Contractor's SIG Meeting Review: “Medical Writing Made Simpler”

by Maralee Sautter and Michael Horenstein

A cold, windy night did not deter Society for Technical Communication audience members from attending the Contractor's SIG on February 11, 2004. On the other hand, it was obvious that medical writing was a hot topic for STC members, and the speakers, Dr. Arkady Mak and Roberta Kaplan, warmed everyone with their enthusiasm and provided valuable and practical information on getting started in a medical writing career.

Dr. Mak's expertise was apparent from the start, and her presentation demonstrated the extensive background she has acquired over nine years in the medical writing profession. In her conversation with the audience, Dr. Mak shared the titles of several books that were foundational to her medical and scientific writing career, and both she and Ms. Kaplan provided a list of several organizations beyond STC where networking contributed to their career-building experiences. These books and organizations are listed at the end of this article.

What are your interests?

Even if you lack a medical background, as long as you are fascinated by medical science or health issues, it is possible for you to build a health writing career. Dr. Mak suggested that writers start out by focusing on a medicine or health topic that is inspiring or experiential. For example, does a friend or relative have a disease that you have researched? Are you interested in a particular health or nutritional topic?

Whatever the focus, use this thread of interest and knowledge as a launching point, and take comfort in the fact that you have already started the process of establishing yourself as an expert. If you are a technical writer who would like to transition into medical writing, your most transferable skill could be the ability to write user and other technical manuals—for example, most medical devices require user manuals.

Dr. Mak, who performs most of her work offsite, has produced a wide spectrum of medical and science documentation projects, ranging from preparing exhibit copy for Houston's Museum of Health and Medical Science, editing and ghostwriting articles of a technical nature, and drafting white papers on topics germane to medical devices for communications companies.

What organizations employ medical writers?

Where do you find medical writing jobs? Dr. Mak suggested a diverse list of medical writing possibilities:

• healthcare programs, e.g., Providence Health System
• magazines for general audiences
• newspapers
• hospitals
• communication companies, e.g., public relations and advertising agencies
• medical and scientific nonprofit organizations
• trade journals
• biotech companies
• medical equipment companies
• medical research centers

While many of the organizations listed are obvious places to seek employment, how you get there is not always through the front door. Personal contacts are paramount, and Dr. Mak stressed that it is very important to let people know what you do for a living. Why? Perhaps a friend's spouse or relative is a magazine editor and you may get work because your f riend remembers to pitch your writing talent at the dinner table.

What are your priorities?

Ms. Kaplan, who spoke after Dr. Mak, brought impressive credentials in her own right to the program: She is a Physician's Assistant and holds a Master's degree in Public Health. For 11 years, she served as a regulatory affairs and safety, health, and environmental communications specialist in the Federal government. Ms. Kaplan's message stressed the importance of reflecting on personal priorities before jumping headlong into any job. Through self-examination, she discovered that her top priority was to balance family life and work. Her past medical writing job at a local biotech firm, where she worked twenty hours per week for four years, allowed her to find that perfect blend of work and family. When Ms. Kaplan was downsized from her ideal job due to corporate restructuring, she returned to those foundational values. By starting her own small business – the first step was registering her assumed business name, MedExplain, with the state at http://www.filinginoregon.com – she discovered that she could monitor work and maintain that desired healthy balance of work and family life.

Finding other opportunities

Other medical writing opportunities worth researching are federal and state procurement sites, which can be searched online. And, though not experienced in grant writing herself, Ms. Kaplan suggested that prior grant writing experience is a transferable skill for those who would like to pursue medical grant writing; this, in turn, could prove a valuable launching point for a career in the medical writing field.

While both Dr. Mak and Ms. Kaplan have medical degrees, they mentioned that medical writers do not necessarily need a medical education to find success. In this case, Ms. Kaplan looked at her niche skill set, which was writing for health professionals and her knowledge of medicine, medical devices, and regulatory affairs. Both women encouraged newcomers who are unable to find paid work to volunteer by writing an article for some type of medical publication. Why? Volunteering opens unexpected doors and frequently leads to paying jobs.

Of course, the most fundamental step, no matter what your career objective, is to build a strong network of contacts. Ms. Kaplan looked to her friends and professional, self-employed peers, including Dr. Mak, for encouragement and validation for starting her own writing and editing business. And both women emphasized that attending conferences and taking courses sponsored by such relevant organizations as the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) http://www.amwa.org, National Association of Science Writers http://www.nasw.org/, and Council of Science Editors http://www.councilscienceeditors.org/ can be integral to expanding this network.

It takes persistence, desire, and dedication to develop a far-reaching network, and it will not happen overnight. In the words of Ms. Kaplan, “It takes moxie to get into the medical writing network.” So, start small, be diligent and patient, and watch your network and career grow!

Books

•  Barbara Gastel, MD., Health Writers Handbook, Iowa State University Press; (January 1998): Lists specific journalistic resources in nutrition, sports medicine, and other health-related fields. Reviews of this book are available on Amazon.com.

•  Deborah Blum & Mary Knudson, Field Guide for Science Writers, Oxford University Press; Reprint edition (November 1998): Reviews of this book are also available on Amazon.com.

Networking and Related Professional Organizations

•  American Medical Writers Association (AMWA): http://www.amwa.org

•  Council of Science Editors: http://www.councilscienceeditors.org

•  National Association of Science Writers: http://www.nasw.org

•  Oregon Bioscience Association: http://www.oregon-bioscience.com

•  Small Business Administration: www.sba.gov (Portland office)

•  Small Business Development Center (SBDC): http://www.bizcenter.org (Clackamas Community College and Portland Community College, Lloyd Center), which includes the Greenhouse Program (http://www.bizcenter.org/greenhouse.html ). According to the SBDC Web site, the program is “a tested, comprehensive, and contemporary educationally based business development program which equips entrepreneurs with skills to develop and run successful business ventures.”

•  The Grantsmanship Center: http://www.tgci.com. According to the Center's Web site, the Grantsmanship Training Program (http://www.tgci.com/training/tprogram.htm) “covers all aspects of researching grants, writing grant proposals, and negotiating with funding sources” through its nationwide courses.

About the Authors

Maralee Sautter has been a member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC) since 1999, and has worked as a technical writer for GenRad, ADC, and Pixelworks. While attending Portland State University for a Masters degree in Technical Writing, she established the Rose City Student Chapter (RCSC). She is currently the first vice president of Willamette Valley Chapter, and has taught at Portland State University. To reach Maralee, send e-mail to lady_azimuth@hotmail.com.

Michael Horenstein has worked as a technical writer and editor for over 16 years. He has produced user, reference, training, troubleshooting, process, and engineering project documentation for both print and the Web for employers or clients such as Intel, Oregon 3D, Pacific Telecom (now CenturyTel), GenRad Software, Hollywood Entertainment, and Jenkon International.

A long-standing member of STC's Willamette Valley Chapter, Michael has served on its Administrative Council and various WVC committees. He and fellow writer Julie Cooper garnered the 1995-96 STC Award of Merit for contributing Writing, Editing, Design, and Illustration to the corporate newsletter, PTI Newsbreak . In 1996, Mr. Horenstein also received the STC Distinguished Chapter Service Award. To contact Michael, send e-mail to michael@horenstein.info.