What Employers Look For in Medical Writers  

What Qualities Do We Look For? Enthusiasm for writing -willingness to go the extra mile. Ability to gather, synthesize and critically analyze large amounts of data. Express ideas succinctly –not “academic” documents.

Gurr, Jim and Victoria Seidenberger. AMWA (2005). Careers>Writing>Technical Writing>Biomedical

New Medical Writers Survey  

The most important skills or previous experience in securing present job: medical/scientific knowledge/understanding; writing skills/experience; ability to meet deadlines.

DeMilto, Lori. AMWA (2004). Careers>Writing>Technical Writing>Biomedical

Working as a Medical Writer

The term "medical writing" encompasses different kinds of work for clients in media, government, and industry. Pharmaceutical companies, medical-device manufacturers, and clinical-research organizations (CROs) all employ writers to prepare regulatory documents used to seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for drugs and devices. Medical writers help doctors write research articles, monographs, and reviews on medical topics. Continuing medical education (CME) companies employ medical writers to produce educational materials and slide kits that doctors and nurses use to prepare for license renewals. Medical writers produce sales training materials, press releases for industry, and fact sheets or Web site materials for government organizations. Medical writers 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.

Webb, Sarah. Science (2007). Careers>Writing>Technical Writing>Biomedical

My Journey from Technical Writing to Pharma Quality Management

Like most people who entered the technical communication profession in India in the mid to late 1990s, I too became a technical writer more by accident than by design. I enjoyed my technical writing career thoroughly, but slowly moved away, and a decade later, I now find myself heading the Quality Management function at a multi-national clinical research and technology company in India. The career paths of no two individuals are similar. And yet, there are always some common themes in successful transitions from one career path to another.

Narasimha, Kumar. Indus (2009). Careers>Scientific Communication>Technical Writing>Biomedical