An entry-level medical writer is responsible for researching, writing, and editing scientific and medical content under the guidance of senior writers or editors. They create materials such as clinical summaries, regulatory documents, medical articles, and educational content for healthcare professionals and the public. Entry-level medical writers must ensure accuracy, adhere to medical writing guidelines, and use correct medical terminology.
They often collaborate with subject matter experts and may assist in preparing manuscripts for medical journals. Strong research skills, attention to detail, and an ability to communicate complex medical science are essential for success in this role.
There is no cookie-cutter path to becoming a medical writer. Across the United States, medical writing professionals come from different backgrounds. What all of them have in common is that they have the knowledge and skills required to enter and excel in the medical writing field.
What Exactly Does an Entry-Level Medical Writer Do?
Entry-level medical writing professionals work with scientists and healthcare professionals to create medical content that describes results, product use, and other medical information. Medical writing professionals produce various medical documents, including medical books, newspaper articles, press releases, training manuals, patient education material, research proposals, healthcare advertisements, clinical trial protocols, and study reports.
Medical writing professionals contribute to document quality control, such as making the written documentation comply with guidelines. They also create content for presentations and conferences for investigators, medical institutes, pharmaceutical agencies, and medical communications agencies.
Companies employ new graduates for entry-level medical writing positions. For this position, they need a Bachelor’s degree in a medical or science field with zero to a couple of years of prior work experience. Associate medical writers earn the lowest base salary in their field due to basic education and limited experience in medical or scientific writing.
For all medical writing positions, including entry-level roles, candidates must have strong communication skills, expertise in different applications, experience in clinical areas, and the ability to work with teams. Understanding the career trajectory in medical writing is crucial, as entry-level roles lay the foundation for future career advancement.
Leading companies and academic institutes recruit new graduates to fill the following medical writer positions:
Titles for Entry-Level Medical Writers
For entry-level positions, companies seek medical writing experts now and then. The titles in each agency differ from another due to several reasons. Here are a few standard job titles to which entry-level medical writing professionals can apply:
Associate Medical Writer
Associate medical writers write, edit, proofread, and check medical or scientific content. One of the many jobs of a medical writer is to plan campaigns with the teams and work together with management staff. They also attend occasional client meetings to plan, scope, and discuss campaigns. Those who work as remote writers must also travel to participate in national and international medical conferences.
Junior Medical Writer
The primary duties of a junior medical writing professional involve providing research assistance in the development phases of projects, assisting with creating high-quality medical communications content in specific therapeutic areas, and working together with management personnel to coordinate work to achieve project goals. Companies demand junior medical writers to give strategic recommendations, assist in forming new business development initiatives, and understand team expectations regarding budgeted hours, deadlines, and other objectives.
Junior Medical Editor
Pharmaceutical training companies and communications agencies seek junior medical editing professionals having a sharp eye for editing and proofreading medical content. For entry-level roles, companies prefer detail-oriented candidates with a medical or science background and familiarity with medical terminology. As a junior medical editor, your duty involves reviewing and editing multimedia projects developed from medical information, clinical studies, statistical data, and market research.
Assistant Medical Writer
You can work in a pharmaceutical or communications agency as an assistant medical writer to create, implement, and maintain data management solutions for collecting, validating, and analyzing research and outcomes data.
The role also involves assisting with data collection and communications with human subject participants and study investigators with the setup, troubleshooting, and maintenance of computer systems. Also, it is essential to adhere to legal and professional codes concerning privacy and data security. Assistant medical writers may need to verify the identity of human subject participants to ensure data security and privacy.
Entry-Level Medical Writer Responsibilities
As an entry-level medical writer, your responsibilities will vary depending on the company, industry, and specific job requirements. However, some common responsibilities include:
1. Developing Outlines and Drafts
An associate medical writer is responsible for developing outlines and drafts of materials, such as slide decks, reports, publications, training materials, etc., according to the project brief. Their duty involves ensuring the incorporation of review comments and on-time delivery of the projects.
2. Creating Medical Content
As an entry-level medical writer, your duty will involve writing medical and editorial content for pharmaceutical companies, medical communication agencies, and healthcare firms. An associate medical writer assists with developing various scientific and medical documents, including advertisements for drugs and devices, grant proposals, health education materials, newspaper and magazine articles, journals, marketing materials, white papers, and regulatory documents. Your duty will also include the management of the writing and editing of publications to support clinical research.
3. Assisting Other Writers
As an associate medical writer, your job will involve working together with other members of the writing team. You will also review and edit the work of other writers and editors. Your duty will include optimizing their content, adding new information, ensuring written text has proper citations, and including media as appropriate. Plus, you will assist experienced team members, contributing to the writing process.
4. Performing Literature Searches
The literature search is a comprehensive search of literature relevant to the topic of interest. Relevant literature can include conference abstracts, journal articles, clinical trials, books, etc. Your position will demand you to perform literature searches and assist in developing protocols.
