A very delicate and critical matter. Discussed in http://clinicalresearch.blog.co.in/2008/09/10/children-in-clinical-trials/

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Wait! I’m not trying to sell you anything!! It’s just another thought-provoking blog. When was the last time you have persevered to get your work done? When have you pushed yourself to pull yourself out of the unsuccessful attempts and give just one more shot?

Often we talk of perseverance and determination, to friends, younger siblings and our juniors, but how many times have we practiced what we preach? Nevertheless I’m aware of people who swear by this and in fact without their knowledge taught me too. It is not a topic that is being spoken of for the first time. If it has already been approved and stamped by so many people who seem to have time-tested it, why do we tend to overlook the tested and approved idea? 

“Whoever told you we don’t remember this and apply it?” Is that what I hear somebody saying? May be yes and I completely agree with you. In no way am I trying to portray myself on the bright side. Not long was I too playing fool with myself and giving up easily. Of course there was always “Hey I tried my best!” But no I was wrong. When I had stepped one more time towards the seemingly unachievable goal and finally scored the last attempt, had I understood that until then I have never gone this far.  

Let me explain this you in live. I had always dreamt big. Whoever says that you can’t? To me it’s the only way that even the most unfortunate person on this earth can help himself. So there I was dreaming of managing my father’s business and taking it over the next level. Of having my own business. Of being successful as a person. Oh so many … I had to start somewhere. I was 24 by then. My friends who had got into fields other medicine, usually IT had been already earning by then and for not less than 18000/month. Then I had been earning say 5000/month. Imagine my state then. I would be there wondering about the value of the medical degree I had earned.  

I then fortunately got enrolled into a clinical research course. It so happened that I was so desperately in need of a job. Not that I had to satisfy my monetary desires but to pacify my ego of having a well paying job. I was there waiting outside my institute founder’s office, for 2 hours after traveling an hour (ok that surely is not too long a time) to only tell him that I would take up any opportunity that I would be suitable for and gather experience if not paid. Hey! At least I won’t be a fresher! Once I convinced myself and reasoned about the decision I put all my best efforts and determined to win this chance.  

I had put my mentor in a very difficult position. I would plead to him with all my heart that my desperation was evident. By god’s grace I had been offered a chance and was called for an interview. The perseverance and the zeal to perform if given that opportunity earned me that job. I had been the first and the only one to be placed from my batch after merely passing the first nine months of my course. All of this I owe to the almighty for instilling that drive and spirit to go after it as if there is no tomorrow.  

Many of the times, we find ourselves whining to others about the ill-luck we are destined. Not all but the major lot of the fortunate bestowed with a good education and decent living conditions. Dear friends, it is very important that before asking for any help, we have helped ourselves to the best of our ability.  

You and only you can write and earn your destiny. Whether it is going to be sunny and bright or of shadows and dullness lies in your hands solely. If you really wanted it and believed that you deserve it then nobody can stop the success from reaching you. Yes, success chooses its destiny too. 

The only difficult part of the whole funda is working towards helping yourself. Ask yourself, “have I given my best of the best?” you will be on your way to success. 

I understand that it gives a tinge of the all-knowing type and self praise. But friends I have tried cutting off those parts and felt it doesn’t give the actual feel. If I had to share some closely guarded secrets for the good of others, I don’t mind the consequences. And I’m no different from you. It could happen to you too if you did the same. TRY ONCE AGAIN!

RD

Pandemonium! Actually I liked the word! So I was trying to use it & found the relevant place. I seemed to revolve around it. I started to write on my confusion of the esteem of medical writing but soon cleared it myself! The very next moment I gifted myself with another one about the morale linked to it! 

Honestly, I must have written a post or two to my satisfaction on this blog, created over a dozen of well written articles at work; but I still am struggling to accept the thought that medical writing as a career is a wise decision.

Moreover I thought I would be the most foolish person to publish my confusion. But isn’t it true that not always are you alone? It occurs to me many times that certain thoughts of righteousness are masked & erased as one grows. Somewhere it is nice to keep the innocence and morale alive within yourself as you work, or that is my idea!

It so happened that when considering medical writing as a prospective career, the immediate thing you’d think of, of course next to your liking for it, is your take home package. And as all, even I did think of the same. After a long search I did find some light and it was a lucrative bundle of figures but it belonged to US while I was in INDIA. There was a possibility of a vast difference. I decided to ask help from an Indian expert. I did post my query on a medical writing network forum. Awaiting reply I carried on with my work without thinking of the fruits.

In response to my post on the salary ranges at the medical writing network forum, I had received a reply stating it could range from 6000/- to 1,00,000/- in INDIA itself. Actually after the reading the reply I was sad & happy at the same time! Yes it caused more confusion than I had previously. Stuck? Writing for sure is very new to me. In my land I had the faintest idea that a writer would earn that much.

I was faced with writing mostly medico-marketing projects for pharmaceutical manufacturer. All I did write after days of exhausting literature search. But I noticed it made no difference to the ones who needed it. It would just be thanks for finishing it up. Sometimes the medical facts had to be cut down to give it more of a marketing look. That disappointed me to an extent. But that’s marketing! I could not stop it! Every time I encountered such a situation, I’d be thinking for the rest of the day whether I’d want to compromise my medical knowledge to just promote. And why would someone to whom it makes no difference pay me a handsome amount for that?

Heavy-hearted I was because if the writing, the message is not good (that could mean not meeting expectations) may be I/someone be stuck with the minimum wages. A gut feeling that it would happen if I tried to keep up the genuineness where not needed.  In the other case also if somebody really does get paid like that 1,00,000 (I had to actually concentrate on the no. of zeroes) moreover in INDIA, why would he/she be? I just don’t get the point. Why are people getting paid for writing?

Somehow, I got used to writing what they wanted, in their viewpoint. I’d try my best to keep up the core basics, convince them that may be such a point would actually be detrimental to a marketing strategy! I understood that an article that put forth their thoughts to their audience without raising questions was worth a million! Pharmaceutical companies had to sell their products & reach to a maximum of physicians. And this wouldn’t happen if they conveyed a wrong message. So even if they did want to sell through this, they did better state the facts. 

I wanted to do a work allotted to me with all my heart & mind into it. And I find it difficult to give my hundred percent when the work forwarded is just for formality. Somehow I seem to be at ease now! i heard myself speaking that not always are you trying to mask the facts. it is the need of the hour you cannot blame yourself! And then burst out laughing slyly at myself thinking where had all my morale disappeared?

Have I written too much of my confusion? But it relieved me! Why? Because when in future there arises a point when I would rejoice over a fat pay cheque for a successful medico-marketing article I‘d surely think of this moment when I strived to be outrageously right!

“The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.”

Norman Schwarzkopf

 RD