Because of the rapid advancements in medicine, pharmaceutical, and healthcare firms, experts are always in need of developing content to inform the public about new medications, devices, and research discoveries. This sparks the idea of medical writing.
Medical writers have a profound knowledge of health and medicine related concepts and theories, which they can translate into writings simple enough for non-medical readers to understand.
I’ve discussed different types of high-paying medical writing on this blog. The information is based on my personal experiences in the field of Medical Communications rather than theory or research.
According to my research and experience, the best way to define Medical writing is,
It is to provide customized solutions in medical communications via different forms of writing; to organizations associated with healthcare, medicine, medical supplies, med-tech et. c.
Medical Writing also involves areas of medicine, such as in papers or online content. As this sector develops, details such as study results, technologies, equipment, and services must always be shared with the people and healthcare professionals.
Writing for medical journals typically includes disseminating research findings via print publications, websites, blogs, social networking sites, and presentations. Working with physicians, researchers, and other healthcare experts is common for a senior medical writer.
Freelance Medical Writers can provide editing services in addition to writing. This entails reviewing the writing done by medical professionals and ensuring the content is accurate, transparent, and concise, in addition to using proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Medical writers may also need to ensure that the information adheres to the proper standards and rules. Medical practitioners and at times the general public can easily comprehend the intricate medical information that medical writers are equipped to collect, arrange, interpret, write, and present.
They are aware that each medical writing assignment requires a particular language and document style to be used for various goals.
For example, regulatory documents and clinical research reports are written to seek approval of drugs from regulatory bodies, this goal is very different from writing a blog post about an already approved drug in the market to gain engagement from healthcare professionals.
You must be wondering if you can do it or not?
PharmD, MD, and PhD are the most preferred and highly paid for Medical Writing roles, other life sciences degree holders are also preferred for entry-level roles. DPT degree holders are also on the preference list with other life sciences graduates for many reasons, but I don’t want to go into that debate.
Medicine is an evidence-based field. Logic and experimentation serve as the foundation of this field. Before we set out to discuss types of medical writing be very clear that medical writing is not as simple as healthcare writing.
They are also classified as two completely different expertise and writing niches. Recruiters also do not prefer someone with healthcare experience for Medical Writing because it is a complex speciality.
To put it in another way, all writers can do healthcare writing but all writers can not do medical writing. Also sorry to break this to you if you are someone with healthcare writing experience but this does not qualify you as a medical writer.
You gotta decide whether you are a healthcare writer or a Medical Writer for these are two very different specialities. I will explain how in another post.
You can become a medical writer if you have a medical degree and medical writing experience. Listed below are different types of medical writing that can serve great career opportunities.
If you choose SEO medical writing, you should know the industry-recognized SEO strategies to employ while writing. However, keyword research is frequently forgotten as a crucial component of the client’s digital promotion strategy.
It is not always necessary to conduct market research because your clients may feel they already know what the core demographic is looking for. A USA obstetrician, for instance, would need to compete well for keywords including “USA obstetrician.”
It could be that this obstetrician’s customer base is using a wide range of other, less apparent keywords to search obstetricians online.
One of the greatest strengths of medical copywriters is their ability to generate unique SEO medical content supported by a well-thought-out keyword research strategy.
You must conduct keyword research to understand your target and put yourself in their shoes. However, the procedure is also scientific.
It is unlikely to write content that ranks well for the keywords your client has listed for you to score for if they are non-competitive or lack study.
You have a lot better likelihood of providing your clients with successful outcomes in browsers if you offer an organized strategy for your keywords supported by research.
You must persuade your client to indulge in a strong keyword research plan even though they might not want to devote time or money to this part of their website content.
Most of your time as a novice regulatory medical writer is spent describing and evaluating clinical trial data for a diverse audience, principally the regulatory bodies, such as the FDA.
Clinical Study Reports (CSRs), which explain a clinical experiment’s planning, execution, and outcomes, are frequently the first written assignments for new writers. An entry-level author’s typical tasks could include the following:
As medical writers advance in their careers, they concentrate more on project management, editing, and creating increasingly intricate regulatory documents, like the sections of a New Drug Application (NDA). A mid-level writer’s typical tasks can include
Along with writing, editing, and management, new opportunities unlock as your career in medical communications develops. Depending on your expertise, this can entail project or strategic planning, line management, or both.
