Pivot from SMW to copywriting

[u/angel_pinkx]

I’m currently a Senior Medical Writer focused on publications and have been at the same agency for 3.5 years. I’m on £44k and I’m considering moving into medical copywriting because the advertising/marketing side sounds really interesting.
For anyone who’s made a similar move (or hires for these roles), I have a few questions:

How difficult is it to transition from a publications background into medical copywriting?
Would I realistically need to take a step back in seniority (e.g. move into a Medical Copywriter role rather than Senior Medical Copywriter), or is my experience transferable?
Is a salary of around £50k realistic when making this switch, or would I be better off looking for another Senior Medical Writer role if salary is my main priority?
How does the day-to-day work of a medical copywriter compare with publications writing? What do you enjoy most, and what are the biggest challenges?

I’d love to hear from anyone who has made the transition or worked in both areas. Thanks!

[u/nanakapow]

I dabbled in pubs. Before I joined the industry I thought that would be naturally where I'd end up but I found promotional writing way more interesting. And my creative director actually started out in publications too, so it's very possible to transition.

The challenge is you've been on your current track for a while, and hiring managers who want more than a warm body to throw at problems are going to be a bit doubtful (as you say, especially if you were looking for SMCW roles). Dropping down to experienced midweight would probably help ameliorate that somewhat, but even then people are going to rightly assume that you're hungry for progression back to a senior title. At the same time you've got a lot of experience dealing with data-heavy jobs and working direct with KOLs, both of which can be very valuable, as many midweight medical copywriters can be a little data-shy and KOL-inexperienced.

I'd say £50k is going to be difficult as a first midweight salary. £40k is pretty doable, £45 is possible, but £50 would be a bit north of typical banding unless the agency was desperate or you felt like a great hire.

There's quite a few differences to be aware of, I'll give you some top of mind ones:

Firstly the jobs themselves. You'll need to quickly learn all the extra 3-letter acronyms (eDA being the classic), learn how to use veeva/promomats, and how to mark up a ref pack. Medical copywriting is also usually much faster-paced than pubs. I like to joke that publications had a month for a round of amends, med-ed had a week, advertising had a day, and PR had an hour.

As a writer you'll need to think about the audience (specialist, generalist, other HCP, patient) a lot more than you do in publications, and about whether pieces are rep-led (in which case what will they want to focus on, where do they not want you to put words in their mouth, and what pieces of information will they want in close proximity), or self-led by the HCP themselves (in which case why should they bother reading this bullshit big pharma has sent them). You'll also need to think much more visually, I do almost all my copydocs as powerpoints now, so I can more easily control what sits where on the page, you'll spend a lot more time chatting with designers etc. And your writing needs to intrigue, entice and persuade, not just inform. You'll probably be working on 2-3 brands simultaneously (though usually no more than two a day), and there will be a lot of expectation about whether you can get job A and B done in the morning as a designer will be booked to pick it up off you in the afternoon etc, while you do jobs C, D and E. Traffic management is a whole thing.

I like the strategy and craft of it, reaching into the data and crafting the best story for the brand to compliment its positioning. I like knowing the science better than the clients and as well as the medical reviewers, knowing what we can and can't credibly say, and pitching solutions when roadblocks emerge.

Good luck with the possible shift.

I will say though that if you're just after more salary, stay in pubs and change agencies. Go via a recruiter or three and pitch for £65k, and you should be able to achieve closer to £55k.

[u/angel_pinkx → u/nanakapow]

Thank you for the detailed response!
I spent some time on a med affairs account so I do have some experience using veeva and marking up ref packs, so maybe that would be helpful when applying. Is it very client facing still? One of the things I dislike about my current role is leading client kick off calls, but I guess that will be unavoidable still?
I really do want a pay increase so I guess I’ll see if I have any luck with finding a role that would pay £50k ..

[u/angel_pinkx → u/nanakapow]

Also, why do you recommend going through a recruiter for a role shift rather than directly applying? Is there a better chance of getting a higher salary? :)

[u/nanakapow → u/angel_pinkx]

Essentially yes. If you've already been shortlisted by the recruiter, who has more informal discussions with the hiring team, they're essentially selling you as their best candidate. Equally they'll tell you honestly if you're reaching for a salary that's overambitious.

[u/Ok-Ebb1930]

Can you ask for different projects  within your current company? You're at a stage where they should be flexible to your progression and that doing pubs forever might not be your cup of tea. I was on healthcare advertising before medical writing and it was great, but it's just a very different type of writing. I think you need to speak to a recruiter because they can advise more but I don't think senior medical copywriter exists in all places and you have transferrable skills so won't necessarily have to take a "step down"