What is medical writing?
Medical Writing is a life-saving field that provides information and reports on medical procedures, drugs, and treatments as well as research to doctors, pharmacists, nurses and patients. There are different ways to define medical writing. However, medical writers are tasked not only with performing high-quality research but also be able to provide an easy-to-understand explanation of medical concepts.
In this article, we answer questions about medical writing commonly asked by aspiring medical writers.
How well do I have to know the medical field?
This is a great question. You don’t have to be a medical expert to begin medical writing! It really depends on the type of writing you’ll be doing and the company you work for. If you’re writing for the general audience, then you only need to be familiar enough with the medical field to do online research or interviews with an expert.
Medical writing is a very specific type of writing. It is not fiction writing, and it is not journalism. A medical writer is someone who understands, to some degree at least, the life and science behind medicine, and who has access to information that most people do not have access to (like the latest research or scientific articles). They can perform market, product and regulatory research quickly and correctly.
What kinds of projects would I work on?
Medical writers create content for a variety of audiences and purposes. Their job is to translate complex, technical information into lay language that is easy to understand. Medical writers might also be asked to evaluate data from clinical trials and help with other aspects of scientific research.
A medical writer helps doctors, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals by providing information that the professionals need. For example, a medical writer may write about clinical studies, research trends and drug interactions.
A medical writer’s job is to write clinical papers and literature reviews to give healthcare professionals the information they need. The papers cover research related to pharmaceuticals and the clinical trials that are being conducted by pharmaceutical companies. This can include pharmacology explanations, studies, market trends and disease information. Medical writers also take part in editing, organizing and rewriting pieces of work.
How much money will I make as a medical writer?
This is going to be a bit of a tricky one because the potential earning potential as a medical writer is high but the path to get there isn’t. There are going to be two ways you can earn money: freelance work or by having your own agency or company doing medical writing services.
The pay for medical writers varies widely. For permanent medical writers, it could range between USD 50K and 300K per year, depending on your level and the company you work for.
For freelancers, it usually starts from around USD 50-60 per hour to as high as USD 200-300 per hour! The more experienced you are, the more you can charge.
Do I need a degree qualification to be a medical writer?
Medical writing is a highly rewarding career option for life science graduates and postgraduates. Many aspiring medical writers are often confused, wondering if they need a degree to get started in this field. The simple answer to this question, depending on your area of interest, is no.
If you want to work as an academic or as a pharmaceutical or CRO medical writer, an advanced degree is required. On the other hand, if you intend to develop yourself as a freelance writing entrepreneur and offer your services to private corporations, clients and their requirements can be very diverse.
There are several job opportunities in the medical field. While some companies would be strict about having a life science degree, some only focus on your ability to deliver irrespective of your degree or lack of it.
What is the typical career path for a medical writer?
The typical career path for a medical writer is one of the most varied and interesting of all the writing jobs. There are no set paths, yet there are many routes to follow. Medical writing is a growing field and as it grows, there will be more opportunities for new entrants into it.
Most companies have the following career path for medical writers or a variation of it in hierarchical order: associate medical writer, medical writer, senior medical writer, principal medical writer, scientific advisor, associate scientific director and scientific director.
Note that medical writers are medical communications experts and, as such, are in high demand. Because of this, you typically can have a lot of flexibility when it comes to your role in a company. No matter what kind of employer you choose, though, you’ll be writing a lot of medical content for various purposes, including eLearning modules, informational booklets or pamphlets, and even research papers.
Where do medical writers work?
Medical writers work in several industries every day, transforming complex medical data into clear and accessible information. As a medical writer, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that people benefit from your work.
They work in a wide variety of industries, including clinical research and pharmaceutical, medcomms agencies, academia, government, healthcare, insurance medical devices and biotechnology companies. Additionally, medical writers can be consultants for private contractors that offer a specialized medical writing service.
Where do I go to learn more about medical writing?
Medical writing is a lucrative and rewarding career. However, like many professions, it is hard to break into it without any guidance. This is largely because there is a paucity of information and guidance online.
At Medcomms Academy, we provide comprehensive courses to help anyone with a life science background to become a competent and well-paid medical writer.
Takeaway
Medical writing is a rapidly growing field, and one that is sure to expand in the coming years. It’s a career path that will likely appeal to those with a broad range of interests and skill sets. There is no one perfect personality type for medical writers; they all share the same common interest in using words to help people. From first-degree graduates to PhD holders, there is something for everyone. The blog above hopes to be a resource for anyone looking to learn more about this exciting field of work.
If you want to learn more about medical writing, check out our courses to learn more.
