Freelance Expert Interview

Alix

 
 
  • Epidemiology / Real-World Evidence
  • 10-year experience
  • 4 years a a freelancer
  • Canada
 
  • Could you explain us your background  & where you coming from ? 🎓

I hold a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Bordeaux School of Public Health (ISPED) and a Doctorate in Public Health (PhD) with a specialization in Epidemiology.  I have served for 10 years as an Epidemiologist and scientific advisor within public health institutions and contract research organizations in France primarily where I pursued my certifications and started my public health career. My journey as an epidemiologist began in cancer registries where my core mission was to conduct observational research , implement innovative statistical analysis on cancer databases and author scientific publications.  I had the opportunity to complete all my certifications in hematological cancer registries, which ultimately get me passionate about oncology and contributed to grow my knowledge and expertise in cancer research and clinical outcome assessments methods. After 6 years in academia, I wanted to diversify my expertise and work on other therapeutic areas, which to my transition in industry in 2018.

  • Could you please let us know more about your expertise, your day-to-day activity as a freelancer in this expertise ? 💎

With my consultancy business AAW Global Health Consulting Ltd, I work exclusively with pharmaceutical, biotechnology and public health clients to offer strategic consulting and evidence-based synthesis. I mainly support clients who needs systematic literature reviews, study protocol and clinical reports to inform decision making and drug development strategies. As such, I am able to support clients leading research projects in multiple therapeutic areas including oncology, cardiovascular and infectious diseases on simple to complex real-world study designs  (e.g., safety and effectiveness studies medical chart reviews). 

  • Why did you decide to become a freelancer ? 😇

Providing my expertise as a consultant is an exercise I started early in my career, back to 2014 while completing my MPH. At the time, I have been contracted to develop a study protocol for a research team at Bordeaux University Hospital. This first consultancy job was a real success and also taught me how to navigate the regulatory aspects of a research study. Comforted by this first experience, I decided along side my academic research to graciously support small projects in academic setting and build on more experience as a consultant.

  • What are the pros & cons  being a freelancer ? ⚖️

Pros:

  • Opportunity to choose the type of project and client you work with
  • Flexible schedule year round
  • Possibility to establish long relationship with clients through repeated collaboration.

Cons:

  • Administrative: Processing times for contracting and delays in payments
  • What would you say to  someone hesitating becoming a healthcare industry freelancer ? 🤔

I think working as a freelancer it is a great experience as it give you the opportunity to take on more responsibilities (than an employee) and challenge yourself on every project. For example, experiencing change in project timelines or seeing client needs evolving during a mission are common challenges for an epidemiologist, which help to build resilience over time and mitigation strategies for future projects.

  • What is your feeling around healthcare  Clients openness  to freelancers ? 〽️

First and foremost, I realized that clients are more likely to trust freelancers with a significant track record and/ or a significant experience in the area of expertise where the client needs support.

I think pharmatch.co is an amazing platform giving visibility to freelancers. While working independently offers great advantages, gaining visibility and finding the right clients require consistent network. Having a marketplace where freelancers and clients can meet and match is a great initiative.
 
  • Did you already work with pharmatch.co ? If yes, could you please tell us more about your experience ?

My profile was recently completed on pharmatch.co, so looking forward to work on future projects!
 
  • How do you see  freelancing in healthcare industry in the near future ? 💫

With recent changes in the job market, being a freelancer became an advantage, specially for those having a good client base. Over the past 2 years, clients needs shifted a bit: healthcare companies are more likely to contract with freelancers than before as they are more willing to work with independent contractors in order to fulfill a particular need.