Breaking into medical writing, is a masters in science journalism necessary?

[Julia]

Hi all,
Upon researching the degrees relating to medical journalism, Ive found only 3 institutions in the United States that offer the specific degree, and are competitive in that they only accept 10 students per year. For those of you that are in the field of medical writing, is it possible to enter without a graduate degree?

[Diego Pineda]

It is not required but it can help if you don't have an MD or PhD in science. It helped me.
There are more than 3 programs available. Download the free guide at www.medicalwritingtraining.com to see them.

[Julia]

Thank you! That makes more sense. What about a masters compared to a certificate? Do you know the difference in opportunities each provides?

[Diego Pineda]

As I explain in the article here , you should get training on your weaker areas. If you have a medical/science background a writing certificate is a great addition.
Take into account, however, that salaries are related to level of education, so in theory you would get paid more if you had a master's degree (but then again, it is more expensive to get that degree).
If you have the time, resources and commitment required for a master's, I would say go ahead and do it. But certificates are good too, because they demonstrate that you have training and knowledge in the field of medical writing.

[Wanda Reese]

I'm in my final year at Univ of the Sci in Philadelphia--the MS Program in Biomedical Writing. I agree with Diego--if you already have an MD, PharmD, PhD, a certificate program would be a very nice complement; however, an M.S. is a VERY strong asset/necessity for an entry-level medical writer. USp's program is thorough and challenging. All faculty have medical writer experience.
Best of luck to you.

[Michael J. Attella, MA]

Yup; if you have some 'edge' that the hiring manager desires, you are a desirable Regulatory Medical Writer (RMW) candidate, over and above a Masters. And avoid ANY HINT of 'Journalism'. Regulatory Medical Writing is so far from any useful draw from your formal training in journalism-I cannot screamingly plead this any louder to you! I mean RMW does not require editing shorthand or other more lofty tools or reasoning of the journalism trade. I believe that with a thorough understanding of statistical methods/analysis and basic science research (study design and methodology), it all will fall into place for you. If you are in academia now, get involved in some bench science or clinical research study if you can. Public health research is really a hot area to draw experience from and adapt to RMW techniques. Or do a research credit in any biotech oriented lab, so you get the flavor of a 'confounding variable' for example.
So get some edge. Of course you ask ‘What's the heck is an edge?’ . Are you proficient in Statistics? This is something every RMW has to contend with at some level.
OK, lets say stats isn't in your background (although you should plan to take an intro course sometime). I have found that if a candidate has some experience applicable to the work load and she can write, she is a viable choice for entry into the game. BA/BS Professionals who desire to cross over to the writing field with clinical field experience have an edge. Having been a hiring person, I would recommend a candidate if she were say, a nurse for example, who can demonstrate the ability to put words together (by providing some Samples of her work or completing the assessment that several companies now require).
She may have any kind of applicable clinical experience, where it comes in handy while trying to make sense of Patient Narrative data, where you are describing medical Hx as it may influence Adverse Event (AE) reporting patterns in the Clinical Study Report realm (i.e., typically summarized and presented in terms of 'Frequency' then "Severity rating by the Investigator" then in terms of "Attribution to Study Drug"). You are comfortable with AE description because it resembles the recording of PATIENT COMPLAINTS in a clinical chart (i.e, demonstration of your ability to use terminology). Also, knowing medical clinic procedures when writing early Phase protocols is so advantageous, you can end up leading the Protocol Review or be extremely helpful in writing up patient consent forms (PCFs). I usually run with the mention of the PCF authoring requests.
Clinical experience is also essential in writing an effective early Phase Clinical Study Report (CSR). It is also essential in putting the order to Clinical Study Protocols, which inherently begin as a mess, and are confusing in the early development of the document. If you are familiar with any general clinical procedure, you become the expert in the chronology aspect that underlies the Methods Section, for example. This is because Healthy Subjects (not patients who have the indication addressed by the Study Drug) are housed as actual in-patients in special Phase I clinical research facilities. The research design may require to monitor safety parameters on an hourly, or even minute-to minute basis for example (i.e., pK draws). Having been at this place, you can write about it with more clarity, offering alternative descriptors that are precise rather than vague.
In my silver years now, I have found more and more of the Protocol writing I do these days involve data collection from very invasive procedures that stretch beyond phlebotomy, ECG and vital sign recording.
HOWEVER, this is all just anecdotal if you forget to design your resume or CV so that it highlights these aspects; incorporate the buzzwords that you see in the Job description as close as you can.
I hope this helps.
M Jude

[Wanda Reese]

Good post and info.