5. Attending Meetings
Junior medical writers are responsible for attending internal update meetings and joining the broader team on onsite client meetings. They also arrange and conduct review meetings with the team and act as an interface to resolve problems and questions arising during the medical writing process. You will also prepare meeting minute reports for high-level external and internal stakeholder engagements.
6. Ensuring Quality Control
Your duty will involve ensuring the completion of work is of excellent quality before team distribution or delivery to clients. Your duty will also include providing medical editing reviews of drafts and final documents other writers produce before internal/external distribution. This involves both copyediting and content review.
7. Serving as a Representative
Some associate medical writers also take ownership of completing assigned tasks on time during all stages. They serve as medical writing representatives on project teams, communicate deliverables needed, writing process, and timelines to team members, and ensure document deliverables are processed and compiled according to timelines. If you work as an entry-level medical writer, you will provide appropriate feedback to medical writers to ensure increased future efficiency.
8. Promoting Content on Social Media
Some employers seek medical writing professionals to produce and publish engaging content every now and then on different social media platforms. Your duty will involve communicating with followers, responding to their questions on time, and monitoring their reviews. Other responsibilities are analyzing and reporting on social media engagement and marketing efforts for system initiatives, working with team members to establish media-specific objectives, KPIs, and measurement goals, and collaborating with marketing and communications colleagues to ensure brand consistency.
9. Interacting With Clients
Medical writers in entry-level roles interact with clients, suppliers, and other contributors to content development. Their duty involves professional interaction with authors, clients, and healthcare experts and understanding the relevant medical fields and external parties’ requirements.
Job Search Strategies for Entry-Level Medical Writers
Finding an entry-level medical writing job can be competitive, but you can increase your chances of success with the right strategies. Here are some job search strategies to consider:
Crafting a Compelling Resume
Your resume is often the first impression you make on potential employers, so it’s essential to make it count. Here are some tips for crafting a compelling resume:
- Customize your resume for each job application, highlighting relevant skills and experience that match the job description.
- Incorporate keywords from the job posting to help your resume pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS).
- Include coursework, internships, or volunteer experience that demonstrates your skills and knowledge in medical writing.
- Describe your experience and skills using action verbs and concise language.
- Ensure your resume is error-free by proofreading it multiple times and asking others to review it.
Leveraging Online Job Portals
Online job portals can be a valuable resource for finding entry-level medical writing jobs. Here are some tips for leveraging online job portals:
- Search for job postings using keywords like “entry-level medical writer” or “medical writing job.”
- Set up job alerts when new job postings match your search criteria.
- Use LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor to search for job openings and apply directly.
- Connect with professionals in your industry through online platforms to learn about job opportunities before they’re posted.
Networking for Opportunities
Networking is a crucial aspect of finding entry-level medical writing jobs. Here are some tips for networking for opportunities:
- Participate in industry events, conferences, and job fairs to meet professionals in your field.
- Become a member of organizations like the Australasian Medical Writers Association (AMWA) to connect with other medical writers and gain access to valuable resources.
- Use platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter to connect with professionals, share insights, and stay updated on industry trends.
- Contact professionals in your network for informational interviews or advice on finding job opportunities.
- Gain experience and build your network by volunteering or taking on freelance medical writing projects.
FAQs
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about becoming an entry-level medical writer:
What qualifications are needed to become an entry-level medical writer?
Entry-level medical writers typically need a Bachelor’s degree in a science or medical field. While previous experience is not always required, having strong writing skills, knowledge of medical terminology, and attention to detail are essential.
What types of documents do entry-level medical writers create?
Entry-level medical writers create a wide range of documents, including clinical trial protocols, patient education materials, regulatory submissions, press releases, research proposals, and medical advertisements. They may also assist in developing slide decks and reports.
How can I improve my chances of getting an entry-level medical writing position?
Tailoring your resume to highlight relevant skills, joining professional organizations like AMWA, networking with professionals in the field, and leveraging job portals like LinkedIn or Indeed can increase your chances of landing an entry-level medical writing job.
What are the common job titles for entry-level medical writers?
Common job titles for entry-level medical writers include Associate Medical Writer, Junior Medical Writer, Junior Medical Editor, and Assistant Medical Writer. Each title may have slightly different responsibilities depending on the organization.
What are the key responsibilities of an entry-level medical writer?
Responsibilities of an entry-level medical writer include developing outlines and drafts, creating medical content for various audiences, assisting with literature searches, attending meetings, and ensuring quality control of written materials before distribution.
If you are new to medical writing and are looking to break-in, we recommend taking our Medical Writing Certification Course, where you will learn the fundamentals of being a medical writer, how to dominate medical writer interviews, and how to stand out as a medical writing candidate.
