Medical Writer Career & Jobs: Training, Salary & Certification Requirements

Although it is important for the general public to be informed about the latest scientific research, and kept up to date with the ways that new technological breakthroughs will affect the experience that they have the next time they visit their doctor or the hospital, sometimes it can be difficult to put the complex scientific research into terms the public can understand. It is important to be able to translate the complex language of scientific research into accurate information that the public can easily digest and put to practice in everyday living. The professionals that are responsible for translating and disseminating this information in the health care industry are known as medical writers. These writers are responsible for taking the complex information of the medical industry and breaking it down into columns, newsletters, public service announcements and instructional manuals that the public can use.

Salary Outlook

Average Annual Salary
$53,100
Salary Range
$38,700 - $69,300

Work Environment

Any company or organization that has an interest in keeping the public and the media informed about new developments in the health care industry has a need for a medical writer. Although it is most common for these health writers to be freelance workers that supply their articles and columns to papers and websites on a contractual basis, it is also possible to find medical writing jobs at publishing houses, advertising companies, schools and universities, pharmaceutical companies and government agencies.

High School Preparation

Those individuals who think that they might enjoy the tasks of a medical writer ought to spend their high school career focusing on strong writing skills and a mastery of the style of science and health writing. Supporting subjects include English, literature, biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy and physiology, math, psychology, and the social sciences. It is also helpful to explore journalism, word processing, online publishing and data entry.

Requirements

After graduating from high school it is important for aspiring health writers to enroll in a bachelor’s degree program at an accredited university or college. Although there is no required major that should be focused on, it is helpful to choose English, creative writing, journalism or communication with a concentration in health one of the sciences. Most employers will be looking for a high degree of familiarity with health topics and medical terminology. It is also possible to seek certification as a medical writer from the American Medical Writers Association.

Career Outlook

As we continue to make huge advances in the area of scientific research and medical technology, more medical writers will be needed to figure out how to communicate effectively with the public and the media about these accomplishments. The greater the world’s population, the more important it becomes to educate people about hygiene and diseases that can spread quickly, and medical writers will be in high demand to make sure that happens.

Professional Organizations

American Medical Writer’s Association
40 West Gude Drive, Suite 101
Rockville, MD
20850-1192
Phone: (301) 294-5303
www.amwa.org