Chelsea Auidi, PharmD, BCMAS is an associate director at a Top 10 pharmaceutical company. She has built her medical affairs career starting in retail pharmacy and then breaking into the industry through a medical information role. Along the way, she earned her Board Certified Medical Affairs Specialist (BCMAS) credential.

What is your current role?

I am currently Associate Director, Global Disease State & Product Training at Takeda Oncology. I lead the development and execution of Medical Affairs training programs for our approved and pipeline Hematology assets to ensure our global medical teams are trained and certified as scientific experts.

Tell us about your career journey and how you started?

After graduating from the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy, I started my career as a community pharmacist for Target Pharmacy. After just 6 months, I decided that retail pharmacy was not the best fit for me and I was interested in pursuing a career in the pharmaceutical industry where I could have a global impact and be intimately involved with the science and process of bringing innovative new therapies to the oncology world. I began my career in biotech at ARIAD Pharmaceuticals as a Medical Information specialist, and have spent the last 5 years working in Medical Information at various oncology-focused pharmaceutical companies in the greater Boston area, including TESARO and Array BioPharma. I transitioned to the Training department within Takeda Oncology this year to expand my knowledge and understanding of another facet of Medical Affairs.

What are your responsibilities? What is a typical day like for you at Takeda?

I lead the development and maintenance of high-quality medical affairs training materials to drive a consistent and deep understanding of, and communication fluency with, Takeda Oncology’s hematology portfolio, respective disease states, and competitor data. In order to do this I liaise daily with members of the Global Medical Affairs team, and key cross-functional stakeholders, to perform baseline and ongoing assessments to identify training needs related to upcoming data releases, new indications, or product launches. I then determine which tactics we should use to address those training needs, keeping in mind my knowledge of adult-learning theory, and collaborate with external agencies to develop tailored training packages which may include slide decks, interactive modules, question banks, recorded commentaries, and virtual or in-person training boot camps.

How has becoming a Board Certified Medical Affairs Specialist (BCMAS) helped you in your career?

Entering industry straight into an entry-level position, with a background exclusively in community pharmacy, is a non-traditional route. I did not pursue a post-doctoral fellowship after graduation and therefore I did not have the advanced learning opportunities that fellows are given, often through a rotational program, to learn about different functional areas within the pharmaceutical industry. In 2018, after working in Medical Information for approximately 2 years, I decided to pursue the BCMAS as a way to fill potential gaps I had in my foundational knowledge in Medical Affairs. The BCMAS helped me to become more confident in my understanding of Medical Affairs and how it fits into the broader pharmaceutical organization. Additionally, the self-paced learning environment allowed me to gain this certification while working full-time. Becoming a BCMAS was a great investment in my own professional development; in addition to expanding my knowledge base, this certification has helped to set me apart when interviewing for new job opportunities, and demonstrates my commitment to a career within Medical Affairs

What tips would you give to other pharmacists who want to work in the pharmaceutical industry within medical affairs like a medical science liaison role for example?

Medical Affairs is an extremely diverse department within a pharmaceutical company, I think of it as the bridge between Research & Development and Commercial. Pharmacists can have a large impact in all of the functional areas within Medical Affairs, including in-house roles like medical information, publications, and medical communications and externally-facing roles as medical science liaisons. It is easy to become siloed in your role, so I would encourage any pharmacist interested in working in Medical Affairs to gain experiences within multiple functional areas throughout their career trajectory. These experiences will not only make you well-rounded as a Medical Affairs professional, but also give you a global view of how to maximize collaboration and strategic thinking across functions.