Medical writers
October 24th, 2008Medical writers need to have both an understanding of science and an ability to write in a simple language which is understood by all. Most medical and healthcare writers have a science or healthcare background . Some are employed by companies, others work on a freelance basis.
The scope of the work done by medical writers depends on the field they are specializing in. Medical writers working in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies must be able to analyze numerical and descriptive data. A high degree of accuracy is very important since the clinical study reports, investigative drug catalogs, regulatory documents and other written reports are used extensively. Research papers for hospitals and large health organizations like WHO are also written by healthcare writers.
Promotional material like advertisements, brochures and guides for pharmaceutical and medical products are also developed by medical writers. A specialized science background may not be required for this work, but the ability to write using terms which are understood by everyone is important. Medical writers also write articles for magazines, newspapers and websites.
Most of the the medical writers,who write regulatory reports have at least a Master’s degree in a related field. Additionally, they may have taken a course in journalism or writing. Due to the shortage of skilled medical writers, salaries are lucrative. A writer with three to four years experience can earn a 6 figure salary in US dollars.