How to Break into a Career in Medical Communications
I apologize for the break in information regarding Medical Writing – I have a very curious daughter who asked, “How do you make a website?”
So I’m showing her how to update my blog.
It’s simple really. Write what you believe in and want to share with the world. I’ll get back to blogging again soon, but I hope this is a brief introduction for my daughter.
Cheers!
Hi all,
Sorry I have been away for a while, but here are 2 openings at the company at which I work for a Clinical Publications Lead.
This is a contract position, but can lead to long-term, full-time employment.
Please read the description below, and contact Dan for more questions:
Daniel J. Barrett | Yoh Talent Solutions | Recruiter
1000 First Avenue | Suite 104 | King of Prussia, PA 19406
610.265.4707 x2222 | 610.337.0734 Fax | yoh.com
Enjoy,
Carl
Clin. Pub. Lead – ERP
Degree / College Major: BS; advanced degree preferred
Number of Years Work Experience Required: 5
Start Date: 01/04/2010
End Date: 12/31/2010
Primary Job Responsibilities and Qualifications:
Description: The primary accountability and responsibility for this position is the development of US publication strategies and plans and the delivery of US-focussed medical, scientific and technical publications. Candidates for this position must be able to lead cross functional teams to develop innovative publications strategies and plans, work with senior colleagues and external investigators and authors to deliver publications to time and quality, represent US team interests globally to ensure alignment of global and US publications strategies and plans, ensure compliance with the company Publications Policy and efficiently manage our external agencies and suppliers.
Major Responsibilities:
· Delivers the US-specific publication plans
· Ensures that statements and conclusions in publications are supported by appropriate data
· Provides leadership of cross-functional US Product Publications Delivery Team charged with delivering the US Publication strategy and plan
· Consults and liaises with external authors on matters related to publications activities
· Identifies and manages publications agencies through the effective use of project management skills to ensure the delivery of quality documents
· Edits, as appropriate, publications deliverables (eg, manuscripts, abstracts, posters)
· Participates in the negotiat ion and management of US publication budgets with US product team
· Works closely with the Global Publication Manager on all aspects of publication planning and delivery, eg, directs and manages the US review of non-US components of the global publication plan
· Contributes US perspective to the definition of the global product publication strategy and plan (in conjunction with the US and global publications teams for a product)
· Interprets and monitors current and emerging clinical communication issues and guidelines and advises the US Product Team on these issues
Minimum Requirements:
· Baccalaureate degree in biomedical discipline or equivalent
· Knowledge of the drug development process and human patho-physiology and diseases
· Excellent written and oral communication skills, manifested as the ability to express medical information accurately, clearly, and succinctly
· In depth knowledge of, and experience (5 to 7 yrs) in, the preparation of a wide range of publication types (eg, peer-reviewed journals, scientific meetings and congresses)
· Demonstrated ability to manage several projects simultaneously, including dealing with risk and issue management
· Knowledge of external publication guidelines and standards
· Ability to travel nationally and internationally
· Ability to work effectively in a cross-cultural business environment
· Influencing and negotiating skills
Preferred Background:
· Advanced biomedical degree
· In depth experience (7 to 10 yrs) in publication management
· Demonstrated budget and resource management skills
· Previous experience in TA areas of AstraZeneca product
· Awareness of pharmaceutical business practices
· Knowledge of competitors and competitor products
· Editor in Life Sciences (ELS) certification
Who is Hiring in Medical Communications?
There are plenty of job openings for medical writers. The following section breaks down the various institutions that need the skills of qualified medical writers – and check out the medical-communications specific job board MedComJobBoard.com for more opportunities.
Pharmaceutical Companies and Manufacturers
From the largest to the smallest, pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers need publications to disseminate their clinical trial data and support their products, services, or devices.
Scientific and Medical Communication Agencies
MedCom agencies are often hired by pharmaceutical companies to provide the experience and manpower to develop and execute a publication plan in support of a product, service, or device. There are several members of the International Society of Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP), and I have posted links in the left-hand column under Medical Communication Agencies.
Medical Education and Communications Companies
MECCs are funded by pharmaceutical companies, universities, and societies to help educate healthcare providers about the newest technologies, treatment algorithms, and advances in medicine. Here are the MECCCs that are members of the North American Association of Medical Education and Communication Companies.
