Great advice for getting started as a medical writer

I’ve been meaning to post a link to “Chain the Wolf“, a great blog about Medical Writing, for a while now.  I’ve emailed back and forth with the author a few times over the past few years, and I was thrilled when she started putting some of her thoughts about her career path in medical writing and medical education to screen.

In her own words,

I’m currently a full-time freelance medical writer and consultant (2.5 years and counting). Most of my clients are medical communication companies and the projects are usually in the area of oncology, although I also dabble in neuroscience from time to time.

But how did I get here and why do I have this blog? I really struggled at a few points before getting to where I am now. (. . .)

I eventually thought about medical writing, so once again I had to seek out information. How does one get a job in that industry? Would it or would it not be a good career for me? I did everything from post angst filled questions on a forum board (Hi Ask Metafilter!), conducted many informational interviews, and after taking a few more steps, I was hired at a medical communication company.I still wasn’t quite happy as my real goal was to eventually become a freelance medical writer. For some reason, making the leap from fulltime employee at a company to an independent freelancer was difficult. Sometimes it was facing a fear. I also had to learn new skills and few people have training in how to run a business, even if it is simple. I was able to successfully make the jump but again, I do wish there had been useful resources for me. I still look for “how to run a business” type resources, and there isn’t really high quality information out there.

So I am creating this blog as a resource for people who like me, had questions; in a way, I am trying to pay it forward and put up this information for other people like the old me.

‘Chain the Wolf” (a phrase which refers to managing your fear) is fairly new, but has already featured many useful posts on getting started in medical communications, freelancing, and alternate career paths for PhDs.  It’s a great resource and I am very happy to recommend it.


Posted: August 7th, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | No Comments »

Getting Contract Medical Writing Jobs

A friend of mine who has been developing a career as a freelance medical writer recently asked me some questions that I thought might interest readers of this blog.  I’ve paraphrased:

I recently saw a medical writing contract role offered by a pharmaceutical company and wanted to try to get more info about what the opportunity might mean for me. It looks like another agency (recruiter? headhunter?) is listing the position, rather than the pharmaceutical company advertising the role directly. If I go through this agency, will they get a part of my hourly rate? Will their goal be to make me take a lower hourly rate than I’m used to charging?

Would an agency that presents me to the pharmaceutical company request that I always work through them for future engagements?

Is there a way to estimate the hourly rate for a contract medical writing position if it involves onsite work with a pharmaceutical client?

Finally, do you think that I can figure out where the position is being offered at the pharmaceutical company, and can I go to them directly?  Would HR have this info? Or are there other places within a pharma company that I could find this out?

Read the rest of this entry »


Posted: March 21st, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | No Comments »