Career Paths for
Medical Writing
ASPET Diversity Mentoring Breakfast
April 27, 2014
Victoria A. Love, PhD
www.linkedin.com/in/valovephd/
Today’s Agenda
Present a brief introduction
Define medical communications and medical writing
Describe the scope of work encompassed by the field
Provide information pertaining to how to establish a career in the field
Discuss my professional journey
Offer information about resources
Give an overview of tests developed by medical communications employers Answer any questions
Current Professional Bio
Scientific Operations; Section Manager of Documentation and
Archiving; Drug Safety Evaluation (DSE)- Allergan, Irvine, CA
Non-clinical sections for global drug applications
Non-clinical study related protocols & reports
Toxicology, Pharmacokinetics, Bioanalytical and Immunology reports (> 600 annually)
Support information platforms that support transfer and storage of electronic documents used by DSE
>20 submissions scheduled for 2014
Current Professional Bio
Scientific Operations; Section Manager of Documentation and
Archiving; Drug Safety Evaluation (DSE)- Allergan, Irvine, CA
Facilitates archival of all study and submission related documents
Manages training curricula for > 200 employees
Oversee the regulation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and controlled form documents for DSE
Supports electronic platforms that support transfer and storage of documents used by DSE
Coordinates inspections and audits
Life After Academia
Career Options for Scientists
Patent Law
Science Research Analyst
Scientific Consulting
postdoc
Medical Science Liaison
Other
Alternative Careers in Science: Leaving the Ivory Tower by Cynthia Robins-Roth
What Do Medical Writers Do All Day?
Medical Communications
Encompasses the development and production of materials that deal specifically with medicine or healthcare
Write, edit, or develop materials about medicine or healthcare
Medical Writing
is the activity of writing scientific documentation by someone who is a specialized writer (a medical writer) and is generally not one of the scientists or doctors whose research it was
Medical Communications:
General Categories
Materials prepared by medical communicators, collaborating with others or working independently, include the following:
Patient education brochures, news articles, Web content, and books for the general public
Journal articles and continuing education monographs for health care professionals
Regulatory documents for government agencies
Grant proposals for research scientists and institutions
Sales training and marketing materials for the pharmaceutical industry
Medical Writing: Specific Examples
Journal articles
Original research
Review articles
Editorials, case reports, etc.
Abstracts
Publication in journals
Submission to medical meetings
Posters
Presentation at medical meetings Medical Writing: Specific Examples
Slide presentations
Original research
Symposia
Roundtables
Advisory boards
Medical education materials
Monographs
Training materials for physicians, other medical professional & laypeople eLearning content
Prescribing information
Medical Writing: Specific Examples
Regulatory documents
Clinical Trial Reports (CTR)
New Drug Applications (NDA)
Investigational New Drug Application (IND)
Marketing materials
Advertisements
Public relations materials
Internet documents
Patient education
Required Skills for
Medical Writing
Attention to detail
Excellent writing skills
Interpersonal skills
Organizational skills
Scientific skills
Ability to work quickly and multi-task
Characteristics of Good
Medical Writing
Scientific accuracy
Sufficient references and documentation Clear and succint writing
Ethical standards and practices
Who Are the Medical Writers?
Education by Degree
Science
English
Journalism
Pharmacy
Medicine
