Her Story
About Neha
I've always been very interested in science - it's something that really relaxes me when I'm deep into science and reading something profound. My dad is a doctor, so maybe that influenced me a little bit. After completing my PhD in 2017, I started my career as a bench scientist, but I soon realized I wanted to see my research being translated from bench side to bedside. I wanted to understand how difficult it is to be in that clinical research scenario, which led me to take on positions closer to clinical research and clinical writing. Over the past 7 years in medical writing, I've worked across multiple industries including medical devices, pharmacy, and biotech companies like Abbott, Illumina, and currently Arcos Biosciences. For the last 3-4 years, I've focused extensively on oncology-related medical writing, which is something very close to my heart and aligns with my vision and goals. My typical day involves executing projects end-to-end, writing concise clinical study reports, protocols, investigative brochures, and FDA documents for communication and NDA approvals, while collaborating with other departments and meeting with experts in the field. Work is something that keeps me going - it's one of the most relaxing activities I do all day. While I hear people talking about how stressful work is, for me it's very relaxing, and it's something I like to do every day. I think liking what I do is my biggest motivation.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Neha
01What do you attribute your success to?
I cannot attribute it to just one single thing - I think it's a group of a lot of things, just being in the right place at the right time, getting the right education. Of course, my parents motivated me to have a good educational background, and my husband has supported me through this process. But if it's one thing, it will be my mission to do something with the knowledge that I have. I also have the right intentions to be working hard truly at the core, with integrity and not with the aim to reach somewhere. My goal was always to learn and be expert at what I do. I think that has got me where I am today.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is that there will be good days, and there will be stress, there will be anxiety, but you have to just take one day at a time and keep at it.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say, be inclined to learn. Don't be in a rush to reach anywhere - just enjoy the path and the journey you're in. Just enjoy where you are and enjoy the work that you're doing. As long as you're learning something, it's a job well done. As long as you enjoy what you do each day, that would keep your motivation up, and you can keep going. For me, I think learning is easier when you are humble, and you want people to coach you. It's not as easy, but I feel like just being able to be coached, or being able to be open to learning, will get you really far in your career or in your professional life.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I feel like when you get to the level where I am, and I want to move up, the curve is very steep, and that's the challenge. There's so many talented people out here, and the industry has a lot of experts around. As for opportunities, I feel like there's a lot to learn still out there, and there's so much that we need to do in the oncology space. I know we've come far, but I think there is a lot that we have to still accomplish. Thinking about how we can change the world for this disease and for patients keeps me going and motivated.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I feel like truthfulness to your own self and your worth is very important for me. And of course, hard work - there's nothing that can compensate for hard work. I really, truly feel hard work is like the bare minimum that you can do as a human, so everybody should strive for that. But in addition to that, if you're true to what you do and you are open to learning, you can really be a useful member of society and contribute to whatever level you were at.
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