We are proud of our heritage and the positive impact we’ve had on helping many people build a career in med comms. Have a look at what some of our allegro. alumni have to say about their experience.
Before starting the allegro.WRITE programme at Inizio Medical, I knew that med comms was an alternative career to research that still allowed you to be at the forefront of innovation in the scientific field. This was appealing to me, as I wanted to pursue a career that would allow me to utilise my scientific background to communicate information to various audiences. In addition, I was excited to work as part of an extended team and learn new skills from others.
The allegro.WRITE programme has been a challenging, but rewarding, experience thus far. The initial six weeks gave a great insight into what life can be like on a client account; this involved the development of various deliverables, including an abstract, poster, manuscript, slide deck and infographic. Whilst every account has its nuances, the fundamental skills from the initial allegro.WRITE training made it easier to approach work on a real-life account. During the last six months, I have gained so many new skills and have worked on projects that I did not even think could fall under the scope of med comms. I have really enjoyed getting the chance to connect with and learn from various people on my team. It really has been amazing to see how my confidence has grown in such a short space of time.
The most rewarding part of the allegro.WRITE programme at Inizio Medical has been the friendships I have been able to form with the other writers in my cohort. This is especially true for my pitch team, who I remain in regular contact with to this day. As I go into my second rotation, I’m looking forward to working in a new team that is in a different part of the business. I have enjoyed my experience working in med comms so far, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds.
I joined the allegro.WRITE programme at Inizio Medical as an Associate Medical Writer in January 2023. Following two months of training with my fellow new writers in the Manchester office, I was placed onto my first rotation which focused on publications in oncology. Here, I was introduced to the world of med comms by working on posters and abstracts for various scientific congresses, and even drafted my first manuscript! It was a brilliant, hands-on experience, and the five months flew by.
My second rotation was drug-induced movement disorders in a medical affairs account, and I worked on a variety of projects, including post-congress reports, video storyboards, and materials for an advisory board. This was a fantastic opportunity to develop relationships with the client, as I worked closely with them to create meeting materials that supported their strategic goals. I was delighted to be able to travel to Italy to attend the advisory board and see all of our hard work come together. It was really rewarding to see the external experts discussing the slides I had created, and to gather their invaluable insights on the topics presented. Moving forward, I will utilise everything I learnt during the allegro.WRITE programme to approach new projects with confidence and experience as a newly-promoted Medical Writer.
Overall, the allegro.WRITE programme has taught me countless skills that are needed to thrive as a Medical Writer, as well as providing me with a variety of opportunities to work closely with exciting medical developments and the world-renowned experts who are at the forefront of improving patient outcomes. I look forward to continuing working with my wonderful team and to expanding my skillset further!
After starting my BSc degree in Biomedicine at Lancaster University, I quickly discovered that my favourite part of the course was learning about diseases and their treatments, then communicating this information to other people. At the time, I believed that my only options were to either become a biomedical scientist or to pursue a career in research. That was until a google search of ‘non-lab-based science careers’ helped me find the medical communications (or med comms) industry. After researching the types of jobs available, I was immediately drawn to the role of Associate Medical Writer – it was the job I had always wanted, but didn’t know existed! As I searched, I came across the allegro.WRITE programme at Inizio Medical, which I applied to after gaining an MSc in Science Communications and joined in September 2021.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the allegro.WRITE programme; the training phase provided a safe space to learn all about the med comms industry, while the rotations allowed me to put everything I learned into practice! The year on the programme flew by, culminating in a promotion to Medical Writer and a celebration of everything we had achieved as a cohort. At the end of the programme, I returned to the same team I worked with on my first rotation. It was great to slot back in and take on new challenges and responsibilities as a fully-fledged member of the team. Since then, the skills and knowledge I gained from the allegro.WRITE programme have continued to accelerate both my professional and personal development, resulting in a promotion to Senior Medical Writer in 2023.
I am very proud of the career I have had since joining allegro.WRITE in 2021, and still find the job as rewarding and fulfilling as the day I started. I look forward to continuing to learn about the promising development of drugs in a range of therapy areas, and hope to progress further as a writer in the future.
