Medical Writer

What does a Medical Writer do?

A Medical Writer position within Medical Affairs means produce and process scientific documents from initiation to completion, of a part of that. These can be hard-copy or online medical documents for educational, promotional or informative purposes such as scientific papers, abstracts, poster materials or other. A Medical Writer can work within many types of organisations (including on a freelance basis), working alongside scientists, doctors and other healthcare professionals. Types of organisations that may have Medical Writer vacancies include:

• pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies;
• CROs;
• medical communications agencies and news outlets;
• government bodies;
• health insurance companies;
• medical book publishers;
• healthcare providers.

What roles and responsibilities can you expect as a Medical Writer?

A Medical Writer job can be positioned within a range of different settings, therefore exact responsibilities will vary. You need to produce high-quality, clear and accurate work. You may also be required to contribute to document quality control (reviewing data accuracy, formatting and appropriateness of language, and compliance with industry guidelines), as well as evaluate the data to be included in the documentation. You may be involved in writing:

• clinical trial protocols and publications;
• study reports, white papers and press releases;
• medical books, magazine and newspaper articles;
• medical and healthcare advertisements;
• consumer products/medical device information;
• advice leaflets and website copy.

What education and skills do you need as a Medical Writer?

To apply for Medical Writer vacancies, you may need to hold an undergraduate degree in a relevant life science, as well as an MSc or PhD. You may also be able to enter the profession with a different qualification and extensive experience in an area of medicine and healthcare. For example, some applicants have pursued a career as a doctor before moving into an Medical Writer job. A professional certification such as AMWA, EMWA, RAPS or BELS can be an advantage, especially when applying for an Medical Writer vacancy that is highly sought after. In any case, you need to be familiar with industry principles that are relevant to the organisation you are applying to such as investigational product safety, regulatory guidelines or pharmacology.

Skills required for a Medical Writer job include:

• excellent knowledge of the English language;
• faultless communication skills, both written and verbal;
• analytical skills and the ability to interpret data;
• good organisation skills and patience;
• the ability to work well within a team.

What are your career prospects as a Medical Writer?

With some experience, you can progress from a Medical Writer job into senior Medical Writer roles within a company, where you would take responsibility for more projects and manage a larger team. You may find a Medical Writer vacancy as a related job such as Medical Science Liaison, Clinical Data Manager or Statistician.

What salary can you expect as a Medical Writer?

The startsalary for a Medical Writer job is around € 40.000 in the Netherlands, depending on the type of company and location of the job, as well as the level of experience demanded by the role. With the right experience, you can increase this to € 90.000. If you choose to be a freelance Medical Writer, you can set your own rates and take on multiple projects at once for different companies.

Do you want to know more about positions as a Medical Writer?

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