Medical Writer with an Artist's Perspective

Name: Ashley Hayden Monahan (she/her)

PhD: Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, 2024

What was your main area of research?

I studied learning and memory and factors that boost or make memory worse.

What is your current job?

I am a Medical Writer for the Neuroscience Education Institute, and I work remotely based in Houston, Texas.

I make educational content about psychiatric disorders and their treatments for doctors and other healthcare practitioners. I make everything from press releases on FDA approvals to parody music videos about how drugs work. Every day is different

What is your favorite thing about your job?

I love how creative and different each day is.

What is the most important skill you developed or experience you had during your PhD that now helps you in your current position?

Writing

How did you build the skills necessary for your current role?

I participated in a lot of science writing and communication initiatives - I had a science writing internship and attended several ComSciCon conferences. I also volunteered for Research!America and had my own science communication company I started during my PhD. I still have that company!

How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?

Networking and informational interviewing people turned into a job interview

PhD graduate ➡️ medical writer

If someone is interested in a similar role, what would you recommend they start doing now to prepare?

Build a portfolio of work you have, whether it’s writing, visuals, etc. and put that on a website that’s your home base for all your work.

Force your advisors to let you do internships. Go to conferences, get involved in community initiatives and communication projects, and find your own opportunities.

Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?

I didn’t feel like the culture of academia was for me. I decided early on I didn’t want to be a part of a system of abuse.

I think academics do great work, but I didn’t have great advisor experiences and knew there were more consequences for that outside of academia.

What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?

Start looking early and informationally interview anyone you can

Are there any components of your identity you would like to share, including how they have impacted your journey?

I grew up an artist so my perspective is a more creative one, and I never felt like I fit in with the average scientist.

If you don’t feel like you fit the mold, make your own!