I have now finished work for 2009. Even though I didn’t start work until April, it has been quite a long year, moving from being an immunology post-doc academia to a clinical epidemiologist in pharma. I am very glad that I made the change. I much prefer working in the team-based approach in pharma, with clearly defined operating procedures and deadlines. I am very lucky that I don’t have to attend too many pointless meetings, and I am mostly left to my own devices to just get the job done.

My colleagues have been warm and welcoming. There is no strong siblinghood of shared difficulty that I found during my PhD, but everyone is kind and friendly. I look forward to the cafeteria lunch, where the French chefs cook up a diverse range of treats. Usually I stick with a soup and fruit-salad, much to the puzzlement of my European colleagues who treat lunch as the main meal of the day. However, the chef put on a special holiday menu, so I couldn’t help treating myself to scampi and scallop skewers followed by a quatro of desserts - chocolate mousse, panna cotta, jam poffertje and profiterole.

After Saint Nicolas’ day, we returned to work to find that someone had placed a selection of mandarins, marzipan, chocolate, and speculoos on the desk of every single person in the building. Such a thoughtful gesture, and very nice to have a little sugar boost to help me through the afternoons.

Soon after that we had a small forest of fir trees spring up in the lobby. Each tree was a different species, their needles slightly different colours and textures. So much thicker than the ones we get over in Australia, but they still smell like the holidays. Often as I passed by I would stop and sniff the branches, ignoring the quizzical looks from the receptionists.

Adrian’s dad and his wife are visiting at the moment, and last weekend we took them to Namur (in Wallonia) to watch the Combat de l’Echasse d’Or (fight for the golden stilt). This competition involves two teams of twenty men, with either red and white stilts (the Melans) or black and yellow stilts (the Averesses). In a ninety minute battle, the two teams attempted to knock the stilts out from each other. When the last of the Averesses fell, the Melans turned upon each other. Finally, only one man was left standing. Standing on one stilt, he lifted the other up into the air in victory. He won the l’Echasse d’Or, and will return next year to defend his title.

I am so happy that we have moved to Belgium. Everything seems to have fallen together perfectly. I have a great job, we have a lovely apartment, two cute kittens, and live in a fascinating country. Adrian finally has his own lab, and he has a team of students and staff who are benefiting from his wisdom and mentorship. On weekends we are able to explore new places and learn about other cultures. During the week we both go to jobs that we enjoy, and then come home to watch the sun set over the city that is becoming our own.

Photo from joebeone

As soon as we decided on Belgium, I submitted my resume to a bunch of Belgian pharmaceutical and biotech consulting companies. In March, I was offered a job at one of these consulting companies (“Choice Consulting”). I would be employed by Choice Consulting, but I would work at a pharmaceutical company (“Federation Pharma”) for at least three months. I would initially have a six-months probationary contract with Choice Consulting that would transition into a permanent position if my performance was acceptable. I have just found out that Federation Pharma has just signed an agreement to continue my contract until the end of the year. This means that will earn a permanent position as a consultant with Choice Consulting. After my contract with Federation Pharma ends, they can send me to work anywhere within the Benelux region, but it feels great to know that I now have a permanent position and a little bit of long-term security.

What do I actually do at my desk? I work as a clinical epidemiologist at Federation Pharma headquarters. At the moment, I examine data from a vast database of health insurance claims from the USA. This database lets me work out patterns of use, treatment rates, co-morbidities, and healthcare costs that are associated with specific drugs or diseases. The data are already there, and I do not have to slave over the bench to generate them. I do not have to work with syringes of infectious diseases, there are no failed experiments, and I work 40 hours a week. I do not have the independence, camaraderie, or altruism of academia, but I have short achievable deadlines and minimal stress. I am a little uncomfortable working in a for-profit environment, but I am learning a lot more about the pharmaceutical industry that I would ever discover from the outside. Overall, I really like it here.

I would like to think that I have adapted quite well to my new working environment. I can cope with the side conversations in French, the corporate atmosphere, daily changing deadlines, executive directives, and the regimented hierarchy. My colleagues strictly adhere to their work/home division, with most people going home with no casual visits to the bar after hours. However, in contrast to this very formal environment, there is a flurry of kisses and winks in the morning and afternoon. Australians don’t even hug their friends unless it is a moment of extreme emotional significance. And now I am expected to kiss my superiors twice a day? It is weird.

Photo from paphio.