Showing posts with label National Association of Science Writers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label National Association of Science Writers. Show all posts

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Working as a medical writer

How many professional medical writers do you personally know? If your answer is "none," then you need to meet some writers and learn more about this profession. I work with medical writers on a daily basis and I've met many different types of writers ranging from those who work on regulatory documents to those involved in consumer health education. I've also spent some time working in the medical writing industry myself and I've helped many physicians transition into a successful medical writing career.

The AMWA (American Medical Writers Association) is a great resource for physicians who are interested in the medical writing profession. Some of the more useful resources include the following:
  • AMWA salary surveys (how much do medical writers make?)
  • Webinar on the AMA Manual of Style
  • Freelance directory
If you're curious about medical writing, you may want to make the investment to join AMWA. It costs $145 to join and if you're a student, you can join for $45. Maybe I'll see you at a local networking event. To learn more about AMWA, visit: www.amwa.org

Saturday, September 12, 2009

National Association of Science Writers (NASW)

Have you considered a career in medical writing? Recently, I've had the opportunity to interact with many medical writers. Although AMWA (American Medical Writers Association) is a really large organization for medical writers, we can't forget about the National Association of Science Writers (NASW).

Now AMWA is specific to medical writers while NASW is a broader organization that includes medical writers but also other types of scientific writers. So, if you enjoy writing and you love science, then you may wish to consider joining NASW. By getting involved in these types of organizations, you can gain some important networking connections and learn about different opportunities in the writing field.

AMWA is at http://www.amwa.org
NASW is at http://www.nasw.org

The hardest part of medical writing is breaking into the field. Once you get yourself established and gain meaningful experience, then you will flourish. The writing industry has gone through some significant changes over the past few years, so medical writing may not lead to the same types of salaries as they have in the past. Only time will tell...

By the way, NASW is a part of the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ). If you live in another country, you may wish to visit http://www.wfsj.org and find an association that represents your region. For instance, Canada has the Canadian Science Writers' Association (CSWA). Africa has the African Federation of Science Journalists (AFSJ). Korea has the Korea Science Reporters Association (KOSRA) and Japan has Japanese Association of Science and Technology Journalists (JASTJ) and the Medical Journalists Association of Japan (MEJA). We can't leave China out: Chinese Society for Science and Technology Journalism (CSSTJ). In Europe, you have the European Union of Science Journalists' Associations (EUSJA). I won't mention all the European groups like the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the French association of science journalists (AJSPI), etc. I think you get the picture.