Author: Matthew Taylor (Director of York Health Economics Consortium)

Taking your first steps in a new career is always a daunting task, and it’s certainly no less so in health economics, where there are many different choices.  It’s reassuring to know that, whilst the world of health economics is still growing at a rapid rate, it’s still small enough that people can easily jump between different sectors of the field.  This means that your first step doesn’t need to be career-defining and you can certainly treat it as an opportunity to learn about one particular aspect.  I’ve suggested a few tips below that might help you on those first steps.

Think about what drives you

All jobs ‘make a difference’ to some degree, but it’s helpful to think about what type of difference you want to make.  If you enjoy the responsibilities that come with ‘decision making’, then it might be worth thinking about working for a direct policy maker, such as NICE or one of many other health technology assessment bodies around the world.  If you’re especially up for a challenge, perhaps working for a policy maker in a nation that is developing a new HTA programme could be the thing that you’re looking for.  If you like rolling up your sleeves and making things happen, then health systems like the NHS are always looking for driven people to help make those giant gears run smoothly.  Perhaps innovation is your thing and you’d like to be at the forefront of creating new ideas?  If so, health economics is still a young enough field that we are learning new methods and techniques all the same.  Academic centres and consultancies tend to be on the edge of these developments.  Finally, you might want to be the one to actually bring these new health technologies to market, in which case there is a big pharmaceutical and medtech industry out there always looking for qualified people ready to help them to negotiate the many barriers that need to be hurdled before getting those treatments to the patients who will benefit from them.

Be adaptable

As I said above, it’s reassuring to know that plenty of people move between all of the different sectors in health economics.  It can be hugely beneficial for someone in industry to have had experience of working at NICE, and vice versa.  However, those transitions tend to work best when you take an adaptable attitude into the new role.  The motivations of each sectors are quite different and this can sometime be a challenge.  For example, someone who has worked in academia for a long time might find the pace of life in industry quite a surprise.  Likewise, someone moving from industry into academia might find that their pragmatic approach doesn’t quite cut it when it comes to publishing research papers.  These are, of course, simplified examples and the real benefits tend to be seen when people take the best characteristics from each approach and combine them to help the different sectors to work together.

Learn about the places where you might start

Whilst I’ve talked about different sectors, it’s important to remember that not all academic groups are the same.  Likewise, not all consultancies are the same, not all pharmaceutical companies are the same and not all decision making bodies are the same.  It’s vital to make sure that you join a group that shares your own ethos towards health economics otherwise you might find the experience frustrating and disheartening.  Advice on interview methods is provided elsewhere on this site, but I would always urge you to ask questions about the company’s approach and, where possible, try to speak to people who have worked there before.  The more you find out, the better you’ll be able to judge whether it’s the right fit for you.

Know when things are right for you

I chose to join YHEC because I knew that its work with both the pharmaceutical world and the NHS (along with a bit of teaching at the University of York) would let me get a glimpse into all of those different worlds.  My intention was to find out more about each one and then take the full plunge into whichever one I thought would be most interesting.  In the end, for me, it turned out that the balance of all of those different areas was exactly what I’d been looking for, and so here I am eighteen years later still enjoying that variety of challenges that it brings.  Everyone is different, and so we’ll all find that different places are the right match for us.  The key is to know when you’re onto a good thing, and to know when you might want to change – in health economics, it’s never too late to try something different!