When I started looking for a new career, I knew that I wanted a career that would allow me to apply my scientific expertise and creative skills. I soon learned about the med comms industry, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well it merged scientific communication and patient impact. Having come from an R&D position, I was concerned that I would not find an entry-level med comms position that offered sufficient training. That is when I learned about the allegro.WRITE programme at Inizio Medical.
The allegro.WRITE programme was the training I needed to embark on my new career path. Each day had a scheduled training programme, which consisted of different presentations from the trainers. What I really enjoyed was how interactive the training was. We would have discussions about various writing topics, complete mini activities in breakout rooms and have the opportunity to ask lots of questions. The training programme also included challenges (activities). We were given a day or two to complete these writing challenges and then received thorough, individualised feedback from the allegro.WRITE trainers. I found the challenges especially helpful because they allowed me to apply my new learnings in a task. The allegro.WRITE programme gave me the confidence to jumpstart my career as a medical writer. After the allegro.WRITE training programme, we joined our account teams as Associate Medical Writers (AMWs). What I really liked was the fact that the skills that I had learned in the allegro.WRITE programme were applicable to my account work. Since then, I have been involved in various projects, including manuscripts, patient scientific platform decks, abstract summaries and kick-off decks. In med comms, every day is different and the work that you do truly impacts patient care.
Having embarked on this new, exciting journey as an AMW, my goal is to impact patient care through precise medical communication. I aim to become a scientific expert in my disease area, provide quality deliverables to our clients, and use my skills to communicate science effectively to patients and the healthcare industry.
Embarking on a career in medical writing was a thrilling yet daunting prospect. My journey started with the allegro.WRITE South Africa programme at Inizio Medical, designed to prepare aspiring writers like myself for the fast-paced world of med comms.
From the start, the allegro.WRITE programme offered a structured approach that was essential for someone transitioning into the field. The training materials were designed to cover a wide range of topics relevant to medical writing, from understanding scientific concepts to mastering the nuances of developing compelling content. Each training session provided a solid foundation upon which to build our skills, ensuring a seamless transition into the medical writing environment. What truly set this programme apart was the unwavering support and mentorship provided by the allegro. team. Each member was committed to the growth of everyone enrolled in the programme. Their guidance was influential in improving my writing abilities and instilling confidence in my work. The training materials were comprehensive, offering valuable insights and practical exercises that allowed me to apply what I learned in the ‘real-world’. Whether it was developing slide decks, posters or analysing study materials, every task served to deepen my understanding of medical writing principles. As I progressed through my first year as an Associate Medical Writer, I became increasingly adept at navigating the complexities of med comms. One aspect of medical writing that particularly appealed to me was the fast-paced nature and unpredictability of the work. No two days have been the same which presents new challenges and opportunities for growth. This dynamic nature of the job keeps me intellectually stimulated and motivated, pushing me to constantly evolve as a writer.
Looking ahead, my aspirations in the field of medical writing are ambitious yet attainable. I aim to continue growing in my role, taking on increasingly challenging projects and expanding my areas of expertise. Ultimately, my goal is to become a Senior Medical Writer and I look forward to the exciting opportunities that lie ahead on my journey to achieve this goal.
I joined Inizio Medical as a Medical Writer in April 2021. The start of my medical writing career began with onboarding training in the form of allegro.WRITE. Since the very start, the training I received was of a high standard and allowed me to hit the ground running, gaining valuable experience within my first few months. The training provided practical examples that I was able to refer to as I began taking on more client work. This proved very valuable and helped to reduce the number of rounds of review needed with more senior members of the team. I was also assigned several mentors and managers who guided me through the various processes and consistently provided feedback and career advice, allowing me to develop my own career path.
The early experience gained through this intensive allegro.WRITE training programme allowed me to exhibit various skills throughout the first few months as a Medical Writer and played an important role in my promotion to Senior Medical Writer in January 2023. As a Senior Medical Writer, I was involved in more client-facing work and had the opportunity to review the work of others. The allegro.WRITE programme provided the best start to help with this transition from a Medical Writer to a more senior member of the team. My team was able to see how I was able to manage this transition which subsequently led to me becoming a workstream lead on my account, followed by another promotion to Associate Medical Director in January 2024. As an Associate Medical Director, I am now involved in more strategic aspects of the account as well as management and mentorship of junior writers.
