Medical Writing

Medical writing includes writing journals, papers, newsletters, whitepapers, and other documents for the medical industry. Writing for the medical field is not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination. It takes both an in-depth knowledge of medicine and an ability to write. Medical writers know that they have to explain the details of their subject matter while still making their medical content readable.

There a few medical associations designed to help the medical writer:

  • The American Medical Writers Association (AMWA), found at www.amwa.org, was created in 1940 to help medical authors. Their stated purpose is to promote excellence in biomedical communication and to provide educational resources that support that goal. Through an extensive educational program, various publications, and unparalleled opportunities for networking, AMWA encourages and enables its members to extend their professional expertise
  • The National Association of Medical Communicators (NAMC), found at www.ibiblio.org/namc, maintains the stated purpose of uniting and supporting medical journalists and communicators as they provide health information to consumers via various media.
  • The American Medical Publishers Association (AMPA ), website www.ampaonline.org, is the premier association created to advance health science writing, publishing and scientific communication worldwide.

I highly recommend these books on writing for the medical industry:

Writing and Publishing in Medicine. This guide takes the reader through every step of writing and publishing, from initial composition to publication. The material covers reporting on clinical trials, observational studies and reports, and lab research. While not a directory of medical publishing companies, it still may prove worthwhile to you.

How to Write and Publish Articles in Nursing. This book for medical nurses talks about generating ideas, developing a writing plan, collaborative writing, targeting a nursing journal, gathering information, organizing content, communicating with editors, and writing and revising the manuscript. The purpose is to provide a process to help medical nurses write and be published. Of particular note in this book is the appendix with the publication addresses of medical nursing journals and the planning form for collaborative writing.

Here is an online directory of writing for the medical field: