Choi Hyun-ah, Vice President of Lilly Korea, a medical internist and a ‘pharmaceutical doctor’, still meets patients. Of course, she does not meet the patients directly at the clinic and diagnose them. So, how does she meet the patients?

“I started resident at Cheil General Hospital & Women’s Healthcare Center and wanted to have an adventure. It seems that there were influences of various cultural experiences facing foreign life when I was young. I thought I wanted to contribute to the patient’s life extension in a non-hospital setting. At that time, my parents wondered why I wanted to work for a company because few doctors worked at pharmaceutical companies.”

People usually think ‘a doctor’ meets and treats patients at a hospital, but she thought clinicians were the only persons to deal with patients. But Choi Hyun-Ah’s idea was different. I thought it was enough for the patient even if I was not a clinician, and the choice was pharmaceutical. Her choice was to be a medical advisor.

She finished resident in Feb 2005 and was a physician for about one year early in 2006. In 2006, she entered a Medical Adviser Korea AstraZeneca, a European multinational pharmaceutical company, and stepped forward as a pharmaceutical doctor. However, the enterprise called ‘pharmaceutical company’ was never enough for him to have been a doctor. The environment and culture that changed 180 degrees were new and embarrassing. But working at the company wasn’t easy for her because the environment was different as she experienced as a doctor. “At that time, there were few doctors working at a pharmaceutical company. When I worked for the company, I had vague expectations. There were too many things I never thought of. My colleagues were experienced, but younger than me. I learned a lot from them, especially, I realized that a brochure made by the company needed much effort. The environment was dynamic from getting permission for new medicines, solving problems, and setting strategy, etc. I couldn’t be regretful to work for the company because I was so busy.”

She recalled the past experience was the foundation for her success. Finally, a good chance came in 2009. She was in charge of assistant to release and get permission of the newly-approved circulatory product made by Lilly to Korea, Asia, America, and an emerging market. Her work was to meet medical people in foreign countries and understand medical markets. It was attractive because she had to continue to try new things. During 2 years and a half of her career in foreign affairs after joining Lilly, more than half were overseas due to business trips, so there were no pages left in the passport. She thinks the period was ‘a chance’ to her and advanced English proficiency level helped take the chance.

“I learned a lot during the period. In emerging countries, the infra structures for new medicines were rarely well-stocked like Korea. It was fun because it was very important to communicate with the medical staff in order to create a drug launching strategy in accordance with the various circumstances of the country including the licensing process, the hospital operation system, the insurance system, and the standard of living. When I was young, I lived in a foreign country. Advanced English proficiency level was an advantage to me.”

She became vice president on April 2012, 6 years after she had worked for the company. Better understanding and experiences for emerging countries were the basis on high-speed promotion.

She is also busy in the Korean branch. This year, Lilly released 3 new medicines such as the anticancer medicine targeted for stomach cancer, ‘Cyramze’, GLP-1 level diabetic treatment, ‘Trulicity’, SGLT-2 inhibitor level diabetic treatment, ‘Jardiance’. Her medical team played an important role for the release.

Medical division of Lilly Korea conducted global clinical trials based on opinions from domestic doctors and has established strategies from the development stage to the release for several years. The division took credit for the achievement and became the second largest division following the sales division. And about 70 employees are working in the division. Currently, she is in charge of these works and takes a lead.

“These days, medical strategies have been more important. Good strategies make people understand the value of medicines and appropriately apply them to patients. These are the role of medical advisors or a medical division. Eventually, clinicians at both hospitals and medical advisors at pharmaceutical companies pursue the same value and goal (to help patients)”.

The role as medical advisor

Choi emphasizes that pharmaceutical doctors and clinicians ultimately pursue the same values ​​and purposes in terms of patient treatment, patient quality improvement, and medical development. As a physician, participation in the development of new therapies and in the flow of medical research contributes to patient care. Therefore, medical advisors feel rewarded as doctors do. And the position of medical advisors has been changed and they can show more potential. If clinical doctors treat patients individually at the forefront and contribute to patients while prescribing medicines, pharmaceutical doctors can contribute to the patient by providing academic grounds to develop and provide better medicines. In the meantime, the position of pharmaceutical physicians in the domestic pharmaceutical industry has changed and will show more potential in the future.

“I remember at the time when I went to a hospital to meet clients and showed my business card. They were surprised to know I was a doctor. But they aren’t surprised now. For the past 10 years, the roles of medical advisors have been expanded. It is good to share doctors’ expertise in pharmaceutical industry. But if people want to be medical advisors, they need to have open mind and courage because of the fast-changing environment. It isn’t good to change their career just because there are too many things clinicians need to do.”

She has been on the road to success over a decade, but will continue to move forward. She has no intention of stopping now. Her effort to get new experience is in progress.

“I was in charge of business in Korean and emerging markets. Personally, I want to do what I have never done at this company. I want to devote myself to many patients by participating in main business of this company such as setting strategy at the early stage of new medicine development and setting strategy or making decisions for not only Korea but also Asia.”

leejs@docdocdoc.co.kr

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