Yohan Boillat, PhD - Medical Science Liaison

Yohan Baillat, PhD - Medical Science Liaison at AstraZeneca

Where are you from and what is your education background?

I grew up in Canton of Jura, Switzerland, until I finished high school. Then I moved to Lausanne to study Life Science at EPFL. During my master, I specialized in neuroscience and I decided to continue in this field for a PhD. My PhD project, still at EPFL, was on brain imaging and metabolism using magnetic resonance imaging.

Why did you decide to pursue the PhD journey?

When I decided to continue for a PhD, I already knew I would not do an academic career. My goal was to leave academia shortly after my PhD. However, I wanted to do it as I felt the need to do some fundamental research at some point in my life. And I wanted to have this academic experience.

It is often said that the PhD is a marathon not a sprint race. What are your thoughts about it?

I think it is right. At the beginning, I wanted to quickly start the experiment itself, but I later realized that it is important to take enough time before to think in details about the project, the design, the potential obstacles and plans B. However, it is not always easy to keep that in mind as time is running and we want to finish our thesis in a limited time with some results and publications.   

When did you decide that you didn’t want to pursue an academic career?

I would say during my master project.

When did you transition into industry?

After my PhD, I directly left academia. I spent a few months unemployed and the start of COVID did not make it easy. I took the opportunity of this time to do a PMP certificate that was paid by the unemployment insurance. And then, I started at CHUV as a study coordinator in oncology. I did almost two years there and finally joined AstraZeneca.

What is a current position? What was your previous position ?

I am a Medical Science Liaison in oncology and my previous job was study coordinator in oncology.

Is your job related to what you have done during your PhD/Post-doc?

It depends on which aspect. My Phd was on neuroscience and bioimaging, and my current job is in oncology. However, they are hard and soft skills that are common in both.

What are the aspects that you like the most about your job?

As I am part of the medical department of a pharma company, I am still into the science, I have the opportunity to visit and exchange with physicians as it is a field-based position and the opportunity to work on medical project.

How has your work-life balance changed since moving to industry?

More or less the same I would say. I have to travel more now and things are moving much faster compared to my time in academia, so maybe a bit more stressful. But I am very happy with my current work-life balance.

How did you adapt to the cultural and operational differences between academia and industry?

I am happy I did these two years at CHUV as a study coordinator, which was a very operational and regulated environment already. I think this was a good step for me to slowly get used to these differences. But overall, I adapted well, although there are always new things to learn when you work in a global company.

Were there any new skills or knowledge areas you had to develop for your role in the industry?

Yes, there were. A lot of hard skills as I got trained on lung cancer, but also some soft skills including communication, teamwork and leadership. 

How difficult was it, to gain the required knowledge when you first started your job(s)?

During the first months and also still regularly, the company offers a lot of internal trainings, which make the process easier. The rest is learned by doing. I am lucky to be in a great team in which I always got the help I needed. It is important not to be afraid to ask for help when you do something for the first time.

What were the challenges you faced during your transition?

Actually, the main challenge was to find a job in the industry. It took some time, but I finally made it. Another challenge could be the number of people I interact with now. During my PhD, I communicated mostly with 4-5 people. Now it is 10-20 times this number. Working on a clear communication is maybe the skill I had to develop the most.  

According to you which are the personal/soft skills that are mostly needed to undergo a successful transition into industry?

Be very open-minded, humble, ready to change and not afraid to take initiatives. 

What advices made the difference in your professional development?

Be patient, it might take time to get the job you really want. A few other positions before, even if it is not a dream job, can help.

What aspects of your academic studies helped you during your transition in industry?

As now I have to deal with a lot of scientific data and study results, I think my PhD helped me to understand them more easily and be able to be critical, even if it is a  different field. Ppt presentation and public speaking where also useful. I would also add that it helped me to figure things out by myself and efficiently solve issues.

It is also said that networking plays an important role in transitioning into industry. Was it the case for you?

Yes, although I did not get my current job direclty through networking or any referral process, I got some very good advice for the interview from a friend in a similar position. However, I was able to get a few interviews with other companies thanks to people in my network.

Did you do one or multiple internship(s), traineeship(s), BNF project(s), in the private sector after your PhD studies?

I started at CHUV as a BNF and I was then hired after four months.  

What advice would you give to PhDs and postdocs who are willing to look for opportunities outside academia?

Be open-minded. It is not because you did a PhD in a very specific field that you will only find jobs in this field. I ended up in oncology because it is the opportunity I had and now I really like it.

And do not forget your value. At the beginning, when you want to transition to industry, you will get a lot of negative replies from companies, but it does not mean you are not good enough for the industry world. PhDs bring a lot of values in companies.

If you could go back, would you change anything about your career path?

Probably not. Of course, doing a PhD in oncology would have helped me now, but at the time I know it was not my thing. Maybe I would have been less happy during my PhD time.

What can I wish you for the next coming years?

To be happy.

Yohan Boillat’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yohan-boillat-linkpro/