In this episode, Scott Thompson sits down with Rachel Couchenour, a seasoned medical affairs leader with deep experience navigating the unique challenges of small and emerging biotech companies. Together, they dive into what it really means to be a team of one—or a small team—in a resource-constrained organization.
Rachel shares wisdom from her journey transitioning from big pharma to startups, highlighting both the missteps and the wins. From prioritizing medical affairs activities to building strategic partnerships and creating cross-functional alignment, she offers invaluable insights for professionals looking to make an impact in lean, high-stakes environments.
Whether you're contemplating a move to a smaller company, building out a medical affairs function from scratch, or looking to do more with less, this episode is full of practical advice and inspiring takeaways.
Key Themes:
- Prioritizing when everything feels urgent
- Building scientific narratives before deploying field teams
- How small teams can drive omnichannel impact
- Stretching budgets through smarter agency collaboration
- Leading without structure—and loving it
- Redefining career growth beyond traditional ladders
Bonus: Learn about “Flossy the Focused Flamingo” and how stuffed animals are shaping team culture!
Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelcouchenour/
OnPoint: The Medical Excellence Podcast, delivers insightful conversations on the most pressing issues facing top Medical Affairs professionals. Listen to stay ahead of industry trends and be inspired by leaders shaping the future of Medical Affairs.
OnPoint is available on several podcast platforms, including the Acceleration Point YouTube channel.
[00:00] Introduction and Guest Welcome
[00:47] Navigating Small and Emerging Biotechs
[02:10] Key Pillars of Medical Affairs
[04:06] Challenges and Strategies in Small Teams
[08:03] Effective Stakeholder Engagement
[10:59] Resource Management and Prioritization
[32:13] Career Development in Small Organizations
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.