I believe the early training I received through allegro.WRITE has played a significant role in my career development, and I plan to continue using the skills I developed during my early training to help with the career development of junior writers, as well as my own growth as a manager and leader at Inizio Medical.
Coming out of university, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do but knew that I wanted to use my natural sciences degree and remain in the healthcare industry. Finding out about med comms, I thought it was the perfect fit for me. I wanted to hear more about what med comms entailed, so I attended the allegro.DRIVE webinar on LinkedIn, which helped me to settle on applying for a role in Client Services. The team answered lots of questions, giving me an insight into the world of med comms, which was invaluable at that stage. The allegro.DRIVE application process was enjoyable, with some online tests and an in-person assessment day with a good mix of formal assessments and a networking lunch. This meant that you could meet people at the company and ask questions in a more informal setting.
Starting the allegro.DRIVE programme at Inizio Medical, I’ve particularly felt that there has been a strong support network. With a number of different mentors, a buddy system and the peer network, there’s always someone to ask a question to and provide guidance. This support has made it easy to integrate into my account teams and the company as a whole. Everyone at the company has been friendly and approachable and I’ve been impressed by how much interaction we have with senior leadership. They made time to introduce themselves to us in our first week, and having regular meetings with our mentors throughout the programme has been beneficial.
I now work on a number of projects in rheumatology, oncology and neuroscience, and have really enjoyed how varied the work is. The allegro.DRIVE training was a great introduction to the account work, providing lots of resources to draw upon. We’ve also been introduced to business development and pitching, gaining valuable information about the wider company. I’m looking forward to growing within the company and taking more ownership of projects.
My experience with the allegro.DRIVE programme at Inizio Medical has been truly invaluable. Before this programme, I didn’t know what to expect from the world of med comms. The programme was incredibly interactive and replicated the day-to-day life on a client account; this immersive learning experience has been instrumental in equipping me with the skills and confidence needed to navigate the world of med comms.
The training phase allowed me to form strong bonds with people from different areas throughout the business and created a very supportive network. In the programme, I was able to immerse myself in a dynamic and challenging environment that closely mirrored the realities of the industry, with opportunities to practice the types of deliverables and experiences faced on our client accounts. This practical exposure deepened my understanding of key concepts and honed my ability to think on my feet and adapt to evolving situations.
My time at Inizio Medical has allowed me to support across a variety of projects, from creative to congresses, podcasts to publications and everything in between. It has also allowed me to travel abroad to see the delivery of medical booths, expert sessions, and symposia, providing me with great hands-on experience. The comprehensive training provided by the allegro.DRIVE programme has been instrumental in preparing me for the complexities of these projects.
The unwavering support of my team members has truly made my time at Inizio Medical. Their guidance, expertise, and encouragement have been invaluable, providing me with a safety net to explore and learn in my role. Working in med comms has been a really rewarding experience so far and I am excited to see what 2024 brings!
I thought that I had struck gold when I stumbled across an advertisement for the allegro.DRIVE programme at Inizio Medical, a scheme that proposed to combine my passion for medical science with a desire to work in the fast-paced environment of Client Services.
The 6-month programme was a deep dive into the day-to-day roles and responsibilities of an account executive. Initially, the allegro. team provided extensive training on project management, financial acumen, and effective client engagement skills via a hybrid of face-to-face and virtual sessions. These sessions were supplemented with multiple independent and team assignments which allowed us to learn from our experiences before putting them into action within our agency teams. We were always encouraged to speak up and ask questions, which dramatically improved my confidence and solidified valuable relationships with colleagues that remain to this day. As well as the allegro. training team, mentors and buddies, my Client Services account team provided unwavering support that did not end when I completed the programme. Within my first 3 months, I supported our clients at onsite events such as advisory boards, symposia and booth displays across both America and Europe. This is not something that I would have had the confidence or skill set to do without the learnings from the allegro.DRIVE training and the support from my agency team.
Almost a year on, I still refer to the advice and mentorship that I received during the allegro.DRIVE programme. The skills and experience that I gained gave me an excellent kick-start in the exciting world of med comms that I feel very lucky to have had.
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