WOCIP Members Share Takeaways from the 2022 Conference

WOCIP welcomed almost five hundred women from around the world to Scottsdale, Arizona last November for our 6th annual conference. The theme of the 2022 conference was “The Power of We: Go Far Together.”?

Over three days, guests attended curated workshops, panels, and fireside chats to learn how to influence policy within their companies, impact their communities, and identify those who can serve as partners, mentors, coaches, and sponsors.?

Bukky Margaret Apampa joined WOCIP in 2019 and works as a clinical research study leader, while Ronke T. is a regulatory director and also became a member of WOCIP in 2019. She now serves on the WOCIP Board as programs committee chair.?

Both women live in England and have attended previous WOCIP conferences virtually. For the first time last year, they each decided to join in person. We recently spoke to Apampa and Tullett about their takeaways from the conference.

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Why did you decide to join WOCIP, and what has been the most significant benefit??

Apampa: A friend of mine contacted me saying there’s this event happening in London and invited me to come along. It’s a network of Black women who work in the pharma industry. I was so inspired hearing Charlotte Jones-Burton, MD, MS and Patricia (Cornet) Saint Cyr-Hager, MA talk. After that event, I reached out to learn a little more about membership. For me, the biggest benefit is the opportunity to network and connect with other women of color that have had similar experiences to mine–sharing our stories and experiences, whether positive or negative.??

Tullett: The United Kingdom is quite different from the U.S. in the sense that you have a huge community of sisterhood from the pharmaceutical perspective. In the U.K., there wasn’t a diversified group for women of color within pharmaceuticals. I joined because we can exchange our expertise and information, and everybody helps everybody. It’s just amazing.?

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Why did you decide to travel from England to the U.S. for the 2022 WOCIP conference??

Apampa: After having the experience of the first virtual conference, I knew I needed to meet these women. I wanted to be in the room with them because it’s just not the same virtually, although I did manage to connect with quite a few people on the platform they used for the virtual conference. The challenge for me was the cost. So, I put in a request with my company to get some funding. I didn’t get full funding, but I was prepared to invest in myself.?

Tullett: I’ve been fortunate to be part of WOCIP’s leadership. So, I felt like it was the opportunity to actually engage in person, meet those I’ve been speaking to all of these years. Not just on a virtual platform where sometimes I’m distracted by work, and there’s the time difference with the U.K. There was also a wide range of offerings in person that I really wanted to tap into. I wanted to be present and really immerse myself in the in-person experience.?

What are your most memorable moments from the 2022 conference??

Apampa: One that comes to mind is chatting with WOCIP founding member Keniesha Watford-Woods . I had the opportunity to stand next to her at one of the luncheons, and she told her story–about her career, how she had to work her way up, the challenges, and opportunities. It was mind-blowing to see where she started, to become a pioneer of WOCIP. I found that conversation very inspiring, and it’s one that stayed with me. I had the chance to connect with Charlotte, Patricia, and Kemi Olugemo, MD, FAAN to ask them specific questions about some of the challenges that I have and what I can do to overcome them. It was a very impactful conference.?

Tullett: There were so many memorable moments around the workshops, branding, and discussion by the keynote speakers. One of the key discussions was about the FDA and clinical trials and how they’ve evolved in terms of having more diversity in data and how we accelerate clinical trial enrollment. Also, the dedication to the founders and getting to know more about how WOCIP started and how far they’ve come. How can I give back to other people coming up? It’s just incredible.

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WOCIP is a Global Organization. How can international members get the most out of their membership??

Apampa: Because many in-person events have been held in the US, those of us in the EU don’t always have access to all of the events without traveling, but my experience has been that if you make the effort to engage with WOCIP, you’ll definitely get the value. I intend to continue to be part of WOCIP and contribute as much as I can.?

?Tullett: When you join the organization as a new member, there’s a questionnaire that asks about your key areas of interest. It’s quite targeted. What do you want to achieve from WOCIP? For me, it was initially two things–getting to meet other women of color in pharmaceuticals. And how can I give back my time in helping to bring someone else up? We have meetings with new members, virtual lunch and learn sessions and a lot of other virtual offerings that you can tap into as a new member. They have something for everybody.