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4 things to know when considering a career in Medical Writing

Mar 14, 2021

1) Decide whether you want to be an employee or a freelancer.

 

Pros of Freelance medical writing.

This gives you flexibility and you make your own schedule as a freelance writer. If you want to create a portfolio on your own terms, working from wherever you want, avoiding long hours of commute, freelancing may be a viable option. You decide what type of work you want to do. This way you can focus on work you would absolutely enjoy while saying no .

You can also try different styles and different target audience before you hone in on one type of writing. Many of us crave flexibility and freedom from overly packed schedules in clinics and hospitals so that we can spend more time with our families.

 

Cons: Predictable and consistent income is not guaranteed. Building and growing a business is not for everyone. If you need benefits, and do not have a main full time job this may not be a good fit for you. Not everyone is cut out to work independently, many people function better in a structured environment where they follow a set schedule. And if you do not have the discipline or are not willing to work on learning the skills of entrepreneurship, this may not be a good fit for you.

As a freelance writer, you will have to build a portfolio, establish contacts

and be willing to do your own research and learn new skills. It may take a while to establish a consistent, reliable stream of resources and clients.

 

Pros of employed medical writing.

 

Here consistent income is guaranteed, you get benefits, your hours are decided ahead of time.

And you don't have to do the hard work of establishing a business and finding clients.

This is a low stress job as opposed to clinical medicine, and still is intellectually stimulating

 

Cons

 

Lack of flexibility may be a turnoff here.

You may have to stick to one type of writing.



2) Invest in a good Medical Writing course. 

 

Following is a list of some medical writing courses available in the market. 

 

  1. AMWA
  2. University of Chicago School of journalism
  3. Harvard Medical School Medical writing tracks
  4. Regulatory affairs Medical Society
  5. Temple university Scientific writing
  6. University of San Diego scientific writing
  7. University of Illinois Health Communications
  8. University of Sciences
  9. Stanford university
  10. Health writing Hub



Before investing in one of these courses try taking some free online courses and see if you enjoy it. 



3) Create an online presence.

 

It costs zero dollar to start a website. You can sign up for a free trial and start writing your own blog. As you refine your online writing skills, you will find opportunities to branch out. Having a blog of your own also makes you credible in your expertise and will help create authority. Some medical courses require a creative critique of your work, and will require investment of your time and focus. And in order to maximize what you get out of them, you are going to have to commit to the work. So don't just invest in another course.

Find the time and place for this course in your life. And then, honor that commitment.

Refine your linked in profile. Improving your networking skills to create a strategy




4) Start writing

 

I know this is a simple advice, but a lot of learning happens in the arena. And you can improve your writing skills just by committing 20 minutes a day to writing. Pull out your calendar and schedule 20 minutes for writing every single day. You will see that after some time of consistent practice your work could have improved. And you, your ideas will flow better.



#Nonclinicalcareers #MedicalWriting #Coaching #Burnout #TheNonclinicalMD

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Sudha Bakhshi

For me, Jawaria has been a game changer in seeking non-clinical employment. I’ve been working with her for a period of time that was divided into a number of phases.

This first part was to undergo an inventory of professional traits to better understand my strengths and weaknesses. In general I am skeptical of organizational personality assessments and feel that they tend to overgeneralize and group people based on superficial assumptions. However, I decided to commit to this approach in order to obtain a more objective view of how my interactions may result in certain perceptions in a work environment. This helped me to focus on my motivations and how I wanted to approach this stage of my career.

In the second phase, Jawaria helped me to create a coherent narrative that was reflected in a revision of my resume. She was very supportive as I overcame my hesitation to assert myself in more contemporary formats, such as LinkedIn. I felt that the conversations that we had were essential to feeling more confident as I moved forward to identifying positions that were of interest, researching the employers and writing customized cover letters to accentuate skill sets.

The third phase navigated the strange and often confusing experience of the interview process. Jawaria helped me to just accept the black box that is HR for many corporations and to then move forward to interviews with medical directors and company executives. She was present after every interview, to challenge and also to validate my perceptions of what transpired.

I have many supportive friends in medicine and other professions that offered insight and encouragement in my job hunt. But I feel that the investment in the professional coaching Jawaria offered was essential to creating the mindset necessary to approach and feel comfortable competing in the current non-clinical environment.

In the end, yes, I was able to get an offer for a job that I feel will be very interesting and challenging. And I am very grateful for Jawaria’s assistance in helping me in this process. She was very willing to share her own experiences as a physician and this was enormously meaningful.

There is a saying: “When the student is ready, the teacher will come”. This definitely applied to me and I felt that what she said resonated, even from our first conversation. As physicians, we invest into our profession, but there is something to be said for investing in ourselves as well. I would encourage my fellow doctors to consider how important professional mentorship can be and how often it can feel inaccessible. But if you are ready, then Jawaria can be the catalyst to empower physicians to feel energized about their career choices.