Science and Medical Writers: Job Description, Education, Skills and Duties, Earnings and Outlook
Submitted by: paula
Job Overview Writers have their own specialties. There is what we call science and medical writers whose task is specifically to translate medical and scientific information, studies, simple publications, and the like, so as to promote knowledge or information dissemination to the public or to specific groups of readers, just like the professionals in the field. As science and medical writers specifically, they research, interpret and study, write, as well as edit texts concerning Sciences and Medicine. Most of their work or writings appear in techinical studies and reports, textbooks and scientific or medical magazines or trade journals, newspapers, newsletters, as well as on official websites. Some of their works may be used as references for radio and television broadcasts.
Education, Knowledge and Trainings Required
Not all writers in this field are college-educated. However, in today's competitive employment condition, it is amost always an advantage or even required to have a bachelor's degree. Many of the writers earn an undergraduate degree on Journalism, Liberal Arts, and English, afterwhich, they earn a maseral degreein any of the field of communications, science or medical writing. Science and medical related courses are highly recommended as this wil ease the person in writings these kinds of texts, since a background in the field has been established. Internship programs will help as a professional working experience, and thus is very much recommended to be taken in any of the communications department, reseach facility or even in a medical institution.
Skills and Abilities
Critical thinking skills and skills in researching are required. These types of writing are factual writing, such that most of the contents are evidenced based. These important evidences, or supporting facts should not be in any way missed out in writing, as well as misinterpreted. For this reason, both the analytical skills and skills in the language preferred, and written communication, or in short, technical writing, are very crucial requirements to be able to get in the job.
Duties
Science and medical writers are adept in writing about subjects or topics related to the different sciences, and in specific, the science and art of medicine. These areas may overlap at some points, and for this reason, science writers often do medical writings as well. A very good example is when a medical writer writes about a scientific study that has a relevance to the medical field. Basically, the duties that they fulfill include reading, researching, and studying different scientific/technical texts as the resources.
After reading and gaining enough information to write on, they begin writing about the topic of choice. The writings in the field should always be factual. It is a must that the contents are less opinionated and more informative in a factual manner. After writing, these texts will have to be proofread and be edited by the editorial board to ensure quality and credibility. After several screenings, their works will then be published either in journals, magazine, books, newsletter, et.al., according to what the writings targeted as their readers.
Earnings and Job Outlook
A considerably fair number of years of experience is needed to gain a high level position as a senior science and medical writer. The compensation will be dependent on the level of responsibility he/she is expected to handle, as well as the size of the the firm of employment and the state where it is located. The starting salary has a median of around 43,890 U.S. dollars per annum. The range of salary is however wide, which starts off from roughly 23,000 to around 91,000 U.S. dollars. As for the job outlook, it is expected that the competitiion will be tough in this field yet opportunities for the science and medical writers will continue to grow, with the continuous and rapid developments in the field of science in general, and medicine, in specific.
Paula Hiz is a researcher and a human resource specialist who helps newly graduates, job applicants and post graduate professionals be aware of their job opportunities and available trainings for skills and practice upgrading.
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Word Count: 674 Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2010 Time: 6:05 AM
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