Medical Writing Training

[Wanda Reese]

For those professionals who've expressed interest in medical writing training--particularly in the area of regulatory and/or marketing, please see the following information:

www.mjota.org

Training is only 12 weeks, conducted by experienced medical writers, and affordable. Students are also given publishing opportunities, resume assistance and assistance in obtaining work.

[Rosaletta]

Dear Wanda,
I made a mistake as to the AMWA medical writing certificate program I chose to enroll in. They ripped me off with tuition. Right now I am trying to find all the organizations that can help me with this situation. Any additional advice would be appreciated. I do not think the AMWA is an accredited program. I know there are organizations that can help in this situation if it is an accredited program- I am waiting to hear back from them about where I can complain if the organization is not accredited. I recommend other medical writing programs to enroll in.

[Diego Pineda]

I wouldn't worry much about accreditation, because that's not what will get you a job. Many companies require AMWA certificates, because of AMWA's reputation, not because of it accreditation status. A few months ago, talking with Dr. Dogson (the former director of the Biomedical Writing Program at USP), she told me that students there were spending thousands of dollars in education but not getting a job after graduation. The program she offers now, and that Wanda is talking about here, seems to go beyond that because it promises to get you employment.
Johanna Lackner-Marx is doing something similar with her CME coaching program, developing an internship, and helping students set up their own freelance businesses (See http://www.medicalwritingtraining.com/cme/).
What good is spending 30 to 50 thousand dollars in an accredited graduate program and end up with no job whatsoever? These other certificate programs give you the same knowledge for less money and with potentially better results.
There may be other reasons (and benefits) to get into a graduate program, such as personal gratification, seeking a better pay for having a higher level of education, etc. but, realistically, not every person can afford or take the time to enroll in a masters program.

[Wanda Reese]

Amen, Diego.
I'm working to complete my final year at USP beginning next month, but only because I am compelled to achieve goals started. The majority of the work I've received as a freelancer has not been because I had/was pursuing a master's degree, it was largely due to previous experience. Employment assistance should always be a part of any educational program, otherwise, what actual good is it? I'm currently $70k in education-related debt right now. I'm not knocking educational credentials, just emphasizing the importance of careful evaluation and potential of any program.

[Rosaletta]

Wow- did 70k all go to USP? There is a vocational center which will not fund AMWA. I live in an economically disadvantaged state so grants have been set up for vocational training. The vocational center told me that I would not be able to get a job through AMWA. However, I was so interested in what I thought AMWA had to offer that I paid out-of-pocket when I could have had training covered for free elsewhere. I was let down big time. At least I can count on receiving credit at the university I am attending. I had a good experience with the university, but not with this particular certificate program. I am wary about certificate programs now.

[madan]

Hi Wanda. I am new to this site. I am a homeopathic doctor from India looking forward to a career in medical writing. I have no previous experience in medical writing, though I am experienced in pharmaceutical intelligence and clinical research. Could you please guide me in getting some free online course which could be helpful to me. Also I would like some guidance about medical writing as I am new to it.

Warm regards,
Madan

[Diego Pineda]

Madan,

I don't think there are many free online courses on medical writing. And if there are, they may not be as good. Some of us in this network provide some tips in our blogs, but you may want to invest in your career to get a good education--at least some books or ebooks, and even affordable certificates. There are even some specific books aimed at the Indian market (see http://www.becomingamedicalwriter.com/india/index.htm)

[Natasha Das]

Madan

Diego has provided you the link to a fantastic resource if you are looking for a medical writing career in India. That's the first step towards starting your career in this field. It has a lot of links to other resources from all around the world. It's not just a book. It is an interactive book for Indian writers. It talks about the various types of writing you may do as a medical writer. Many writers believe that medical writing is about preparing clinical trial documents (protocols, study reports etc) and publication writing (such as manuscripts for journals etc). Go through this book and you will realize that's just one type of medical writing. There are many more interesting genres of medical writing. Choose the one that suits your temperament best.

Happy Reading!

[madan]

Thanks Diego and Natasha

[Dr.Neerja L Bisht]

Since I have just joined.. whats the latest info on medical writing, editing training in India?

[Daniel Owen Gibson]

May 25 , 2009


Interested in continue educational online programs in medical writing . Prefer to work from my home . Email me !

[James M Howard MD]

I would indeed be interested in online programs for scientific medical writing. It seems these days that one needs and edge to get into any good position. Let me know what excellent ideas you have. Thanks!

[harminder Singh]

hi
My name is Harminder Singh , I am MD and currently studying for getting into residency programe, but I wanna explore the medical writing feild. I read your post. So please contact me my phone number is 707-816-0636.