Clinical Research Organizations (CRO)
CROs provide support to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industy. A few of the services they provide include product development, formulation and manufacturing, clinical trial management (preclinical through phase IV), clinical, medical and safety monitoring, preclinical, toxicology, and clinical laboratory services for processing trial samples, data management, biostatistics and medical writing services for preparation of an FDA New Drug Applications (NDA), Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA), or Biologics License Application (BLA), and regulatory affairs support. A small list of such organizations can be found on Wikipedia, but there are many others that are part of the Association of Clinical Research Organizations.
Universities and Medical Schools
Most medical universities and colleges have a medical and/or scientific communications department, and many have an office of medical education. These departments are designed to disseminate data about scientific discoveries or medical breakthroughs. There are way too many to list here, so look up your local – or favorite – medical school and contact their communications department for information on job openings.
Hospitals and Clinics
Similarly to medical school, hospitals and clinics often have a department devoted to communicating their capabilities, successes, and other information to the scientific community as well as to the public. Check out your local hospital and ask if they have a communications department. If they do not, tell them that they need one and you are the man or woman for the job!
Associations/Publishers/Journals
Just about every major conference or meeting is paired with an association, which is often paired with a publisher or specific journal. For example, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) publishes in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Associations and journal have a need to disseminate the data presented at the national meetings and can be a great place for medical editors.
And of course – Freelance – be your own boss!
There are myriad opportunities for medical writers. If you are still a bit unsure of how to proceed, or just have a question, post a comment. I will get back to you as soon as I can. You will have a job in no time.
Cheers,
Carl
Here’s the good part!
Medical Communications can be a very lucrative field! And there is a great need for people who are good communicators – both verbally and in writing – and have scientific/medical knowledge.
There are several resources to compare potential salaries for medical writers and other careers in medical communications. Some of the better ones provide a bit of context around the results, including the annual salary survey published in The Scientist.
Others, like the career website Indeed.com, aggregate data that you can dissect by job title and location. This link shows the results for the average medical writer salary nationwide.
Every year the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) surveys its members and publishes the results. The following are the mean results – rounded to the nearest thousand – from the 2007 survey and are meant only as a guide.
There are significant differences by sex and education level
BA: $74,000 (women); $91,000 (men)
MA or MS: $77,000 (women); $86,000 (men)
PhD, PharmD, or MD: $92,000 (women); $102,000 (men)
This really sucks because I know many very talented women who probably write better than I do and may not be compensated fairly.
The type of employer will affect what you can earn
Biotech: $102,000
Pharmaceutical: $98,000
Medical Device: $85,000
Communication: $83,000
MedEdCom: $77,000
CRO: $77,000
Internet: $74,000
Government: $71,000
Association/Society: $69,000
University or Medical School: $64,000
If you are your own employer – freelance – you can set whatever salary you want. But set realistic goals, there are others out there who are competing for work too.
The job description affects earnings
Supervisor/Administrator: $121,000
Writing/Editing Director: $99,000
Writer: $80,000
Writer/Editor: $74,000
Researcher: $69,000
Editor: $65,000
Your geographic location affects earning potential
West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, and Western Canada: $92,000
Northeast (NY, PA, NJ, DE) and Eastern Canada: $91,000
New England (MA, CT, RI, VT, NH, ME): $84,000
Upper Midwest (WI, MI, OH, IN, IL): $78,000
Upper Midwest (ND, SD, NE, MN, IA): $76,000
Central Atlantic (KY,TN, NC, VA, WV, MD, DC): $73,000
South (AL, MS, GA, FL, SC): $72,000
The Heartland (KA, OK, TX, MO, AR, LA): $67,000
West (ID, MT, WY, NV, UT, CO, AZ, NM): $61,000
This has a lot to do with cost of living in these areas. For example Hawaii and California have among the highest costs of living. However, it also involves competition. The Northeast Corridor (DC to Boston) is a hot bed of pharmaceutical companies and medical communication agencies, and there is a lot of good talent from great academic institutions.
Again, these numbers are meant only as a guide as you break into medical communications as a medical writer. Please feel free to drop me note if you have any questions.
Cheers,
Carl
Tags: cost of living, earnings, salary
What does a Medical Writer do?
The description of what a medical writer does varies widely. I have complied a few examples of the Medical Writer job description from actively searching companies:
From CHC:
The Medical Writer is responsible for developing scientific projects and content as assigned. This includes outlines, manuscripts, abstracts, scientific posters, and slide presentations across several therapeutic areas. The Medical Writer works closely with other Editorial and Client Services team members to meet client expectations, budgets, and timelines.