Line managers control project funding and offer mentoring and professional development advice to ensure authors are exposed to new and diverse project types.
At this stage, medical writers can manage additional sizable or complex regulatory writing tasks or serve as project leaders for the entirety of an NDA or its European counterpart, an MAA [Marketing Authorizations Application].
Regulatory medical writing is complex and needs a lot more explanation. I would like to dedicate separate posts about it rather than summing it all up here.
Businesses are compelled to adapt and embrace new tools and procedures due to the expansion of communication channels to maintain their brands in the marketplace.
Medical News writing involves informing the community and HCPs about new developments in the medical field.
There are various websites, newspapers and magazines doing it and they constantly require good medical news writers who have experience in Medical News Writing.
Medical News Writing is a sensitive matter because while informing about various companies and medical or pharma products you have to be careful about the law.
No medical news website wants to waste time explaining to you how to write perfect medical news articles that comply with the law and guidelines therefore experience in the area matters. Fierce Pharma is an excellent example of a medical news writing website. They mostly publish the latest developments in Pharma.
As a medical news writer, you mostly produce similar content to the one you see on their site.
Other than Medical News websites, e-newsletters are a great way to reach your intended demographic and produce results through email marketing.
People receive numerous emails daily with offers, news, and other information. Most originate from significant retailers or businesses that provide their items online.
Email marketing is not limited to these businesses, though. Any med-tech company, pharma industry or clinical research company may use email campaigns and newsletters to keep their customers informed, promote their products, and generate sales
Once your medical newsletters have been sent, you can contact multiple consumers at once. Additionally, you can check data and analytics using email promotional tools to enhance your newsletters further.
In addition, e-newsletters permit you to incorporate links or attachments, making it simple to send out critical information like prescriptions, lab results, or appointment reminders with a few clicks.
You can also deliver your key selling points and demonstrate your concern for your clients. Your or your client’s business will gain a lot from email marketing if appropriately used. It increases brand loyalty, word-of-mouth referrals, and brand exposure.
Although composing a book is a significant job, it is significantly more feasible than many experts agree. Having a concept is the first stage in publishing a book.
Your book concept will have a greater probability of success financially if you can fill a market gap or write a book that is missing from the library. Read rival and supplementary works complimenting your proposed book to explore its potential.
This will help you decide what topics you want to discuss in your work and what you do not. You can use it to establish the unique selling proposition of your book.
You need to go through a series of processes to develop this first idea and determine the specifics of your book.
Consider what kind of book it is: a medical textbook, a study guide about a certain topic, a book with best practices and job advice for HCPs, and so forth. Then decide whether you will write alone, with a partner, or with a group.
Next, you must decide on the book’s parameters and intended readership. Ask potential readers if they believe the book is necessary and valuable and if they would read it. Inquire further if they have any suggestions for specific topics it should cover.
The ideal supervisor for such a project is someone who is well-versed in the subject and has written a book; optimally. You should seek out a publisher you are seeking to collaborate with. Next, you must decide how your book will be formatted.
You will most likely be getting several free copies as a part of your agreement to use for yourself and to market the book. If you and the publisher have not committed an upfront fee, you will receive regular royalties from sales.
Writing a medical book does wonders for your resume, could lead to more writing possibilities, and is an additional source of cash. Writing a book, meanwhile, is a discipline that may be time-consuming, difficult, and exhausting.
While writing a book there are instances when we question why we even started, but nothing is more fulfilling than carrying a book with your initials on the cover.
No matter what if marketed correctly and if it contains value medical book writing can be very lucrative.
I know what you are thinking! Yes, it is lucrative both ways whether you ghostwrite it for someone or you do it for yourself.
The majority of copywriters are versatile. They always have a great idea and clever wording, whether advertising a car, a solar panel, or something else.
A medical copywriter serves various clients, including hospitals, specialist clinics, medical education institutions, and scientific businesses targeting the health and fitness sector.
