Technical Knowledge
To come up with the best suggestions, PR agencies would need a thorough understanding of the client, which often involves having to dig deep into medical jargons and the latest scientific researches. Working on medical PR without these is as irresponsible and as dangerous as leaving a toddler to wander on the highway. Unfortunately, most of the time, the information supplied by pharmaceutical and medical clients are drier and longer than the Sahara. Therefore, experience and familiarity are critical.
PRoTip: “Reading without understanding is like swallowing food without chewing. – Vikrant Parsai”. Don’t choke.
Being Ethically Creative
Even after understanding what to convey, the following concern is on working the how. This means converting the acquired knowledge into news angles that would captivate media outlets and the consumers. Information needs to be broken down into digestible portions and then weaved into a coherent story. This is where creativity comes in.
PRoTip: Fearmongering is one of the easiest ways to grab attention when it comes to health. However, it is unethical and should be avoided at all costs.
To set the record straight, the claim that PR is all about creativity is a myth. So is the claim that reading of research papers and academic journals end in college.
Experience in communications is simply insufficient to qualify a PR practitioner for work in medical PR. Abiding by legislations, understanding and ethically translating medical jargons and clinical research into news angles are part and parcel of medical and pharmaceutical PR. The skill is to turn these medical PR challenges to opportunities.
Lest there be any misconceptions, as with the list of other most stressful jobs, PR requires minds to be resilient and coffee to be strong. Proceed with caution.
To find out more about the Medical Tourism Index, click here.
