AMWA Member Spotlight - Serina Stretton

Where can we find you online?

I am online on my LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/serina-stretton-800b628/

1. Brief description of what you do

I work for a medical communications agency, Envision Pharma Group. During my time at Envision I have taken on many roles, from medical writer to manager and account lead. Through all those roles I have somehow continued to write, so it must be a passion!  This year I embark on a new role looking at career pathways,
team structures, and the professional development that medical writers need day-to-day.

2. What led you to become a medical writer?

The desire to become a medical writer started when I was writing my PhD – one of the few who really enjoyed pulling all that work together into one coherent document.  From there I started as a medical writer with no experience at a hybrid academic / industry organisation and never looked back.

3. What do you enjoy most about being a medical writer?

I love my job because no day is the same – I love the intensity of the writing process (and hate it at the same time). Most of all I love to look at the puzzle of how to bring scientific elements together into something that is coherent, accurate, and easy to read.

4. What has been one of your career highlights as a medical writer and why?

There have been a few but what I enjoy most is the connections I make and watching junior writers grow and progress in their careers.

5. What has been one of the greatest challenges for you as a medical writer and how have you addressed this?

One that stands out is when I had the opportunity to present our team’s research at the International Congress on Peer Review and Scientific Publication. The research was accepted as a podium presentation and I was terrified. Even worse, I received some tricky questions targeting the validity of being a medical writer – despite this not being the topic of the presentation. Somehow I got though it and felt I was able to stand up for our profession.

 
6. What advice would you give fellow writers or people considering a career in medical writing?

I think you have to love the process and have no ego. Criticism of the written word is hard to take, but almost always the criticism results in a better document.  You also have to be much more than a writer – you have to be a diplomat, have strong project management skills, and be able to switch on when a deadline is looming. 

7. What led you to join AMWA?

I joined AMWA because of the people – although there are many international organisations available, AMWA is the only one that is local and that can give me the interaction with like-minded individuals that keeps me connected to the profession. Currently, I hold the position of Treasurer on the AMWA Committee.