Lawanna Brock Reports on Medical Writing

Sometimes healthcare professionals find themselves looking for non-clinical occupations. Lawanna Brock M.S. found a career in medical writing, a profession often referred to as health journalism, or health writing.  A medical writer is many things. The term "medical writing" encompasses many kinds of composition for clients in media, government, and industry. Pharmaceutical companies, medical-device manufacturers, and clinical-research organizations all employ these professionals to prepare regulatory documents used to seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for drugs and devices. Health journalists help physicians and scientists develop and format research articles, monographs, and reviews on medical topics. Continuing medical education (CME) companies employ medical writers to produce educational materials and slide kits that healthcare professionals use to prepare for license renewals and certifications. Health journalists, like Lawanna Brock, construct manuals and sales training materials, pamphlets and booklets, press releases for industry, and fact sheets or Web site materials for government organizations. Health authors also write about research discoveries for medical journals, Web sites, newsletters, magazines, newspapers, and any other medium that includes coverage of health and medical issues. Many employ medical writers to write about their products for marketing purposes.

Scientists and practitioners interested in a medical writing career should seek projects outside the circles they normally move in. Many find it rewarding to join professional organizations that promote medical writing like LiveStrong.Com and Freelancer.Com. The main emphasis in medical writing is on content with clarity. Employers seek writers who can translate medical investigations into accurate but amenable language and customize the information to audiences that include regulators, health professionals, investors, or the general public. Lawanna Brock and other medical writers need solid writing skills, attention to factual detail and accuracy, and the ability to see relationships between ideas and organize complex information.

The American Medical Writers Association provides several certificate programs that educate medical writers about the fundamentals of editing and writing, freelance writing, and writing for specific markets. Medical writing careers are divided into two classifications: scientific and nonscientific. Writers in both categories can earn a productive living using their diverse talents and generally focus on one style or the other. and apply their knowledge in the medical field to assist in conveying health related material.

Some medical writers have journalism degrees, whereas others have MDs, Ph.Ds, and Master’s degrees in science and related fields. Thirty percent of the respondents in AMWA's 2004 salary survey had advanced degrees, up from 21% in 1989. About a third of all medical writers freelance, the rest work on staff for pharmaceutical companies, medical communications companies, and other organizations.  Medical writers, like Lawanna Brock get paid more than many Scientific medical writers possess advanced degrees in a scientific area, such as biology or medicine. They generally acquire writing skills as they become medical writers. Nonscientific medical writers are also called marketing medical writers. They usually write for the general public audience other writers because their skills are more specialized and much of the work is supported by the pharmaceutical industry. The average annual salary for medical writers exceeded $74,000 per year in 2004, according to the survey. Health writers with advanced degrees averaged between $95,000 and $105,000 annually.