Qualifications:
1-3 years of broad-based scientific, pharmaceutical, or medical writing experience
Advanced degree in life sciences (PhD, PharmD, MD)
Gracious and proactive ability to interact with clients
Ability to meet or beat deadlines every time
From Envision Pharma:
Job Duties:
Work with pharmaceutical clients and key opinion leaders
Write medical communications and publications including manuscripts, posters, slide kits, product monographs
Work with an account manager to coordinate activities with client and internal teams
Help implement publication planning strategy and implementation
Ensure your writing is medically and scientifically accurate and meets client objectives, timelines, and budgets.
Requirements:
Advanced degree in biology, pharmacology, biochemistry, biomedicine, or medically related field (MD or PharmD)
Minimum of 3-years’ experience in medical writing directed to scientists and physicians, not patients or general public
Experience working with pharmaceutical clients, thought leaders, and authors.
Superlative communications skills
Excellent project management skills
Knowledge of American Medical Association (AMA) guidelines and Good Publication Practice (GPP) for pharmaceutical companies.
From Me:
Click on any of the links under Medical Communications Agencies and you will begin to appreciate the type of work that medical writers do.
In a broad and general sense, a medical writer in responsible for the scientific accuracy and medical rigorousness of anything he or she writes. This includes appropriate interpretation of data, accurate fact checking, and correct referencing. Ultimately, the documents you develop will be used by thought leaders in your field as well as healthcare providers to guide further research and patient care.
Hope this helps!
Stay tuned to learn how much you can earn as a medical writer …
How did I break into Medical Communications?
I enjoy talking with scientists, doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and medial and graduate students about Medical Communications as a viable – and lucrative – alternative career in science and medicine. In fact I give talks on the subject to medical and graduate student association: Almost without fail I hear,
“Wow I had no idea that this industry existed. How do I get into Medical Communications?”
Here’s how it happened for me:
I was born for this job!
When people asked how I got into this field, I start by telling them that my father has a PhD in pharmacology and my mother has a PhD in linguistics – I was born for this job!
I grew up surrounded by my father’s colleagues talking about peer-review, program project grants, and publish-or-perish as well as my mother’s colleagues discussing the proper use of ‘who’ and ‘whom,’ the origins of words, and when to use the present pluperfect. However, I didn’t realize the connection between science and communication until well into my second post-doc.
After receiving my BA in Kinesiology with a minor in Biology, I started graduate school with the glum realization that in 5 to 7 years, with my PhD, I would most likely have few options:
Bench science – like my dad
Pharma science – like many of my dad’s colleagues
Teaching – like my mom.
After 4.5 productive years (another blog entry), I landed competitive post-doc that I thought was going to be great! I wrote and won an AHA post-doc grant and traveled to national meetings, but I wasn’t happy. Same was true in my next post-doc – still not happy.
Then, I was attending an ENDO meeting in Washington, DC, and I was sitting next to a woman who had her business card on the desk. I glanced over and saw that her title was “Senior Manager of Medical Writers” – or something like that – for a major pharmaceutical company.
This is Where it all Began
At the break I introduced myself and asked what is medical communications. She very politely described the general differences between regulatory, scientific/medical, and marketing/promotional writing within her company (another blog entry). I knew that I was not into IND, NDA, and other FDA-type writing, and I’m not much of a salesman, but peer-reviewed scientific writing sounded perfect!
I did a great deal of research on medical writing, trying to understand who, besides pharmaceutical companies, hires medical writers, and what kind of salary I could make (another blog entry). Unfortunately, I didn’t know any other professional medical writers and there was not a web site like this to help guide me – it was trial and error – and BOY did I err (another blog post).
To make a long blog short, I messed up several early interviews – learning something new each time – before I finally got it right. With the help of recruiters (another blog entry), I finally had 3 good offers to choose from.
Day 1 to the Present
I started as a medical writer for a medium-sized communications agency (fewer than 100 people) and felt quickly at home in my new environment. I learned the ins-and-outs of writing within an agency for a pharmaceutical client and the strict rules that guide commercial publications (another blog post). I was very happy.
After 3 years I was promoted to a medical director. I managed an associate medical director, 3 writers, a project manager, and a project coordinator. Still happy.
After a total of 5 years on the agency side, I got the opportunity to see what it is like on the other side. I accepted a position within a major pharmaceutical company and am still very happy with my career in medical publications.
You Can Too!
Keep checking back to this blog. I will be posting a lot of valuable information about how you, too, can break into medical communications!
Tags: carl clay, medical careers, Medical Communications, medical writing, postdoctoral careers, postdoctorate careers, writing careers