Author: Tom Russell
Posting date:
31/01/2018
Â鶹´«Ã½
How to become a medical writer
If you're looking into how to become a medical writer, understanding the role is crucial. Medical writers work in tandem with scientists and healthcare professionals to produce comprehensive digital and printed medical documents. They’re able to enjoy flexibility, variety, plenty of scope for progression and the chance to earn a very respectable salary during their career.
In this guide, you’ll find information on the following:
What is a medical writer?
What a medical writer does
How to become a medical writer
How long it takes to become a medical writer
How Â鶹´«Ã½ can help you to advance your career as a medical writer
What is a medical writer?
A medical writer is someone who applies the principles of clinical research in developing documents that effectively and clearly describe research results, product use and other medical information. These experts work alongside scientists, doctors and other healthcare professionals to produce physical and digital medical documents. The purpose of these documents is to educate, inform and promote.
What does a medical writer do?
As a medical writer, you will spend most of your time presenting complex scientific information clearly and accurately, particularly in the context of clinical trials. You’ll also work closely with regulatory affairs and clinical operations teams to gather and compile the data needed for submissions. This may include writing clinical study reports (CRSs), clinical study applications (CTAs), investigational new drug applications (INDAs) and marketing authorisation applications (MAAs).
In the role, your primary duties include:
Working in cross-functional teams to meet objectives
Producing documents and presentations
Writing journals and articles
Running communications and campaigns alongside clinical trials
Creating advertising and marketing materials to promote drugs (including drugs that are already approved and available)
Reviewing pre-written documentation
The steps to becoming a medical writer
To become a medical writer, there are several steps you can take to enter the field. While not all may be necessary depending on the company you are applying to, they can serve as useful steps to take on your career journey.
1. Choose your career specialism
The medical writing profession is typically split into different specialisms, all with their own sets of guidelines and policies. Depending on which specialism you choose, you may need to have sector-specific knowledge and writing skills.
It’s best that you choose your writing specialism based on your strengths and interests, increasing your chances of success when applying for roles.
Most medical writers fall under two categories:
Regulatory medical writer: Regulatory medical writer roles are very scientifically driven and involve the production of regulatory documents for the different phases of clinical trials.
Technical medical writer: Medical writing in the medical communications sector involves producing literature that educates healthcare professionals, patients and more general audiences (who may not have much scientific understanding) about drugs, biologics and medical devices.
The main medical writing specialisms you can choose from are:
Translation: Medical writers working in translations leverage their multilingual abilities to translate clinical and technical documents into various languages.
Scientific publications: Medical writers who work at scientific publications collaborate with physicians and researchers to craft and refine manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals, as well as develop posters, abstracts and oral presentations for medical conferences.
Health communication: Medical writers in health communication focus on promoting public understanding and engagement with health-related topics. This can include crafting messages for public health initiatives, developing accessible content for diverse populations and collaborating with organisations to raise awareness about health issues through campaigns, websites and social media.
Promotional writing: Also known as marketing medical writers, these professionals produce a range of materials to support the marketing of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare services. This includes brochures, sales aids and digital content, all aligned with regulatory standards and brand messaging.
Grant writing: Medical writers with experience in grant writing are responsible for drafting and revising grant proposals to secure funding for scientific research.
2. Get the relevant qualifications:
To become a regulatory medical writer, you will usually be expected to have at least a qualification at degree level, however, some companies may require a PHD to get into the role. Although often medical doctors or those with in post-doctoral research are more desirable. In some cases, a degree or master’s in a relevant life science subject may enable you to apply for assistant/associate medical writer roles.
Relevant life science subjects that can be studied to help you become a medical writer include:
Biology
Biochemistry
Chemistry
Microbiology
Nursing
Pharmacology
Physiology
Zoology
However, if you have a different qualification and extensive experience, you may still be eligible to apply for roles. For example, you might have been a doctor first before becoming a medical writer.
Apart from qualifications, it’s advantageous that you understand industry principles, such as drug safety, regulatory guidelines or pharmacology.
3. Ensure you have the desired skills
One main skill that medical writers should possess is the ability to present scientifically technical information clearly and accurately. Additionally, medical writers must work collaboratively with cross-functional teams to compile the appropriate regulatory and clinical data required for documentation.
Required skills:
Scientific literacy: Understanding and accurately conveying complex scientific information.
Clear communication: Ability to present technical details in an understandable manner.
Attention to detail: Ensuring precision and accuracy in documentation.
Cross-functional collaboration: Working effectively with various teams, including using excellent communication skills.
Regulatory knowledge: Familiarity with regulatory requirements and processes, making sure that all documentation is compliant.
