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My life as a medical writer

My life as a medical writer. Karen Wilson Smith PhD. The pursuit of happ y ness sp. PhD: the effect of exercise on blood gas transport in the thoroughbred horse. Report writer at Animal Pharm : 2 years. Freelance writer: 3 years.

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My life as a medical writer

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  1. My life as a medical writer Karen Wilson Smith PhD

  2. The pursuit of happyness sp PhD: the effect of exercise on blood gas transport in the thoroughbred horse Report writer at Animal Pharm: 2 years Freelance writer: 3 years Managing editor at start-up company Genesis….Editorial director at Parexel MMS: 9 years Medical writer…senior medical writer…editorial manager at FSP: 3 years

  3. Transferable skills • Digesting complicated scientific material • Problem-solving • Liaising with opinion leaders • Presentation skills • Writing and editing skills

  4. How I became a medical writer • Fierce and relentless editing • Learning to pick up the phone and talk to people • Luck • Hard work • Asking for help • Listening to the client (it’s not about “you”) • Mutual peer support

  5. New skills required • Commercial awareness • Multi-tasking • Thick skin • Asking for help

  6. My first three years • Franklin Scientific Projects (now Medicus) • Small agency (6 writers, 1 editorial director, 1 MD, 2 designers, 2 layout technicians, 2 secretaries…and no computers)

  7. The training programme

  8. My first projects • Taking over a monograph on verapamil from my predecessor • Managing a number of translations of a toothpaste newsletter • Developing presentations and a supplement for P&G’s Vicks products

  9. Specialist medical writer Manager Client services Career development Focus on more technical and specialised writingReview copyPitch and proposal activities Company “expert”Unlikely to have line reports, but may act as a mentor Close liaison with client servicesClose liaison with clientManage timelines and budgetsReview copyReduced project workResponsible for team of writersRecruitment & appraisals

  10. The next nine years • Genesis Pharma Strategies (then PPS, now Parexel MMS) • Started as fledgling agency built on consultancy • Taken over by huge US company • My role grew from managing 4 writers to managing ~40 writers, secretaries and production editors on two sites plus senior management responsibilities • Main client was AstraZeneca (Galida)

  11. A typical day as an editorial director • Meeting to discuss resourcing for a proposal • Review copy • Speak to client about project timelines and activities • Review cvs • Approve timesheets • Troubleshoot

  12. Typical projects for junior writers • Abstracts • Posters • Congress and journal information for Publication planning • Meeting materials (invitations, abstract books)

  13. Typical projects for experienced writers • Satellite symposia (all meeting materials) • Publication planning • Writing manuscripts • Reviewing copy • Proposals and pitches

  14. Are all agencies the same? • Many different types of agency • Large / medium / small • Hierarchical / flat • Writers / editors • Client services / no client services • Independent / owned by large organisation (often CRO, advertising agency or publisher) • What makes the difference? • The people • The creativity • The types of project

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