Make money with medical writing

Chris Kahlberg, 61, is formally retired. However when he’s not exploring a brand new a part of the world from the saddle of his bike, he has a profitable facet hustle — medical writing.

Kahlberg earns $170 an hour summarizing medical security research, writing reviews and drug security analyses. The business customary runs from $93 to greater than $113 an hour, based on the American Medical Writers Assn.
Kahlberg thinks medical writing is a perfect facet hustle for good communicators with a science background or medical expertise.

“There’s such a necessity,” he says. “I believe you’d must have some medical data, however there are lots of alternatives on the market.”

LinkedIn lists greater than 2,400 open medical writing jobs. And plenty of of them pay handsomely. A medical editor place at Merck, as an illustration, has an estimated wage vary of $96,000 to $165,000 a yr. One other medical writing administration place has a $156,000-to-$224,000 annual wage vary.

Wage.com says that the median annual earnings for a medical author in New York is greater than $87,000. Different websites estimate that even starting medical writers can earn greater than $50,000 yearly. And the American Medical Writers Assn. notes that almost all medical writers work from home no less than a part of the time.

What’s medical writing?

Medical writing covers a broad vary of communication.

This could embrace analysis reviews, research summaries and articles about medical research. It could possibly contain skilled communication by medical doctors to medical doctors about scientific breakthroughs and new therapy choices; vendor-to-doctor communication about new medication, dosages and coverings; and affected person brochures that specify therapy choices and uncomfortable side effects.

There’s additionally a broad regulatory facet of this enterprise that includes penning grant proposals and reviews for the Meals and Drug Administration. And, after all, there’s a considerable gross sales, advertising and promoting facet of the occupation.

In different phrases, medical writing ranges from extremely technical and closely scientific to much more accessible consumer-oriented tales. However what all medical writing has in widespread is a give attention to readability, accuracy and compliance with FDA guidelines.

Who can do it

Theoretically, the one necessities for medical writers are glorious communication abilities mixed with a ardour for science. Nonetheless, as a result of the required materials will be extremely technical, some corporations want writers with superior scientific levels or expertise within the medical discipline.

If in case you have each, you’re golden. Kahlberg, as an illustration, has a doctorate and labored in pharmaceutical growth for GSK earlier than he retired. However that degree of expertise just isn’t essentially required, significantly for consumer-facing communication, corresponding to brochures about therapy choices.

The American Medical Writers Assn. additionally provides an “important abilities” certificates program. Along with fundamental grammar and punctuation, the important abilities program delves into medical terminology, reporting on statistics and medical ethics.

The course prices $850 for members and $1,235 for non-members and normally takes about six months to finish. (Membership prices $199 yearly, so when you’re contemplating the course, it is sensible to hitch beforehand for the low cost.)

The place to seek out work

Kahlberg maintains there are such a lot of recruiters searching for medical writers on LinkedIn that your greatest wager is to easily revise your resume there to emphasise your scientific writing chops. If in case you have the background and clips, jobs will come to you, he mentioned.

A blogger who calls himself the CheekyScientist means that potential medical writers be a part of the American Medical Writers Assn. to get entry to the location’s membership listing and native chapters, the place you possibly can community.
Job boards corresponding to Certainly and Glassdoor even have copious medical writing positions listed. And websites corresponding to ServiceScape, Skyword and Contently even have medical writing assignments you can faucet, in case you have the proper background and credentials.

The hardest half is getting the primary few assignments, based on the CheekyScientist. However he maintains that when you do job, phrase of mouth is probably going to herald a relentless stream of labor.

First printed Dec. 2022