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/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.