A medical copywriter has a somewhat varied job despite specializing in a particular field. Additionally, the nature of work varies markedly. Some of these are listed below:
Pharmaceutical copywriting entails using a medicinal product to communicate a message originally and imaginatively.
A pharmaceutical copywriter frequently creates informational content that explains to the audience what the medication is and what it does. The copywriter gives life to an otherwise reasonably lifeless subject.
Pharmaceutical blogging teams up writers with their clientele, scientific firms, pharma firms, healthcare systems, hospitals, and practices to create high-quality text that positions them as authorities in their respective industries.
You have to invest the time to write a compelling video script for healthcare marketing before considering video recording, animation, or production.
Every effective video marketing strategy is built upon a solid medical video script.
You may still keep people interested with a strong narrative, even with mediocre aesthetics.
First, outline the medical issues your product or equipment aims to address. Next, explain the procedure and how it affects the body before comparing your findings to “a gold standard” to convince the audience that your answer is far superior to that of your rivals.
Work your way through the information, starting with the most pertinent information.
Doing this may ensure that you have covered all of your ground before the allotted time expires.
Pay attention to the outcomes of your clinical trials. Use reliable comparison research to convey your message and aid physicians in making wiser decisions.
While focusing on scientific information is crucial, humanizing your material might help it resonate with your audience.
Showing actual customers who have used your product in your videos or, at the very least, including quotes from them will help personalize the information.
All pharmaceutical product marketing must adhere to strict regulatory regulations because they are heavily controlled.
Here are some broad pointers to help your pharma clients’ regulatory reviews run more smoothly.
These guidelines may change from business to business.
Medical Copywriting like general copywriting is also very lucrative because you are writing for a business that is never going to go down.
However again you have to be very careful about regulatory guidelines therefore pharma and med-tech companies look for people who have a relevant background while hiring a medical writer. You get paid higher based on your experience.
A medical editor could do much more than fix the manuscript’s syntax, grammatical, and punctuation issues. An editor can assist in making scientific writing accurate and understandable.
A medical editor looks into scientific terminologies for clarity, use, and flow. They lessen confusing wording, slanted language, and audience-inappropriate jargon.
The editor verifies the consistency of the usage of evidence, information, and scientific units. They ask about logical, structural, and missing information issues. The editor may also format text following standards for medical journals.
While maintaining the author’s voice, a skilled medical editor also embraces the reader’s perspective. Medical editors are usually into content management and editing, it is basically a step ahead after working as a medical writer for years.
It is a great hierarchy and you keep growing in your medical communications career over the years.
I’d love to discuss a Medical Writer’s hierarchy separately in another post.
Academic Medical writing involves scientific writing and writing for freelance clients who are basically M.Phil, PhD or post-doctorate students.
There is a lot of debate about whether academic writing for students is ethical or not but academic medical writing is more than just writing for students.
It involves scientific writing and editing for research journals to get a researcher’s work or findings published.
All researchers are not good writers and to get their work out there they need the services of a good medical writer.
The same goes for research institutes that are on the lookout for good academic medical writers or scientific writers on regular basis.
Writing with the following three considerations in mind is crucial when writing for a scientific audience:
Be clear about where to begin, the outline.
Utilize the framework to focus the research you will need to conduct while you write.
You may also be required to include a purpose or a declaration of impact.
Consider the search terms you would enter to find your document, then jot them down.
As you specify your purpose, bear in mind the core demographic. Each of your findings subcategories should have a discussion part where you can opine on the data.
Your outline must include your overarching objective and the points you intend to make in every subsection.
Finish your analysis with a one-sentence overview of your findings and their applicability to the subject.
To learn more, be sure to see the job description.
It is critical to identify your area of expertise if you want to increase your chances of securing medical writing opportunities as a freelancer.
Choosing a topic to write about can assist you in narrowing your expertise because the medical writing market can be vast.
For instance, you could focus on technical writing, medical proofreading, or healthcare digital marketing.
There are some genuinely wonderful gigs awaiting for you as a medical writer, but only if you recognize your true potential.
For more understanding about how to write medical articles check out my blog here.
Your very own Medical Communications consultant and mentor,Kinza medical write
