Handouts | Articles | Writing/Editing Resources | Blogs | Web Groups | Medical Resources | Organizations | Certificates & Courses | Books | Business & Marketing
We often receive resource questions from new medical writers as well as seasoned professionals. Following are some of the resources we have found valuable. This is not an extensive list, but is a great place to get you started on the path to discovering what you want to keep handy in your writing/editing toolbox. If you run across resources to add to this list, please send them to our Web Manager.
**Content updated April 2022 **
Articles
- “Career Pathways in Medical Communication” (AMWA Journal, Vol. 22, No. 1, 2007)
- “From Academic to Medical Writer: A Guide to Getting Started in Medical Communications” (Moon A. From academic to medical writer. March 2009. www.medcommsnetworking.co.uk)
- 5 Tips to Starting your Own Freelance Medical Writing Business
- “Starting a Home-Based Medical Writing Business In North Carolina”
- Medical Writing: A Professional’s Guide to Advancing Your Career
Writing/Editing Resources
- AMA Manual of Style
- CONsolidated Standards Of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) Statement
- Elements of Style
- Good Publication Practice
- Purdue Owl Grammar Guide
- Collection of Online Grammar Guides
- How to Write Short
- MEDLINEplus
- Plain English Handbook
- The Glamour of Grammar
- Writing Tools
- YourDictionary.com
Blogs
- Here’s a quick way to get into medical writing
- How to become a high-income freelance writer with no experience
- Medical Writing, Editing and Grantsmanship
- Health Writer Hub
Web Groups
- AMWA Carolinas LinkedIn Group
- Link in with AMWA LinkedIn Group
- Clinical Research Professionals LinkedIn Group
- Professional Medical/Scientific Writers LinkedIn Group
Medical Resources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Medscape
- The Merck Manual (searchable)
- National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
- National Health Information Center (NHIC)
- National Institutes of Health
- PubMed
- WebMD
Organizations
- AMWA National
- Board of Editors in the Life Sciences (BELS)
- Council of Science Editors (CSE)
- Drug Information Association (DIA)
- European Association of Science Editors (EASE)
- European Medical Writers Associations (EMWA)
- Health Administration Degrees
- HTML Writers Guild
- International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP)
- National Association of Science Writers (NASW)
- North Carolina Regulatory Affairs Forum (NCRAF)
- Society for Technical Communication (STC)
- STC Local Chapter
- World Association of Medical Editors (WAME)
Educational Programs, Certificates, & Courses
- AMWA essential skills certificate
- AMWA medical writer certification
- Board of Editors in the Life Sciences certification
- Coursera “Writing in the sciences”
- Coursera “How to write and publish a scientific paper”
- Udemy “Freelance medical writing as a career choice”
- Udemy “Fifteen errors in scientific writing and how to correct them”
- Udemy “PowerPoint 101 for scientists and medical writers”
- University of California at San Diego Medical Writing extension program
- University of Chicago Graham School of Professional Studies, Medical Writing and Editing certificate program
- Duke University School of Medicine Regulatory Affairs Training Program
- 6-Week Freelance Medical Writing Course ($)
- Breaking into Health Writing Course ($)
- Introduction to Health Writing Course ($)
Books
Marketing Tools & Small Business Resources
- Super Simple Marketing Strategies – How to Build a Thriving Freelance Medical Writing Business ($)
- How to Write Needs Assessments Like a Pro ($)
- Mighty Marketer: Find the High-Paying Freelance Clients You Deserve
- Coaching for Freelance Writers
*For the websites linked above, you are being referred to third-party sites to obtain information. AMWA National and AMWA Carolinas do not endorse the content on the sites and are not responsible for the accuracy of the content provided.