From North Dakota to Biotech: How an OT Found Regulatory Writing with Keagen Hadley

You're halfway through a degree or deep into a career you're not sure you'll stay in and the loudest fear isn't about what's next. It's that everything you've already invested might be wasted. Keagen Hadley finished an entire OT doctorate he wasn't sure he'd use and it was the very thing that gave him room to build a completely different career.Keagen Hadley is a regulatory medical writer for a large biotech company. He holds a doctorate in occupational therapy and has spent over a decade in the biotech and pharmaceutical space.We ExploreHow geographic limitation can become a catalyst for unconventional experienceWhy the financial variable in career decisions deserves more honesty in the helping professionsHow your cognitive wiring reveals itself early and what to do when it doesn't match the clinical pathWhy "regulatory medical writer" misrepresents the actual work of the roleHow credibility gets built in an industry where your healthcare credential doesn't automatically countChapters00:00 Meet Keagen Hadley - regulatory medical writer and OT03:22 How a small-town CRO in North Dakota opened the door to biotech08:50 $96K in student loans and the decision to finish anyway14:14 The lecture that reframed scale and patient impact19:25 Remote work, flexibility, and family life in biotech24:48 Starting before you feel ready and selling yourself as a novice35:56 Why recruiters matter more than applications in this field45:10 Wrangling physicians who disagree47:28 AI and regulatory writing57:25 Why clinicians won't say the money part out loudConnect with KeagenLinkedIn: Keagen HadleyNewsletter:  https://cliniciansguide.substack.com/What Regulatory Writers Actually Make - https://thecliniciansguide.myflodesk.com/uegisjcpq96-Month Roadmap to Becoming a Regulatory Medical Writer - https://thecliniciansguide.myflodesk.com/nx48w16db8Career Cliniq ResourcesIf you're trying to get clearer on what actually drives your next step, the StreamAhead Assessment will map your interests within healthcare.👉 Take the StreamAhead AssessmentConnect with Ruth on LinkedIn and Instagram.