7 Steps to Land your First Job as a Medical Writer

It’s the rare occasion when someone says early in life, “I want to be a medical writer.” Most medical writers started life out as wanting to be something else, but by a chance meeting with a medical writer or by some other fateful event, their career paths diverged. Below are 7 steps you can take to increase your chances of becoming a medical writer and to answer the ultimate question, “How do I become a medical writer?”

Step 1: Think about your Niche

A medical writer or medical communicator can be defined by the type of writing she or he produces, the audience she or he writes for, and the entity she or he works for.

Medical writers can prepare regulatory documents used to seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for drugs and devices.

Medical writers can write research articles, monographs, and reviews on medical topics.

Medical writers can write continuing medical education materials and slide kits that doctors and nurses use to prepare for license renewals.

Medical writers can produce sales training materials, press releases for industry, and fact sheets or Web site materials for government organizations.

Medical writers can write about research discoveries for medical journals, Web sites, newsletters, magazines, newspapers, and any other medium that includes coverage of health and medical issues.

Step 2: Prepare for a Career in Medical Writing

Whatever medium you choose to work in, you will need a strong background in writing and a strong understanding in one or more of the basic sciences, such as anatomy, biochemistry, biology, genetics, biostatistics, microbiology or pharmacology. Taking courses in English, technical writing, language arts, humanities and social studies will push you to develop your writing skills. Writing for newspapers, trade journals, or science magazines is helpful as well. Volunteering or interning at your local hospital’s public relations or patient education department could help you prepare for a place in medical writing.

Step 3: Earn a Degree in the Basic Sciences

Over the decades, the field of medical writing has changed in response to the pool of talent available to employers and to the knowledge explosion within the medical sciences and related technologies. Where before a degree in English was acceptable for an entry level position, employers have raised the bar and are often looking for advanced degree candidates for its entry level positions. Consequently to be viewed as a viable candidate, a prospective medical writer should have the credentials employers are looking for, such as Bachelor’s or an advanced degree (PhD, PharmD, MD) degree in a scientific discipline.

The pursuit of higher education within a scientific discipline should never overshadow the need to include the fundamentals of sound writing skills into your core curriculum. The notion that anyone who has graduated with an advance degree knows how to write needs to be challenged and validated by a portfolio of writing assignments, journal articles, abstracts, poster presentations, news articles, and patient information brochures.

Step 4: Pursue an Internship or Volunteer

Writing for newspapers, trade journals, or science magazines in your chosen field of medical writing is a helpful way to gain experience. Volunteering or interning at your local hospital’s public relations or patient education department could help you prepare for a place in medical writing. Many universities that do research may need assistance in writing grants or in publishing its findings. By volunteering your services, you can build a portfolio and make contacts that may help you obtain a job. Aspiring medical writers may also pursue part-time job opportunities as freelancers.

Step 5: Look for Employers

As a medical writer, you have a lot of different options. You can work for a variety of healthcare industry employers including pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, publishing companies of medical textbooks, government healthcare institutions, and more. Some medical writers work as freelancers or contractors, which is an attractive option for some people. You can work for news publications, magazines, trade journals, or within specific industries. As you earn your degree, learn as much as you can about the many different specialties and work environments open to you as a medical writer.

Scour the job boards. Check them out every day and apply to any jobs that interest you and even some that do not. You never know what opportunity a job could provide. Most advertisements that you will see will ask for basic knowledge of the clinical research process and FDA and ICH guidelines regulations/guidelines, strong organizational, interpersonal and verbal and written communication skills, excellent time management skills with an ability to manage multiple, varied tasks and prioritize workload, and proficiency in word processing applications. These are important requirements that you need to take seriously if you expect to be a credible candidate.

Put your name out there. As you are trying to break into the field, send your resume and work to various employers across the country. Start up an email rapport with them. If they cannot give you a job, they might know someone who can.

Step 6: Join an Association

Associations generally offer medical writers benefits like industry updates and opportunities for professional networking. The American Medical Writers Association, for example, offers educational resources to medical writers in general. Some organizations specialize in genres or industries, such as the Education Writers Association, the National Association of Science Writers, or the Society of Technical Communications.

Step 7: Stay Current

Part of your responsibility as a medical writer is staying abreast of current events. Staying current on industry updates, protocols, technologies and related legislative measures is vital to your daily activities. Some employers provide continuing education opportunities to medical writers, though you may also find such opportunities through professional organizations or academic institutions.