I am really grateful. From day 1 I have been invited to all their social events too which really helped me to integrate.

My managers have always been there for me when I need them. They have provided me with support, advice and the time that I need. This also extends to my personal life, whereby they have taken the time to give me advice on my career and how I can tailor my education in the best way, even when they didn't have to!

I am given lots of opportunities to work on numerous studies and tasks which means I am always kept busy. however, I have weekly 1 to 1s with my managers and in these they ensure that I am not overwhelmed and they help me to prioritise to ensure I do not have too many things to work on.

I have been tasked with running numerous studies from start to finish, including analysing data and writing abstracts. Consequently, I have become a named author, which is reflective of how much responsibility I have been given. I am also responsible for contacting many health care professionals outside of the company which has helped to build my confidence and professionalism.

I have developed my scientific knowledge greatly which will really help me in my degree. I have to have detailed and precise knowledge about two cancer drugs, an antiemetic, and numerous other drugs incl. antiretrovirals, antibiotics and sexual health products. As I am doing a Biomedical Sciences degree, this information is invaluable.

I am not giving this a 10 purely because I think that would imply that all we do in the office is have fun. We do have a lot of fun and the environment is relaxed, open and comfortable. However, it has the right balance of this and professionalism which encourages good working behaviours.

The placement was incredibly well-organised and people are very pragmatic. My opportunities were structured and there was a specific plan set in place when I joined which included a timetable of the whole year. In this timetable, we have specific times allocated to go and visit other parts of the business across the country.

The company has invested a lot of time and effort into ensuring I can develop in the best ways possible. My managers are always happy to sit down and speak with me, no matter how busy they are, about my future plans and things I can do to improve my opportunities later in life.

Incredibly appealing. I am already tailoring my education pathway in order to ensure I am qualified to apply for a job here in the future. There are so many roles available and once you're in the company there is also the opportunity to move around a lot, including working in other countries!

There are around 26 other students on placement and because of this, the social scene is good and well-developed. All the students get on, we work well together, and organise social events outside of work. I just came back from holiday with a big group of them so it is really food.

I lived at home so I am not sure how much it costs to live around here. However, in terms of socialising, there is a lot to do at a low cost and as London is very close, there are loads of free things to do / cheap places to visit.

As you only have to take one train to get into central London, the nightlife is great! The night tube also comes to within a 15 minute drive of the area so it's cheap and easy to get back after a night out! There is endless choice in London for places to go and different sorts of clubs to try. Also, there are always shows to see and nice places to eat.

There were lots of opportunities out of work and they helped to organise different events such as volunteering. There were 2 days set aside for volunteering which were set-up for us that enabled us to do something outside of the company. When we started, they also helped to suggest things we could do as a group of students to get to know each other.