Regulatory Medical Writer Is a "Crazy Scientist" at Heart

Name: Katrin Zaragoza Dörr (she/her)

PhD: Molecular Biology, Humboldt University of Berlin, 2008

What is your current job?

I am a Regulatory Medical Writer, Trainer and Mentor, CEO & Founder of Medrika Consulting S.L., based in Barcelona, Spain.

I write documents with medical and scientific content related to clinical research, from the description of how a clinical trial has to be conducted (protocol) to the results of this clinical trial. Some content is highly strategic and could impact whether a clinical drug will be approved or not. To develop a high quality document on time, I need to be a good project manager leading multifunctional teams but also challenge their input. The Medical Writer keeps the cross-functional perspective, and we can detect important gaps.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

That my professional worth is valued and not the sum of my publications. Being able to write very different types of documents, within very different therapeutic areas is wonderful.

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

Certainly my analytical and scientific writing capability but also my attention to detail,

presentation skill, open mind for ongoing learning, and last but not least having worked independently and being self-organized.

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

Being a Clinical Research Associate for some years provided me with a great knowledge about clinical research, how the pharmaceutical industry works, and what the regulatory standards are.

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

The path to regulatory medical writing was not direct, mostly due to the economically challenging time when I decided to leave academia. I started as a Clinical Research Associate and transitioned to Medical Writing after close to 4 years.

PhD graduate ➡️ postdoctoral fellow ➡️ Clinical Research Associate ➡️ Medical Writer

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

Self-training about clinical research and good medical writing practices. There are many free resources available. Join a professional organization such as the EMWA (European Medical Writing Association) or, if based in the US, the AMWA.

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

As a "crazy scientist" at heart, it was hard to acknowledge that my fire towards academic research had gone out. When I communicated it to my PI, I could not avoid breaking in tears, since I was grieving. But I did not regret this decision for a single minute.

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

Reach out to your (extended) network to know about professional options, what the job involves, how they transitioned into their job, and any pieces of advice they have.

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

Being open minded and flexible, being ready to go out of my comfort zone, being analytical enough to take a decision but once taken, go 100% for it.

And for those interested, what was your main area of research?

During my 10 years in academia, I had several different projects. At a high level, I studied molecular mechanisms (mostly epigenetic), involved in cell fate decisions. How epigenetic control could switch between proliferation, cell proliferation and apoptosis, and how a dysregulation could lead to different pathological conditions.