[Julia]

I agree, thank you that was very helpful.

[Susanna J Dodgson BSc(Hons), Phd]

I ran the MS in medical writing program at USP for 4 years. One of the graduates was my own son, Angus Dodgson Pekala, who now is working for Quintiles in North Jersey, and just came back from trips to the UK and Canada. He teaches reg writing at USP. Degrees vs learning what you need? AMWA is trying its best to give you what you need, the AMWA training is great for professionals already working as medical writers, but will not get anyone a job as a medical writer. I became a medical writer by taking a hard look at the field and deciding that I would work 3 months in as many companies as I could so I could learn reg writing and marketing writing (which I define as everything that isnt reg writing). Reg writing is easy as long as you realize it is extremely formulaic, you need to love rules and documentation and tables and figures, and care about that patient who took a single dose of drug before moving to Mexico. At USP O became increasingly aware that students were taking courses they could ill afford and the jobs were not coming easily. If you already have a MS or doctorate in anything, you dont need another masters. What you need to do is do th ework. MJoTA is offering 4 courses in medical writing, reg01 takes you through resources and databases and documentation and gets you to write 3 articles which will be published in MJoTA; you will learn the reg environment and you will learn the documents required. mak01 does the same for specific diseases and therapies. We have added 2 specific documentation courses, reg03 and reg04, writing protocols, and writing clinical study reports.

[Wanda Reese]

Susanna this is wonderful information from you, and it's good to see this information come from an expert with the depth of theoretical knowledge, actual experience and academic expertise only those on your level possess. I know first-hand, since I studied under you during your tenure at USP. The scenario you noted about the cost of the courses and challenge of securing the work is so true. It is tough. MJOTA's program is sorely needed. One question, do your courses also prepare students for the MW assessments that most employers often assign to further assess candidate qualifications? Is there also f-2-f interview preparation? These would be particularly challenging areas for new MW or those with strong qualifications in terms of CV and academics, but no actual pharma/clinical experience.
Thanks.

[Alta Davoudi]

Hi! I am a respiratory therapist and former junior high science teacher. I am just completing a BS in applied science and technology majoring in respiratory care. I had to complete a technical writing course for this BS and that is what got me interested in the idea of persuing this field as a career or second job along with respiratory. Your info sounds good but is a little confusing for a novice like me. What is MJoTA? Can I do an internship of sorts somewhere to get a feel for the field. Would this require a masters degree? I might consider a masters but I really want to know what the field is like and what the job market is like. I presently make about $32.00per hour. As much as I would love to have a masters, I need to know that when I am done I will actually make more than I do now or my husband is not going to encourage me to spend that kind of money on my education.

[Wanda Reese]

please read the entire thread for answers to many of your questions (particularly question re: MJoTA).
I don't think possessing ANY degree will realistically guarantee you or any holder anything other than the opportunity to compete in the marketplace.
Bonafide medical writers (not talking journalists here which is an entirely different animal)--those who work within the pharmaceutical industry, have the potential to earn anyhwere from $80k on the low end to up to $300k/yr on the high end, depending on who you work for, geographical location and responsibilities.
Internships are possible--anything is possible---it's what's LIKELY that's key. Many who get internships (Pfizer does offer them) are often Phds or those with a deep clinical background and already some work experience in the field. There are medical writers w/out grad degrees and "light" science backgrounds, but they are the exception rather than the rule.
As a freelancer, I earn on average, $75/hr.

[Tony Ciulla]

This discussion has been a great help to me, however I am still a bit unclear on how I should go about, breaking into the medical writing field, having very little experience in medicine, or science.

Without prior training in the medical field, how does one get a start? If the AMWA training does not help one get a job.

I am considering the AMWA certificate training, and thought, with it, I'd be able to get my foot in the door in the medical writing field. As of now all of my work experience and training is geared towards journalism, research and advertising. I have decided to begin a career as a medical writer (non-regulatory writing) but I feel an entry level position is unattainable without the training to back it up.

It seems like it would be difficult to find a desired position without the proper training, what would be the first course of action I should take to work towards a career in medical writing, without any prior experience in the sciences?

From what I gathered the AMWA certificate is a must, for someone in my position.

Any help, in pointing me in the right direction is much appreciated. Thanks.