Staci Sherer

Medical Writer Medical writing is one of the fastest-growing fields of writing today. Not only that, but it is also one of the highest- paying writing fields. Along with these fantastic qualities, it is also one of the more daunting fields to get into. However, with the right knowledge and abilities -along with hard work and determination—you, as a freelance writer, can become a medical writer and start reaping the benefits. There are two main types of medical writing: scientific and nonscientific. Scientific Scientific deals more with in-depth, doctor-level material. It’s the type of writing that people in white lab coats and stethoscopes love to talk about and the average jJoes on the street claw their eyes out over. Scientific medical writing jobs can include clinical manuscripts, study reports, scientific papers, and grant applications, , just to name a few. It can also include researching, reviewing, and editing various medical topics. For this side of medical writing, an advanced medical or scientific degree is needed. This could be the perfect outlet for you as a physician who loves to write, as your vast experience will give you the knowledge necessary to handle important, technical content. Nonscientific Nonscientific writing speaks mainly to the nonmedically -minded individual—in other words, to the majority of the population. Jobs under nonscientific writing cover areas such as blogs, newsletters, educational materials, magazines, and news releases. Primarily, nonscientific medical writing takes medical information and turns it into something understandable and practical. The average person looking for information on a drug they were just prescribed or attempting to diagnoseis themselves, needs writing that they can read and easily grasp. Students currently going through medical school are particularly well- suited to this job. While they do not have years of experience behind them, they do have the knowledge gained from their classes, making themselves qualified candidates in the eyes of potential employers. The nonscientific field is also particularly applicable to freelance writers who love medicine but don’t have a string of letters after their names. They have the leg up of being able to write clearly, as well as a passion for researching a topic they love. The medical writing field is a competitive one. You need the right tools to help you not only be properly qualified , but also to know how to find a medical writing job—especially if you want to writeright for non-scientific content. I’ll tell you how next time!