Medical Writer Job Description Sample

Medical writers use scientific knowledge and writing skills to communicate medical science information in a form suitable for the target audience, which include patients, lay people, medical doctors, regulators, among others. These professionals may either work on scientific medical writing (covering medical studies and regulatory documents, or marketing medical writing (which is about media, advertising etc.). Most Medical Writers are employed by Pharmaceutical, medical device and other health industry related research firms to prepare regulatory documents used to seek FDA approval.

What are the duties and responsibilities of a Medical Writer?

• Coordinate with various technical professionals to gather, organize and compile information on new products or processes
• Go through medical topics and assist physicians in writing research related articles and reviews
• Assist in preparing press releases, training material and marketing content
• Write articles and reports on research discoveries connected to health and medical fields
• Communicate complex medical information in a succinct way
• Work with clinical researchers in the development of research protocols
• Participate in the preparation of various clinical research and regulatory documents
• Prepare annual reports, brochures, abstracts and presentations
• Prepare training materials and eLearning content according to the needs of the audience
• Make sure all applicable guidelines and regulations are followed
• Stay up to date on current industry practices and regulations

What are the education and entry requirements for becoming a Medical Writer?

A bachelor’s degree in English or journalism and some educational background in life sciences or paramedical sciences can give a firm base for those looking to enter the Medical Writing field. Companies often prefer hiring writers who dedicate themselves to a specific medical area. An advanced degree isn’t obligatory, but it does give an edge over other job applicants. While some medical writers just have journalism or English degrees, there are others who hold Master’s Degrees and Ph.Ds. Though not compulsory, a medical writer might also seek certification from industry recognized Medical Writers associations.

What are the personality traits and skills of a successful Medical Writer?

• Strong communication skills
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Solid writing skills
• Strong in language and grammar
• Curiosity
• Motivation
• Passion for research
• Scientific precision
• Critical thinking
• Ability to work as part of a team (of doctors and writers) as well as independently
• Capacity to coordinate with a variety of people
• Good time management skills

What are the core skills of a Medical Writer?

• Extensive knowledge of English grammar
• Knowledge of style guides
• Aptitude for communicating scientific information in a succinct way
• A passion for learning medical vocabulary
• Comprehensive understanding of clinical research and related guidelines
• A knack for working on medical literature and research data (via medical journals, and resources like Medline, PubMed, etc.)
• Ability to interpret and communicate statistical results of clinical research
• Recap massive bodies of information in a concise and logical way
• A solid understanding of pharmacology concepts
• Knowledge of drug safety process and safety requirements
• Proficiency in the use of computer based tools (like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet etc.)
• Strong in basics of clinical research
• Capacity to understand and present complex clinical data

What salary can one expect to make as a Medical Writer?

According to payscale.com, Medical Writers earn an annual median salary of $71,336. Medical writers with advanced degrees can expect a bigger paycheck.

Pros and Cons of being Medical Writer

Pros:

• Great career for those who have a passion for continuous learning
• Experienced Medical Writers can look forward to a number of interesting career paths
• Job opportunities are bright
• It is a well-paid profession 
• You have the option of freelancing
• A variety of educational courses are available for aspiring Medical Writers
• It is a career that offers job flexibility
• High level of job satisfaction (your work perks up medical knowledge of a variety of people)

Cons:

• There’s a possibility of high stress due to complexity of work and looming deadlines
• It is usually a deskbound job ( you have to  sit in front of a computer most of the time)
• Competition among freelancers (it is not uncommon to see a ton of freelance medical writers bidding on the same project)
• You may have to work in the night in order to work with clients across multiple time zones

Work environment and career outlook

Medical writers can work independently or be employed in regular office jobs. While a major chunk of medical writers freelance, there are others who work full-time for pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, academic institutions, research organizations, BPOs, KPOs, medical device manufacturers, media and content companies, medical Journals, websites etc. Medical writers can expect a higher salary compared to other writers owing to the specialized, complex nature of their work. The demand for medical writing has risen sharply in the last few years, as more research studies are happening these days. The proliferation of healthcare web content has also boosted opportunities in this field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of technical writers (which includes regulatory medical writers) is expected to see a growth of 10% from 2014-2024.