Name: Dr. Satabdi Saha
Currently based in Uttarakhand, India
Educational background:
UG – North Bengal Dental College & Hospital
PG – Dr. R. Ahmed Dental College & Hospital
Dr. Ruchi Rathi Gupta: What is your current profile?
Dr. Satabdi Saha: I am a freelancer. Being a freelancer, I have associated with health media, health tech, and medical communications agencies, in India and abroad. My work is project-based. My clients include Koshiqa, ACKO, Science Integra, Healthnews, and Eon aligners.
Designation: Medical Communications writer & Medico-marketer
Description: I specialize in creating evidence-backed articles, health blogs, scientific white papers, CME, and medico-marketing deliverables for healthcare professionals and common people.
Dr. Ruchi Rathi Gupta: What made you choose writing as a profession?
Dr. Satabdi Saha: Since I am a dental surgeon with a strong passion for scientific writing, this field was a natural choice for me. Sharing health-related updates and information has been my forte. I chose freelance writing right from the start because I wanted to explore the wide scope of work in medical communications.
Dr. Ruchi Rathi Gupta: What is the best part about your work?
Dr. Satabdi Saha: The best part of freelancing is that it's fully remote. I get to choose my work schedules and timings- unlike a 9-5 job.
Dr. Ruchi Rathi Gupta: What type of writing do you do?
Dr. Satabdi Saha: I communicate science in a language common people understand. Another spectrum of my work is delivering health and drug-related updates to healthcare professionals and physicians. My works include case reports, review articles, health blogs, and whitepapers.
Dr. Ruchi Rathi Gupta: Any interesting projects you’ve been working on recently?
Dr. Satabdi Saha: I am working on a collaboration. It's about raising oral health awareness among low-resource communities globally.
Dr. Ruchi Rathi Gupta: What are the challenges you face in your day-to-day professional scenario?
Dr. Satabdi Saha: Keeping myself updated with industry trends is a constant challenge. Also, there exists a degree of myths and telltales about how to navigate this field. So, people need to be made aware of the opportunities and career alternatives as healthcare professionals.
Dr. Ruchi Rathi Gupta: Did you always want to be a doctor?
Dr. Satabdi Saha: Yes. Always.
Dr. Ruchi Rathi Gupta: What are your other fields of interest?
Dr. Satabdi Saha: I am a thorough researcher. So, anything related to medical research, updates, and novel technologies keeps me hooked. Other than that, I am an avid reader.
Dr. Ruchi Rathi Gupta: What are the various opportunities in this arena? How can dentists from other fields pursue this field?
Dr. Satabdi Saha: The opportunities in medical communications are expanding every single day. Given the fact that people are now leaning in toward informed decisions, health media companies and startups are putting in efforts to spread more awareness. Similarly, pharma companies are on a hunt to put forth their products, backed with data and research findings. And that's exactly why medical communications are growing in leaps and bounds.
Dentists are already equipped with the expertise and knowledge in medical science, health issues, and drug information. So with initial market exposure, they are ready to navigate in this field. Many companies provide on-the-job learning opportunities, so it's a win-win!
Dr. Ruchi Rathi Gupta: What tips can writers follow for better article rankings?
Here are some key pointers for better ranking -
Draft high-quality pieces.
Research and address key gaps in the competitor articles.
Keep an eye on how you use primary and secondary keywords.
Make the write-ups skimmable.
Include visuals.
Try to add expert voices.
Link up to credible resources.
Dr. Ruchi Rathi Gupta: As we all know; Dentistry is becoming increasingly saturated. What advice would you give to budding dentists?
Dr. Satabdi Saha: One piece of advice I would give is to explore parallel streams. There is a huge arena beyond dentistry waiting for HCPs and dentists to explore. So, identify your skillsets and diversify your professional careers.
Dr. Ruchi Rathi Gupta: What qualities a professional writer must have to excel?
Dr. Satabdi Saha: Time management, core writing skills and discipline. Rest always follows.
Dr. Ruchi Rathi Gupta: Your plans for the future?
Dr. Satabdi Saha: Life has always surprised me. So, waiting for my next big surprise, I guess.
Dr. Ruchi Rathi Gupta: A quote, you may relate to?
Dr. Satabdi Saha: “Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it.”- Tagore