How to Get a Career in Medical Writing

Medical writing ranks among the important functions in the pharmaceutical field. Among other writing fields, medical writing has a high demand due to the increase in biomedical research and new medication and equipment development.

These developments have increased the need for documentation required for approval by regulatory authorities. This guide will cover the scope of medical writing and the steps to start a medical writer career.

Medical writer job description

Medical writing involves documenting news and research to improve the medical field. A medical content writer is tasked with reporting on clinical trials and preparing copies to market recent equipment.

As such, medical writing requires mastery of writing and science as it involves the creation of content for doctors, nurses, insurance adjusters, and patients.

Types of medical writing

Medical writing involves the creation of documents for various purposes and audiences. The major types of medical writing are:

  • Medical journalism/ Patient education – These are often pieces geared for the general public to update them on new developments in the medical field. As such, these are written in simple, non-technical language.
  • Grant proposals – These are publications submitted to an organization to obtain funding for a project. Grant proposals require meticulous presentation showing the strategy of the project and its feasibility.
  • Regulatory writing – This involves the creation of documents for approval by the regulatory authorities. Some of the documents involved in regulatory writing are; package inserts, clinical study reports, and annual safety results.

How to become a medical writer

There are few conditions one must satisfy to qualify for medical writing. These include certifications that are considered by many clients offering medical copywriting jobs.

The requirements for you to become a medical writer are:

  • Understanding of a specific field. These fields include: pharmacology and drug safety, microbiology, and dietetics.
  • Some employers may require a bachelor’s degree in a specific field, while others insist on certification. The American Medical Writers Association is among the worldwide accepted certifications.
  • The ability to write clearly and communicate information in a manner that the audience can easily understand.

Although a bachelor’s degree in a specific field is an added advantage, there is no program/ course geared for training medical writers. To become a medical writer, you could attend workshops for various drug development procedures and the drug safety rules in regulatory documents.

It would also help to engage in personal study to familiarize yourself with various medical writing guidelines. Also, ensure to network with other professionals in the field for mentorship and help access training and employment opportunities.

Resources to help you become a successful medical writer

  1. American Medical Writers’ Association (AMWS)

Recognized body in the medical writing area. This resource provides educational materials to help you familiarize yourself with the fields and certifications that help you search for job opportunities.

  1. Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS)

This resource covers the entirety of medical regulations that you should familiarize yourself with as a medical writer.

Salary of a medical writer

On average, medical writers earn between $40,000 to $80,000 annually. This figure may increase following the rising demand for medical writers in various medical fields.

Final Take

There are many ways to get started and advance your career as a medical writer. The tips in this article will help you access online medical writing jobs and develop your plan and advance your medical writing career.

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