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• Statistician: Thomas

Statistician: Thomas

This Case Study belongs to Statistician.

I gained a BSc in Mathematics at the University of Leicester, but after doing three years of mainly pure mathematics, I wanted to change and use the skills I learned in an area where I could see more of a benefit and immediate impact. I chose to do a Masters degree in Medical Statistics at the University of Leicester. I chose medical statistics rather than just statistics as the course focused on a really interesting application of statistics which appealed to me.

I applied for a job with Pfizer after a visit from Pfizer statisticians during my Masters course. Most pharmaceutical companies want statisticians to have at least an MSc, so although the Masters course was hard work, it was key to getting the job that I now have. I started working for Pfizer in the non-clinical statistics group at the end of 2007. My role is wide ranging as you never know who is going to need advice or help, but I focus mainly on experimental design along with the analysis and reporting of the experiments.

One of the main things that I enjoy about my job is working with a wide range of experts, not just statisticians. Meeting with scientists is a crucial part of my job to understand what they are trying to do and where statistics can help them, be it in design or analysis of experiments. It also means that you can gain a greater understanding of the science behind medicines and also about the processes that go into making them.

Soft skills are just as important as statistical knowledge in the workplace - especially computer skills and communication skills. For the former, I would suggest gaining as much programming skills in statistical programs such as SAS or R as possible. As for communication skills, one of the hardest parts of the job can be explaining findings to non-statisticians who do not understand what you have done. Being able to talk clearly without a lot of jargon or acronyms is important.

Case Study sourced by Judith Baines of AGCAS, 16 September 2008.