How to become a medical writer

Medical writing mixes writing with the medical profession, so if you’re interested in both, being a medical writer might be the perfect career path for you. 

The medical realm is complicated, and laypeople may struggle to grasp the terminology employed. Medical writers fill that need by reducing complicated medical knowledge and communicating it simply and effectively. 

If you want to be a medical writer, you first need to understand what it is and the steps to becoming one, which will be detailed in this post. 

What exactly is a medical writer? 

A medical writer is a professional writer who focuses on healthcare. They make difficult medical information accessible to a wide range of audiences, including medical practitioners, patients, and the general public. Clinical trial reports, regulatory filings, patient education materials, textbooks, medical device manuals, journal articles, and other documents are created by them. 

Medical writers may find employment in a range of businesses, such as educational institutions, pharmaceutical firms, insurance companies, publishing organizations, and others, where they produce medical information. 

How to become a medical writer

1. Choose a niche

The discipline of medicine is vast and varied. Just as no one person can know all about medicine, no single person can grasp everything about medical writing. As a result, you must specialize in a certain field. This should be the first step in your road to becoming a medical writer, so you can focus your efforts. To choose the perfect niche, you must first consider your interests and abilities. 

Many sectors need medical writers, so you’ll have plenty of possibilities. Determine the area of medical writing that most interests you and seek a career in that field. Academic writing, medical copywriting, consumer writing, health literacy, content strategy, and many more areas are examples. 

2. Obtain a bachelor’s degree (optional)

Although a bachelor’s degree is not required to become a medical writer, most employers will only hire you if you have one. So, if you don’t want to be restricted in your work options, it’s ideal if you get one. There is no special bachelor’s degree necessary for medical writers; just choose a related discipline such as English language or journalism. 

You may also decide to pursue a master’s degree in a related discipline to improve your knowledge and better your job prospects. 

3. Acquire medical knowledge 

Because you are writing in the medical sector, you should study certain medical courses such as biology, pharmacy, biochemistry, anatomy, and so on. It will assist you in better understanding the medical profession and developing competence in medical terminology. 

You may also enrol in specific courses for medical writers, which are available online or at institutions. These courses are designed for aspiring medical writers and offer skills that will help you enhance your writing, editing, and medical understanding. After completing these courses, you may be awarded certifications, which may help you advance in your career. If you’re unsure about which courses to take, talk to accomplished medical writers to see what worked best for them, or seek advice from professional groups like the American Medical Writers Association. 

4. Improve your writing abilities.

To become a medical writer, you must have excellent writing abilities and, therefore practice writing. You may improve your grammar, punctuation, and spelling by taking writing classes. 

Find the greatest writing in your field and read as much as you can. Pay attention to every detail so you can refer to it while writing your own. This will assist you in becoming acquainted with the framework and style used in medical writing as well as developing your distinct voice. This will help you improve your understanding of medical writing, serve as an example to strive towards and keep you up to date on medical writing trends. 

5. Create a portfolio

A portfolio is useful for attracting work opportunities. It is a compilation of your greatest work that demonstrates your abilities so that employers may have faith in your abilities. 

It’s often the most difficult when you’re just starting since you may not have enough experience as a new medical writer to make your portfolio presentable. You lack the necessary experience and skills to attract employers, yet without work, you cannot get the necessary experience and competence. 

This is where speculative work ( or spec work) comes into play, which is unsolicited work created for the express goal of attracting employers. Your spec articles should be of high quality and relevant, so do research and uncover trends in the area on which you may write. Make it well-written since it will be a reflection of your abilities. 

You might also choose to improve your online presence by developing a digital portfolio. This may be accomplished via the use of employment forums such as LinkedIn or by developing a portfolio website. This will allow you to show off your work to a larger audience and establish an online profile. 

6. Make connections with other experts

You will gain perspectives and opportunities from networking that you would not otherwise have. You might ask seasoned medical writers for guidance on how to start your career and where to hunt for employment opportunities. 

By joining associations for professionals who specialise in medical writing, you could meet other specialists. You may join local and international groups, so do your research to find the ones that are most pertinent to you and your area of interest. These clubs not only offer networking opportunities, but they might also offer specialised training, knowledge of market trends, and details on future career opportunities. 

Through blogs, forums, and social media platforms, you may also communicate with other specialists.

7. Search for jobs

You are now fully prepared to begin your career as a medical writer. You could get employment by using websites that list jobs, like LinkedIn. You may immediately get in touch with businesses, websites, and blogs that hire medical writers. If your portfolio and CV are excellent, finding a job won’t be tough. 

Your network will also be useful at this point. Your chances of landing a job might be greatly improved by asking well-known medical writers for references and referrals. 

By signing up for websites like Upwork, Fiverr, and others, you may try your hand at freelancing by pitching businesses on your abilities. While there is no assurance of a steady income, working as a freelancer offers more freedom and flexibility.

Conclusion

If you want to be successful in the competitive field of medical writing, you must stand out. Being the greatest isn’t enough; you also need to know how to devise successful tactics and make the most of your networks and chances. You must also invest in your development to stay competitive in your industry. 

A medical writer must have strong writing abilities, scientific understanding, fluency in medical terminology, attention to detail, accuracy, organizational skills, time management, and knowledge of appropriate software.

Medical writers’ salaries are determined by a variety of criteria, including their location, experience, speciality, and many more. Medical writers in the United States earn an average of $93,000 a year. 

Medical writers are employed in a wide range of industries and settings, including, but not limited to, medical schools and educational institutions, advertising agencies, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, health care providers, insurance companies, communications companies, government organizations, publishing companies, media outlets, and so on.