Is a position in the medical writing industry for you
Is a position in the Medical Writing Industry for you?
What is medical writing? A medical writer researches different trends and drugs in the medical world and publishes articles and textbooks based on that research. Medical writers must be capable of writing about medicine on several different terminology levels. Some medical writers write information for medical professionals, while others write information for the general public. Some medical writers write marketing material for hospitals, pharmacy companies, and drugs.
What skills does it take to be a medical writer? Currently there are no special degrees or certifications to be a medical writer. However, a familiarity with the medical world is a must. A science or pre-med degree is important for a full understanding of medical terminology. First-hand experience in a medical field would be a great help to a writer as well. It is also important to be a clear and concise writer. Excellent language skills are important as well as motivation to complete the work. Medical writing is very detail oriented, so it is extremely important that any medical writer have an extremely high attention to detail. There is also a lot of criticism in the writing field, so it is important to be able to write without fear of disapproval.
Medical writers are often asked to be ghost writers for doctors and other medical professionals. This means that many of the articles and journals that you write will have the name of someone else on the final product. It is important to have a tough skin and deal with the anonymity that often comes with medical writing.
One of the hardest challenges of being a medical writer is finding the right voice. Medical writers must be able to write on many different technical levels. Some articles will be written for the most highly educated medical professionals, while others are written for people who have virtually no knowledge of the medical industry. It is also important that medical writers write in a way that is interesting to all readers.
Are you a medical writer? A person interested in medical writing should be able to work independently. It is important that the writer be able to communicate messages in a clear and concise way to a number of different people. If you are a person who can do this then medical writing may be for you. Medical writing does not usually offer travel or much interaction with different people. Medical writing is mostly an introverted career field.
Some medical writers choose to specialize in a certain kind of medical writing. Sometimes this choice affects the location of the writer. Working for a pharmaceutical company will offer a more technical, advanced style of writing. These publications would largely deal with technical information with a lot of guidelines that must be followed. Working for a medical communications company will offer a different kind of job. A large majority of the publications for these companies have a little more creativity involved in the writing. Most of the articles written would be traditional article style or marketing-based. Some medical writers work directly with certain companies, while others are more freelance writers.
Finding a medical writing job can sometimes be difficult. These kinds of jobs are not generally advertised. However, searches in the right locations will yield results. Search for medical writing jobs in your area. Some websites even offer courses on how to be a medical writer which would help your career. Talk to different medical professionals to see if they know of any writing opportunities. Also be mindful that if you are serious about becoming a medical writer that a move may be in order.
If this career sounds interesting to you than a career in medical writing is for you.