A day in the life of an Associate Consultant, with Nell Thompson
By Nell Thompson and Dr Claire Tkacz.
An all-round science whiz and VISFO native, Nell joined us full time as an Associate Consultant in the Market Access branch of our Strategic Intelligence Team in July 2022 after working with us as a desk researcher during her undergraduate studies. Since joining VISFO, Nell has also embarked upon a Master’s degree in Global Public Health and is due to finish in September! We caught up with Nell to chat about what she’s learnt and how her role has changed over the past two years.
What does a typical day as an Associate Consultant at VISFO look like?
I usually wake up at 5:30 am (Henry, my puppy, is allergic to sleep!) and try to take the opportunity to work on my Master’s degree for a couple of hours. One of the main things I love about working as an Associate Consultant is how varied my role is depending on the disease area, drug and what the client challenge is. We work on all things strategic intelligence, so everything from researching epidemiology and the scientific landscape to analyzing health technology assessment decisions. Then comes the creating client deliverables! I could go on. As my experience has grown, I’ve taken on more project management and process roles within my team, which I really enjoy.
Why did you decide to work in Market Access? Any inspiration?
After working part-time at VISFO during my undergraduate degree doing desk research I realized how much I love scientific research, but I also wanted to have a client-facing role and see a project through from beginning to end — from doing the research and curating insights, to building a story and creating meaning for the client. What was, at the time, a newly assembled Market Access team seemed like the perfect fit and I was really excited to be a part of a brand-new team and grow with the department!
What was your journey to becoming an Associate Consultant at VISFO? Previous experience?
I actually worked for VISFO during my gap year as well, and continued to work part-time as a desk researcher while I studied for my undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences. I will always be grateful to Max for introducing me to VISFO and the team and really opening my eyes to the opportunities in the pharma space and showing me that a Biomedical Sciences degree doesn’t just mean lab work or a stepping-stone to medicine!
What top 3 personal qualities are good fits for your team?
- Attention to detail
- Initiative
- Curiosity
What’s the best part of your work at VISFO?
The people. There is such a range of backgrounds and experiences, and everyone is so willing to teach and share their knowledge. They make VISFO a really exciting place to work. There are no barriers at VISFO, communication is open and welcomed across the business — between departments and levels of seniority.
Tell us what you enjoy about working within the healthcare/pharmaceutical space and how different it is from what you have done before?
I love how fast-paced and innovative the industry is — new therapies are being developed constantly, with people making breakthroughs and discovering new ways to manage diseases all the time. Ultimately, all this work feeds into improving the patient experience and helping people which is really rewarding.
Sum up VISFO in 3 words
Innovative, collaborative and motivating
What do you work on in your VISFO L&D time, any exciting projects in the pipeline?
I am currently learning R, the coding language, to help with my Master’s. Luckily, we have more than a few experts at VISFO who are always happy to answer any questions! With the help of Stephen in our Business Intelligence Team, I’m also learning how to use Tableau to make awesome data visualizations for our clients.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working – any hobbies, favorite TV shows, music?
- Walking my labradors, Frank and Henry
- I love to cook – I am a self-proclaimed risotto queen
- Recently joined a netball team
- Spin — Emma, our Head of Marketing, runs amazing classes at R1DE, a spin studio right by our office!
Biggest personal success to date — what are you most proud of accomplishing that’s not work related?
I think probably starting my Master’s at Imperial College London. It has always been a dream university for me, so finding out I got a place to study Global Public Health was so exciting. I’m already bringing skills and learnings from my Master’s to my role in Market Access!
