Medical Writing

What is medical writing?

In general, medical writing is about communicating clinical and scientific

data and information to a range of audiences in a wide variety of different

formats. Medical writers combine their knowledge of science and their research skills with

an understanding of how to present information and pitch it at the right level for the

intended audience.

What qualifications and skills do you need?

Companies may expect you to have a first degree in a life science (e.g.

biology, biochemistry, physiology, or chemistry) and some may require a

PhD. However, there are many medical writers who have entered the profession with

backgrounds in language rather than science (see the section headed What is it really like?).

You don’t necessarily need a medical qualification, although a good understanding of

basic human anatomy and physiology is important. Knowledge of diseases and their

treatment is an advantage, but in most jobs you can learn about specific disease areas as

you get involved with different projects.

You’ll need very good writing and word processing skills. Most employers will ask you to

do a writing test before, or as part of, your interview so that they can judge your writing

skills. The format of this test will vary depending on the type of medical writing the

company is involved with.

You’ll also need to have good inter-personal skills. Medical writers work as part of

inter-disciplinary teams and, in some cases, with people outside of their company. You

need to be comfortable communicating with people from a range of backgrounds.

Most advertisements that you’ll see will also ask for good attention to detail. This is

important for reviewing and editing documents, and also for spotting the important

points in pages of clinical data.

Where do medical writers work and what do they do?

You’ll find medical writers in pharmaceutical companies, contract research organisations (CROs), and communications agencies. CROs conduct clinical studies and help pharmaceutical companies to get their products registered with international regulatory authorities. In general, medical writers in CROs are involved with preparing a range of documents for these regulatory submissions, including protocols and final reports for clinical trials, and clinical expert reports. They may also be involved in the preparation of manuscripts for publication in medical

journals.

The situation is generally similar in a pharmaceutical company with medical writers preparing documents for submission to the regulatory authorities and manuscripts for publication. However, depending on the company, they may also be involved in other writing projects such as training manuals, promotional material for marketing purposes, and websites.

Writers in communications agencies generally prepare manuscripts for publication, items

for conferences (e.g. posters, abstracts, and slide presentations), promotional items for

pharmaceutical marketing, training material, and multimedia (e.g. websites). The work in

this environment is likely to be more creative.

Many writers also work on a freelance basis, which is an attractive option for some

people. If you’re new to medical writing, it’s better to start off as an employee working

for a company. This will allow you to develop the skills that you need, and gain some

contacts and experience.

For more information about medical writing, download : www.emwa.org/Mum/Career.pdf, which is the source of this article.