25 Jan

The Associate Editor Life

Posted by: Career Staff  /  Category: Scientific/Medical Writing

An anonymous interview with an Associate Editor in the life sciences industry.

How did you get started as an Associate Editor?

I was on a standard academic path when I saw a job ad and thought it would be a long shot but a neat job. I applied for the position and tried it out when I was offered the position, not sure if I would like it or not.

What does your typical work day look like ?

I read and evaluate scientific papers for 2-6 hours and have several meetings. The rest of the day tends to be paperwork and outreach contacting authors, reviewers, planning travel, etc. Days tend to differ depending on the most urgent matters.

What part of your job do you find to be the most enjoyable? least enjoyable? most challenging?

I like seeing the breadth of Science being done. The least enjoyable is dealing with complaints and hostility on the basis of decisions I’ve made. The most challenging is keeping abreast of the multiple topics I cover for our journal.

What particular skills and talents are most essential to be effective in your position?

Being able to comprehend scientific communication and the ability to recognize significant advances.

What is the typical career path in this field?

Quite a bit of luck; there aren’t all that many editorial positions open at any one time and you have to hope that one for your discipline opens up.

Since there are not many open positions, how do students find out about job opportunities?

The best advice is to keep an eye on the journal websites they feel suited for. Also, contact journals about possible openings and/or internship opportunities.

Any advice for someone interested in this field?

To gain necessary experience for the job, be as broad as possible in your chosen field. Also, be open minded about this and other career opportunities.

How can someone find out more information?

There are a few stories in career websites. Talk to an editor.

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14 Oct

Interview with John Ferguson, Freelance Medical Writer

Posted by: Career Staff  /  Category: Scientific/Medical Writing

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Below is an interview with John Ferguson, a Freelance Medical Writer and Strategic Consultant. He has 10 years of industry experience and has provided senior-level strategic consulting. He has delivered nearly 600 successful projects to a variety of clients.

Can you briefly describe your career to date?

I received my Masters and PhD from Columbia University in Microbiology. After graduate school, I got lucky by getting a position in medical information for Pfizer. After about one year, I decided to write for a medical communications agency. I was there for two years and several writers from the agency decided to start their own business. This gave me the opportunity to become a freelance writer.

Can you describe a typical day for you?

For freelance medical writers, a typical day is working from home, sitting in front of the computer, and writing for agencies. You may be writing papers, abstracts, science slides, or other projects. This is what I did towards the beginning of my career, but writing consumes much less of my time now. I mostly work as a consultant where I work in front of the clients by designing communication strategies for agencies and pharmaceutical companies.

Do you have any advice for graduate students wanting to become a freelance writer?

The greatest asset is to get experience before graduating so that when applying for positions, you have projects to hand the interviewer. One great way to get this experience (and make a little extra cash) is to work part-time for an agency while still in graduate school.  Another suggestion is to help write papers for fellow students in your laboratory or program that are not proficient in English. This can help build up your repertoire. The last option that has been successful for several of my successors is to find a successful, well-established writer and convince them to give you a project to work on. Many times, these writers are overbooked and are willing to give out small projects.

How do you network in this field to find agencies to write for?

Networking happens naturally once you get your foot in the door. If you decide to go into writing, my advice for you is to work for an agency right out of school before freelancing. This gives you the necessary experience and may give you your first freelance client. Oftentimes when you leave an agency (on good terms), they will still ask you to write for them, giving you a good start when you are on your own. Additionally, there is a lot of turnover in the field. Employees that you may have worked with through your first job may move to other agencies or become freelancers themselves. When this occurs, they may ask you to work on a few projects for them, helping to build up your client base. As you start writing for several agencies, your name will get out to more organizations and your client base will continue to grow. The first year in freelancing is always the hardest. After that, getting client growth occurs organically.

Is there anywhere to get more information?

Anyone with more questions can take a look at my website, http://thefreelancemedicalwriter.com/home.

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17 Sep

Breaking Into Freelance Medical Writing

Posted by: Career Staff  /  Category: Scientific/Medical Writing

Article written by Cyndy Kryder

When I speak at freelance medical writing seminars, I can always count on someone who is just getting started in the business to come up to me and ask, “Now what should I do?”

I’m delighted to give up-and-coming freelance medical writers a little personal advice. And my first tip always is to join the American Medical Writers Association, AMWA for short. I know when you’re just starting out, annual dues to a professional organization might not be in your budget. But the value you’ll get from an AMWA membership will outweigh its cost. Besides, you’ve got to spend money to make money, and membership in AMWA is an investment in your future success.

AMWA and its regional chapters sponsor workshops where you can learn different aspects of medical writing. These workshops, and the annual national conference, aren’t just for newbies, though. You’d be surprised by what even an experienced writer or editor can learn in a basic AMWA workshop! Plus, when you attend regional AMWA meetings, you’ll meet other medical writers as well as prospective clients. This face-to-face networking will go a long way in getting freelance work. And you’ll get a feel for the writing needs and the competition in your geographic area.

As for the next step, anyone considering freelance medical writing needs to decide what type of medical writing to pursue, and whether to be an employee or a freelance. In my opinion, medical writing can be divided into 3 broad categories: Regulatory, promotional, and educational.

Regulatory writing is highly scientific and involves creating documents that are often submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration. Promotional writing is any writing created for the purpose of selling or promoting a drug, intervention, or medical device. Educational writing includes any materials created for the purpose of educating health care professionals or the general public. This includes writing content for continuing medical education programs, as well as creating patient-education brochures.

Once you decide what type of medical writing you want to do and how you want to work, the next step is to identify the companies that employ writers or purchase that type of writing. They include pharmaceutical companies, CROs (contract research organizations), medical education companies, medical communications companies, and medical advertising agencies. Of course, you could also decide you want to write for a medical journal or a hospital, or even start a health column in your local newspaper. There are lots of avenues to explore.

For anyone who decides to become a freelance, one final suggestion is to begin a targeted promotional campaign to reach prospective clients. An easy way to do this is to join an online social network for professionals, such as LinkedIn. LinkedIn is just one such network, others exist. Use it as a tool to enable future clients to get to know you. Create a profile, seek out contacts, and join groups in your industry. Once you’ve become a group member, start discussions and respond to discussions that are already ongoing. Prove to group members that you have valuable information to contribute.

I can’t stress enough the value of networking, especially virtual networking. But it takes a lot of time, and you need to be consistent in your approach. Make sure everything you put out there looks professional and portrays you in a positive manner. That means inserting a real photo rather than an avatar, using proper grammar and punctuation rather than “text-speak,” and responding to contacts in a timely manner. Once you start your virtual networking, keep at it. You’ll soon find that it pays off.

Cyndy Kryder, MS, CCC-Sp, has been a freelance medical writer for more than 16 years. As one-half of the Accidental Medical Writer writing team, she offers advice and writing tips for aspiring medical writers at: http://www.theaccidentalmedicalwriter.com

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