“Be tender to all. It takes courage to be kind in a cruel world but everyone is fighting their own secret battle and sometimes the nastiness person needs our compassion the most.” Annette Dunlea
“There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart,’ said she afterwards to herself. ‘There is nothing to be compared to it. Warmth and tenderness of heart, with an affectionate, open manner, will beat all the clearness of head in the world, for attraction: I am sure it will.” Jane Austen
“Go on just try, write one word at a time” Annette Dunlea
“You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.” ― Stephen King
“Make brave choices” Annette Dunlea
‘May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.’Nelson Mandela
Reading is a beautiful skill that keeps giving
“To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.” — Victor Hugo
Title: How to Become a Medical Writer
Author: wikiHow
Full Text & Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Medical-Writer
The Internet, Online, 2/3/2015
Sample Text:
A medical writer creates texts for a variety of purposes, including reports, press releases, journals, articles and advertisements for government agencies and institutions, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, medical institutions and associations, universities, and medical publishing firms. Becoming a medical writer can offer a varying and interesting career with many job opportunities for individuals with a sound knowledge of medical terminology, superior writing skills, and a commitment to making deadlines. The following steps will teach you how to become a medical writer.
1 Acquire an in-depth knowledge of medical terminology and other fundamental aspects of medical writing such as pharmacology and research and statistics. The best way to do this is to enroll in classes at a university, either one that is local to you or an online university.
2 Enhance your knowledge by reading reports on the Food and Drug Administration website or in online medical journals. Pay attention to structure, tone, notes, and use of terminology.
3 Hone your writing skills. •Again, this is best done by following university courses in writing. Though it is helpful to get a degree in English, you can also complete certificate courses at various universities that enable you to learn the structures of different kinds of texts.
•You can also buy writing books to enhance your understanding of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary, amongst other things.
•Joining a writing group may offer a good way of getting feedback on your work and helping you build a portfolio.
•Practice medical writing. Even before you get your first professional assignment, you need to practice medical writing. Research other texts, such as entries in medical journals, and try to emulate them. If at all possible, ask a professional writer to critique your work.
4 Research the available job opportunities. Though there are many medical writers who seek full time employment with a single enterprise or institute, there are also many freelance medical writers who work on an assignment basis. On job sites, you can research the average salary for an entry-level medical writer. You can also join discussions on freelance writers’ discussion boards to find out the average compensation per assignment.
5 Decide whether you want to be a freelancer or a full time employee. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. For a beginning medical writer, the freelance market can be extremely challenging when it comes to finding clients, though it will allow you plenty of freedom in terms of time management. As a full employee, you’ll enjoy all of the benefits of a regular job, but you’ll also need to commit all of your working hours to the position.
6 Apply for a position as a medical writer. Again, online job boards such as Monster and company websites will list job openings that you can reply to with your cover letter, resume, and some samples of your work. For freelance work, it’s a good idea to look on freelance job boards such as Craigslist, Elance, and Guru. •If you can’t find a regular position right away, apply for an internship as a medical writer. An internship will help in terms of making contacts and learning all of the practical aspects of medical writing under the guidance of an editor.
7 Choose an area of expertise. You can become an expert at pharmaceutical writing, educational medical writing, or medical reports, amongst other things. Becoming an expert in a particular area will enhance your skills and make you more marketable, as your knowledge and skills will surpass that of many competitors who remain generalists in their field.
Brilliant long article on writing medical reports
Title: How To Become A Competent Medical Writer
Author: Dr. Suhasini Sharma , Perspectives In Clinical Research, 2010, Jan-Mar 1(1) 33-37
Full Text & Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3149406/
The Internet, Online, 2/3/2015
Abstract
Medical writing involves writing scientific documents of different types which include regulatory and research-related documents, disease or drug-related educational and promotional literature, publication articles like journal manuscripts and abstracts, content for healthcare websites, health-related magazines or news articles. The scientific information in these documents needs to be presented to suit the level of understanding of the target audience, namely, patients or general public, physicians or the regulators. Medical writers require an understanding of the medical concepts and terminology, knowledge of relevant guidelines as regards the structure and contents of specific documents, and good writing skills. They also need to be familiar with searching medical literature, understanding and presenting research data, the document review process, and editing and publishing requirements. Many resources are now available for medical writers to get the required training in the science and art of medical writing, and upgrade their knowledge and skills on an ongoing basis. The demand for medical writing is growing steadily in pharmaceutical and healthcare communication market. Medical writers can work independently or be employed as full time professionals. Life sciences graduates can consider medical writing as a valuable career option.
Title: Writing A Medical Case Report
Authors: Aimun A B Jamjoom, Ali Nikkar-Esfahani, J.E.F. Fitzgerald, BMJ
Full Text & Source: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/728271_5
The Internet, Online, 2/3/2015
Sample Text:
How Do I Structure a Medical Case Report?
The basic structure of a medical case report is as follows:
•Abstract—This section is read by people trying to decide whether they wish to go on and read your full case report. It is therefore vital to keep it concise (no more than 150 words) and snappy, and to encompass all the important aspects of your case, particularly highlighting what this adds to medical knowledge.
•Case report—In this section you are presenting your patient to the reader. This should include a concise history and any relevant examination and investigation findings. It is important to include any relevant negatives based upon the potential diagnoses, but do not clutter this section with unnecessary detail.
•Discussion—When you have presented your case to the reader you are expected to put it into context in the discussion section. Here you give information about the condition or intervention in question, such as the basic epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, investigations, and treatment. As you paint this picture it is extremely important for you to show how your case has differed from the norm and how this is contributing to medical understanding.
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