Clinical Scientist Undergraduate Review

As part of the evidence generation team for vaccines, I helped provide operational and clinical support to the lead clinical scientists for multiple clinical trials across the globe. Part of my day-to-day tasks involved reviewing clinical data, attending study site meetings, writing meeting minutes and sending out agendas. I extensively used Excel to review study enrolment metrics and utilised pivot tables and graphs to follow recruitment trends. I helped assist with data cleaning and quality checking for publication, where abstracts and manuscripts from the studies I assisted with were presented at conferences and congresses to advise Vaccine Technical Committees.

I have gained a deeper understanding of the requirements for developing a vaccine and a greater appreciation of the operational processes involved in epidemiological studies used to determine disease burden, vaccine effectiveness, and health economic outcomes. I have gained clinical expertise and knowledge on how to develop a protocol and worked on updating informed consent documents and case report forms. I have also witnessed the broader picture from collecting and verifying clinical data to the final presentation of abstracts and manuscripts for scientific publication. I have gained skills in communication, organisational prioritisation, project management and multi-tasking, data science and gained an insight into the role that clinical research places in the pharmaceutical industry and the type of roles it has to offer.

Yes, I was given responsibility for managing clinical trial metrics and reporting the progress trends to the team. I would review screening logs and compare the number of eligible patients to actual enrolled and recruited patients to determine an estimate for the level of disease incidence. I worked alongside my clinical scientist and was given the freedom to pursue my tasks with the trust and responsibility that I would complete them, which really boosted self-development and self-discipline. I took pride in my work and was motivated to execute my tasks to a high standard as my team were incredibly supportive and encouraging.

My line manager was very attentive, and I had an incredibly positive working relationship with her. Most of my tasks were assigned by the clinical scientist I was supporting, and I also developed a close mentoring relationship with them too. I found my team to be supportive, encouraging, and they made an effort to make me feel welcomed. I found the onboarding process fairly easy, and despite the knowledge gap from starting with zero understanding on epidemiological studies and clinical trials, everyone was very open to answering my questions and explaining their roles clearly. I felt very secure in my role and comfortable to raise any queries or concerns with my line manager.

Working at pfizer was an incredibly positive experience. Colleagues are teams were very friendly, open, and accepting. A benefit of working for a provider with a well-established placement student scheme was the ease of onboarding and the general atmosphere of appreciation and respect. Previous placement students were always spoken highly of by my team, and this gave me insight that the work we do as placement students is respected and appreciated. I loved networking with the other placement students who were working in a different department or business units to mine such as finance, or marketing, or regulatory operations etc. It was lovely to come into the office and see other people also in my position, learning the ropes and joining their teams as complete beginners. I enjoyed the incentives and the effort the company made to foster a positive and successful working environment with 'Moment of Joy' events, socialising spaces, and the prioritisation of mental wellness.

I enjoyed my placement at Pfizer UK very much, and my positive experience was greatly shaped by my wonderful team and colleagues who enjoyed working here and were very supportive. I found the role interesting, and rewarding, and it has vastly improved my understanding of the big picture when it comes to scientific research through clinical trials. I got to witness, experience, and assist with the work and effort that goes towards the end goal of scientific publication of data to shape and improve health outcomes of patients. I found the work-life balance very manageable, and I enjoyed going into the office. My line manager was always encouraging of my extra-curricular pursuits and would support me if I wanted to shadow another department or learn more about another area.

Yes

I did not know what to expect when applying to pfizer but I can say that this placement position has greatly exceeded my expectations and I have gained so many new skills as a result. The best advice i would give is to prepare thoughtfully for your interviews and try your best to come across well on the application form. Lots of intelligent prospective students apply for the role, but you want to make your application stand out and show off the uniqueness and value you could bring to the position. Be authentic and articulate about your expectations and prepare questions to deepen your understanding in your interview. They will remember the person who asked a relevant question!