“When I first heard about Tumor Treating Fields, I was immediately curious,” said Jana Meyer zu Drewer. She had just finished her physiotherapy and health management university studies in Germany and was now looking for a good way to start her professional career. As Jana learned more about our Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy, and the science behind it, she was intrigued.
When she saw a job opening at our Munich office in Germany, she took the jump and applied.
After her interviews, Jana joined Novocure as a Device Support Specialist (DSS), becoming part of our traveling team of technical experts for TTFields therapy. The DSS team provides hands-on guidance for our portable TTFields therapy system to patients and their caregivers, often at their homes.
“I really liked that I got to organize my work independently as a Device Support Specialist,” she said. “One of my goals was to ensure that all patients in my assigned region received comprehensive technical support. How I managed my time to reach that goal was my decision.”
Jana supported patients as a DSS for two years. As she visited patients at their homes, she saw how eager patients were to use our therapy, and she got glimpses of the positive impact that it had on their lives. “By providing solid technical support to patients, I was contributing to making our therapy accessible to patients who are dealing with a cancer that is very difficult to treat,” she said. “That made me proud and motivated me immensely.”
With her curiosity and solid academic background, Jana wanted to learn more about the scientific evidence behind our therapy, and to share it with the people who ultimately recommend our therapy to their patients: the treating physicians.
As it turned out, Jana’s drive, her communication skills, strong motivation and independent working style were a great fit of the role of a Key Account Manager (also known as Territory Manager in other countries). As a Key Account Manager, Jana would communicate the specifics about our therapy to doctors, such as the scientific evidence of the efficacy and safety of our therapy for a specific cancer type. To Jana’s delight, she was eventually offered this new role, which allowed her to develop her skills further and make an impact for patients in another way.
“When doctors are convinced about our therapy for their eligible patients, they will ultimately recommend it, so that the patients can benefit from it.” Jana explains. “A solid understanding of our therapy is key, especially since many doctors didn’t learn about it in medical school, because it is a relatively recent innovation.”
“Contributing to making our therapy accessible to patients who are dealing with cancers that are very difficult to treat, that makes me proud.”—Jana Meyer zu Drewer, Key Account Manager and former Device Support Specialist
Her job is not always easy. “You need a thick skin, and lots of empathy,” she says. “You also need to get into the alternating flow of patience and drive, in order to make a lasting impact.”
The fact that Jana worked closely with patients as a Device Support Specialists for several years made her an authentic source of information. “If a doctor has a question about how our therapy influences the daily life of patients, such as carrying a small medical device with them, so that they can continuously receive TTFields therapy, I can speak from experience,” Jana says.
Jana can identify with the six core values of Novocure: innovation, focus, drive, courage, trust and empathy. “At Novocure, you don’t just read about these values on a website, you can feel them when you work with your colleagues, and you try your best to apply them to the situations you are facing on your own path. That is very inspiring for me.”
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