Technical writing: Proficiency in writing and editing technical documents.
Other desirable skills for medical writers include:
Keen eye for detail
Seamless adaptability between different content styles and audiences
Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
Efficient time management
Comprehensive understanding of clinical research processes
4. Gain experience:
Most contract research organisations (CROs), pharmaceutical and biotech companies will accept graduates into entry-level roles. Whilst some pharmaceutical companies offer internship or fellowship programmes specifically in medical writing to help early-career professionals or recent graduates gain experience.
To get extra experience for the role, it can be beneficial to get experience as:
A bench scientist
A pharmacist
A physician
A different health professional
However, if you don’t have academic experience, becoming a junior medical writer is often a recommended way to get the necessary experience to enter the field. A junior medical writer will support more senior medical writers and will be responsible for collating clinical study reports, assisting in writing tasks, preparing applications and supporting documents. This is a great way to get into medical writing as you will build on your scientific knowledge and writing skills.
5. Create a work portfolio
Creating a portfolio is a crucial step to show recruiters your skills and expertise. To build an effective portfolio, start by including a variety of writing samples that demonstrate your ability to present complex scientific information clearly and accurately. These samples may include:
Research papers
Clinical trial summaries
Regulatory documents
Patient education materials
A well-crafted portfolio will help you stand out to potential employers by providing tangible evidence of your writing skills and your understanding of medical and scientific concepts. It demonstrates your ability to produce high-quality work and your readiness to handle the responsibilities of a medical writer, ultimately making you a more desirable candidate for the role.
6. Update your CV
Ensuring that your CV is up to date and optimised increases your chances of getting an interview. Depending on the job post, either a recruiter or system will scan over your CV to determine whether you could be a potential candidate. CVs that aren’t optimised are usually discarded as they may lack relevancy to the job requirements or have poor formatting, making it difficult to read.
Additionally, recruiters looking at your CV will make judgements based on your formatting, spelling and grammar as these are all crucial to do well in a medical writer job. for tips and insights to help you craft the perfect CV.
7. Network with others in your chosen sector
Networking can be a great way to introduce yourself and to cultivate relationships with fellow professionals in the same industry as you. It’s easier for medical writers to network because they can join the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) and the European Medical Writers Association (EMWA). Both offer excellent opportunities for networking, alongside certified writing courses and valuable resources for medical writers. Other networking opportunities can be found using LinkedIn groups, connecting with industry experts and attending career fairs.
Depending on what sector you are applying for jobs in, you may also use your networks to understand sector-specific requirements that you may have otherwise missed.
How long does it take to become a medical writer?
The length of time it takes to become a medical writer will depend on the qualifications you hold. Gaining relevant qualifications such as a master’s or PHD could take you anywhere between three and seven years (or even longer if you take any part-time courses), although this won’t take into account the time spent job hunting and interviewing for roles.
What are the different career paths of a medical writer?
With experience, medical writers can progress through various career paths depending on their specialisms and interests. Most medical writers who wish to progress outside of their specialism typically explore other areas after five years. The following are summaries of some career paths you may want to consider as a medical writer. Read our medical writer job profile for more information.
Candidate A – Pharma/biotech
Background: PhD in molecular biology
Current role: Medical writer at a small pharmaceutical company
Career goal: Head of medical writing, managing both permanent and freelance writers
Key strength: Leadership experience and working in a flexible, collaborative environment
Candidate B – Contract research organisation (CRO)
Background: Postdoctoral research in oncology
Current role: Medical writer in a leading CRO
Career goal: A senior medical role at a start-up oncology biotech
Key strength: Experience working on oncology projects and in cross-functional teams
Candidate C – Medical communications agency
Background: Life science bachelor’s degree
Current role: Junior writer in a med comms agency, producing educational and promotional content
Career goal: Fully-fledged medical writer working for a small pharmaceutical company
Key strength: Writing experience across different content types and therapeutic areas
Candidate D – Freelance/contracting
Background: PhD with over 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry
Experience: Regulatory medical writer working across the full drug development lifecycle
Career goal: Contract medical writer, gaining flexibility
Key strength: Expertise in diverse projects, flexibility and access to a large network of organisations
Advance your medical writing career with Â鶹´«Ã½
If you are interested in getting a medical writer job, or already have a few years’ experience and are looking for your next opportunity, we’re always hiring for medical writer vacancies around the globe. Use our job search tool to explore the latest openings and apply today. Alternatively, you can register your interest by uploading your CV on our website, and our specialist recruiters will be in touch with exclusive medical writer roles and insights.
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