Become a CME Specialist

I've asked Johanna Lackner Marx to share some ideas about how medical writers can increase their marketability during this slow economy. As many of you know, Johanna is the Founder and President of InQuill Medical Communications, LLC. She has been a trainer and consultant in the CME industry for 15 years. She has created a comprehensive course on specifically geared toward medical writers interested in entering the CME industry, CME Training for Medical Writers.

In a series entitled "Succeed in a Down Economy - Put CME to Your Toolbox", Johanna will write about how medical writers can benefit from the recent changes in CME.

SUCCEED IN A DOWN ECONOMY -
PUT CME IN YOUR TOOL BOX
Part 1: Using the Slump to Get Over the Hump

Guest Blog by Johanna Lackner Marx, MPH, MSW
InQuill Medical Communications, LLC
CME Training for Medical Writers

There is no doubt that the recession is affecting a lot of freelance medical writers. A friend of mine, who writes consumer health and patient education articles, recently told me that her business has decreased forty percent. Like a lot of us, she chose the freelance/entrepreneurial route over steady employment in order to be her own boss and have more control over her time and the type of work she does. Now, she says, she’s lucky to get enough new work to cover her basic expenses. She spends her day combing the Internet, sending out her CV, reaching out to contacts, and making cold-calls to strangers. Sound familiar? Last week during a well-deserved rant of frustration, she told me, “Until things turn around, I might as well use this time to learn statistics so I can finally tell the difference between a risk ratio and an odds ration instead of faking it.”

Using the slow down in the market to learn another skill is a good idea and a lot of writers are doing it. This year AMWA is offering over 100 educational sessions during the 3-day annual conference in October so members can “…gain new areas of expertise that can enhance their skills in the many facets of medical communication.” In addition to AMWA’s workshops, Diego lists eleven medical writing programs in his e-book Becoming a Medical Writer. He recently shared with me that his website, medicalwritingtraining.com has gotten a record number of hits in the past six months. The interest and demand is there.

When students fill out their enrollment form for CME Training for Medical Writers, they are asked to state why they decided to take my course. I’ve been surprised by the uniformity of responses. A few students have been successful regulatory or clinical trials writers, but want to work in a field where there is a more immediate sense of mission. Others are just starting out as medical writers and have decided they want to learn how to do CME. But the majority of students, like my friend, are accomplished medical writers who have taken a financial hit and want to add to their skill set so they can be more marketable.

In my next blog, I will tell you about some of the recent changes in the CME industry and how these changes have created a great opportunity for medical writers who know the regulations, the CME development process, and how to create effective content that physicians learn, retain, and use in the clinical setting.

Medical Writing Jobs

• Medical Writing Manager - Medical Communications - UK
  
• Editorial Team Leader -Medical Communications - UK

AMWA Annual Conference Registration Now Open

I just received this notice from AMWA:

AMWA Annual Conference October 22-24, 2009

 

The registration brochure has been posted and registration is now open!

 

Remember, workshops fill quickly, and you’ll need 2 alternatives in case your first choice is not available when your registration form is processed. All registration forms are processed by AMWA headquarters in the order received, whether online, mailed, or faxed. Headquarters typically receives 400 registrations in the first day. Be prepared and give staff time to process!

 

Available breakfast roundtables agendas have been linked in the registration brochure.

Become a CME Specialist

This past week I heard good news from Johanna Lackner-Marx about her CME course for medical writers.

Some of her graduates are now placed at MECCs and CME departments completing two-month fellowships. The fellowships are a success and she anticipates that they will be hired by their placements to complete work they started during the fellowship.

This is a unique training program that not only gives you the tools to become a Continuing Medical Education specialist (that is, develop CME courses for physicians), but gives you the chance of participating in a fellowship conducting to a job.

The course was launched late 2008 but Johanna has reworked the content with the feedback and needs of her first graduates. Click here to see the new outline. If you want more information or to enroll in the course, go to MedicalWritingTraining.com/CME.

The Importance of Networking When Job Hunting

Reading a NYT article over the weekend, I was reminded of the importance of networking when looking for a job or simply more freelance work. One phrase from the article stuck with me: "I tapped into a network of colleagues and friends and told everyone I was job hunting."

It occurred to me that sometimes we can be too proud or even ashamed to tell people we are looking for work, but that we shouldn't be--otherwise we'll miss some good job leads. This is specially true in freelance medical writing, where clients ask their networks for referrals to hire new medical writers. 

A few months ago, I began transitioning from a full time job to telecommuting, then to part time and now into freelancing. I started looking for gigs in the usual places (Internet job postings, etc.) but nothing came out of it. 

Then, a former colleague emailed asking how things were going and I mentioned that work was slow and that if she knew of something to please let me know. A few days later, she came back to me with a great freelance project from her organization which I was happy to take on.  I hadn't even began working on this when a recruiter call me about another job. It turned out my colleague had mentioned my name to someone else in her company and they in turn mentioned my name to this recruiter.

So, don't limit yourself to sending out resumes to every company in the phone book. Network and let your colleagues and friends about your medical writing skills. Even in the midst of a recession, medical writers can still find jobs. 

If you have had similar experiences about the importance of networking, please share them.

Thanks for reading! 

Medical Writing Positions Around the World

• Medical Writer - Austria
  
• Senior/Regulatory Associate : San Francisco, California
  
• Medical Writer / Editor - Opportunity for part office/part home working - Berkshire
  
• Medical Writer - Medical Communications - CENTRAL SWITZERLAND