Medical Writing

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Medical Writing
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Background

• BS and MS from Bloomsburg University
• PhD from University of Alabama at Birmingham
• Postdoctoral Fellowship at Stanford University
• Staff job at BD Biosciences Clontech
• Staff job at LifeScan, Inc.
• Self-employed medical writer and editor

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Types of medical writing

• Corporate/Industry/pharma
• MarketingMedical communications/CROs/HCO
• RegulatoryMedical device, pharma
• TechnicalBiotech, Medical device, pharma
• PRMed com, pharma, Medical device, Biotech
• Academic
• Individual PI
• Grants administration
• Journalism
• Newspaper
• Trade Magazine
• Online
• Freelance/ Independent contractor/ self-employed
• All of the above

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Annual Income

• Corporate/Industry/pharma
• 60K to 87K (mode 57K, 75K, 85K)
• Academic
• 55K (mode 48K)
• Journalism
• 57K (mode 28K)
• Freelance
• Full-time writing 85/hr (mode 100/hr)
• Full-time editing 66/hr (mode 50/hr)

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Benefits and Disadvantages of Self-employed Life

• Go fishing when the fish are biting
• Go to work in your slippers
• Write what you wantyou can say no

• Lack of structure to work life
• Lack of water cooler interactions
• Lack of regular paycheck/health benefits/paid
  vacations/retirement account

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Personality of a freelancer

• Can handle rejection
• Can handle intermittent income
• Able to sell yourself
• Can handle working alone
• Can manage your money

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Science writing programs

• UC Santa Cruz Science Communications
• http//scicom.ucsc.edu/SciWriting.html
• University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
• http//www.usip.edu/graduate/biomedwriting/index.s
  html
• Columbia School of Journalism
• http//www.jrn.columbia.edu/

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Writing associations

• American Medical Writers Association
  (www.amwa.org)
• National Association of Science Writers
  (www.nasw.org)
• Council of Science Editors (www.councilscienceedit
  ors.org)
• Board of Editors in the Life Sciences
  (www.bels.org)

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Contact Information

• Email kwblader_at_cox.net
• Website www.kwb-writes.com