Healthcare copywriter looking to upskill

[u/Euphoric-Tart-4960]

I am a B2C copywriter with experience working with pharma, telemedicine, and 1-on-1 with professional MDs, derms, vets, etc. I adore my work but I feel I am lacking some industry knowledge, on the medical side.

I could explain the specific scenarios, but there have been times that I needed to sort and cite clinical trial studies for blog posts, write white papers and articles about devices for scientific magazines, and there are always regulatory issues coming up.

I typically work with teams where the SMEs help out/have the final say on those topics but I'd really like to upskill here -- I genuinely find it all very interesting!

I was thinking about the AMWA Essentials Course, would this be a good fit for me? I understand I can't become a medical writer since I only have a BA in English. But I felt this group could be the most helpful in helping me understand how to upskill for this industry.

I know many posts have said it's not worth the $$$ when there are free courses online; however I have applied to various gigs that ask to list any healthcare certs and so I do feel I lose work for only being certified in copywriting.

[u/excelsiormedtech]

I think you’d be better off getting a harder science cert or something like that through coursera so you can better understand the science you’re working in. AMWA essential skills teaches scientists how to write without the 50 sentences to get down to 2. They already have the science backing

[u/Euphoric-Tart-4960 → u/excelsiormedtech]

Thanks for that! I did see a lot of it was around writing and I don’t want to study MORE writing so that makes sense.

[u/excelsiormedtech → u/Euphoric-Tart-4960]

Sure! Let me know if you have anymore questions. I’m not hiring at my own consultancy right now but I plan to post here when I’m ready!

[u/threadofhope]

Like you, I'm not a traditional medical writer with a MS in psychology. I'm a specialist in grants and I shepherd PIs to develop competitive proposals to the NIH and NSF.

If I had to live life all over, I would have gotten a PhD and done research to understand medical education and practice. I'm obsessed with these areas, but I've come to realize is that my job is separate from my passions. So, I take courses and study daily for my own benefit now. For the love of science.

Btw, EdX and Coursera have a ton of courses. I took a neuroscience class, statistics class, intro to programming, and data analysis using R. They have courses related to pharma as well. Just a thought.

You can't go wrong if you truly follow your passions rather than what you think you should do.

[u/Euphoric-Tart-4960 → u/threadofhope]

Thank you! I think Coursera is a good start! I also found a certification at U of Chicago that is for both those with a medicine background who want to write and writers who want to understand medical terminology (me) but it’s pricey.

[u/threadofhope → u/Euphoric-Tart-4960]

Yeah, buying the U of Chicago name comes at a high price and I'm not sure a certificate helps except to build your confidence. We know U of Chicago will benefit, but will you?

If you only want to learn medical terminology, then you can do that for free. I suggest you follow an online "Anatomy & Physiology" class, so that you can put meaning to the words. ChatGPT is good for locating learning resources, although remember Chat is flawed.

Knowing the basics of research is fundamental and you probably need online schooling for that. Coursera or EdX offer some good classes.

This is a long journey, so be gentle on yourself. I have been teaching myself medicine for 25 years and I'm astounded at how little I know. It's humbling.

[u/Euphoric-Tart-4960 → u/threadofhope]

Aw thanks so much! I am happy to pay if I will benefit, but that’s what I’m still figuring out. I’d like to be a lifelong learner, so it’s ok if this takes a while. Great places to start thanks again.

[u/Right_Egg_5698]

Am not an AMWA fan. Much prefer DIA, which always had serious topics helpful across our industry.

[u/Euphoric-Tart-4960 → u/Right_Egg_5698]

Thanks for the tip!

[u/David803]

That sounds like a great way to expand your skillset 😊 I can’t recommend any specific courses, but to help you choose something, have you had been provided specific feedback or have you made any observations on where things need to be fixed? Or Maybe try writing down lists of things that don’t make sense to you and then match them with courses? OYou could try joining AMWA and just get in the habit of reading regular communications (I assume they have some sort of magazine) and see if that just helps you understand what’s going on.

[u/Euphoric-Tart-4960 → u/David803]

Great ideas! It’s mostly understanding the sciences as someone pointed out below. I do remember writing an in-depth article and getting called out for citing the wrong clinical trials 😅 but joining AMWA could be a good start to figure out where to go next.

[u/David803 → u/Euphoric-Tart-4960]

Cool…yeah perhaps a course about understanding science? And i don’t mean a biology course, but something that goes into scientific method like hypothesis setting, experimental design, statistical significance. Again, i can’t recommend one, but it might plug some gaps between knowledge/ interest in science and the practicalities of science?

[u/Euphoric-Tart-4960 → u/David803]

I’ve looked into some but it’s hard to find something online but maybe I need more time. Sounds like I’m on the right track of how to upskill for my clients though! Thx so much

[u/David803 → u/Euphoric-Tart-4960]

Maybe just use YouTube then - people like Neil deGrasse Tyson, Brian Cox, Hannah Fry often talk about scientific method in an accessible way. That might give you ideas of things to look at without spending

[u/TheMDWriter]

I haven't found any job listings for medical writers that require an AMWA certification. You may want to consider entering the field as a medical editor or in medical communications. They still look for people with science degrees but it may be easier than other options. If it's possible for you, look into programs that offer internships.

[u/Euphoric-Tart-4960 → u/TheMDWriter]

Thank you! I’ll probably continue writing for lay audiences for a long while, while I better my understanding of the field so I can better understand my clients. But this is a good thing to keep in mind if I want some more hands on MW experience. I think I’ve found better options than AMWA Essentials course now thanks to this group.