I dreamed a (medical writing) dream…
Every night, as Toothy laid his head down on his pillow and closed his eyes, he had the same dream…
In it, he was transported to an awe-inspiring world; this was a land where like-minded monsters could realise their full career potential. He imagined a world where medical writing stars are born, burning bright with ferocious skill and undying creativity.
With boots on the ground and lots of hard work, Toothy’s dream is now becoming a reality.
ENTER: The Monster Academy.
What could be better than a training course created – and run – by real, experienced medical writers? An introductory, expert-led, fully remote course, The Monster Academy has but one goal: to smash down career barriers and let legends-in-the-making carve their own paths to becoming medical writers.
Just one question remains:
Have you ever dreamt of becoming a medical writer?
Do you have a passion for medicine? Is a cup of tea with a clinical trial manuscript your idea of a perfect Monday morning? Do you aspire to create that perfect visual abstract? Or, perhaps working in healthcare advertising is your ambition; maybe you thrive when thinking outside of the box and creating a perfect strapline for the latest cutting-edge therapy.
If any of this gets your creative juices flowing, then a career in medical writing might just be your next big thing.
What can you expect from a career in medical writing?
As medical writers, it’s our job to bring pharma to life. We write for all kinds of audiences, from healthcare professionals and payers to patients and the public. Medical communication is key in translating advances in medical research into engaging and accessible information – ultimately helping to bridge the gap between research and patient care. Medical writing isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ career – and no two days are ever the same. This is varied, exciting, rewarding, challenging and inspiring work. We get to become experts in countless different therapy areas, with some of us specialising in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases and rheumatology, to name just a handful.
Medical writers come from all different walks of life, but you’ll find that we share two common joys: a love of writing and a love of medicine. Often, we’ve spent years at the flow cytometer (or other piece of swanky kit) in the lab before realising our true passion was not just performing the experiments and analysing the data, but communicating the science. Bringing it to life, through the power of words. Unleashing a creative spark to ignite the bonfire of imagination, illuminating the science in ways that the data alone cannot.
How do you think our medical writers would describe their day jobs? Well, I asked them!
‘Medical writing is creativity that matters’
‘Making a difference’
‘Fast-paced and varied work’
‘When you complete a tricky brief, it’s like washing a really muddy car: satisfying’
‘Rejoicing in accomplishment’
‘Living the dream’
Sounds amazing, right?
But don’t take my word for it, especially when there are so many monsters with their own coming-of-age medical writing stories to tell.
Listen to one of our Principal Medical Writers, Saima, describe her career and hear first-hand how she made the leap from the chemistry lab bench to medical writing.
What is a typical day in the life of a medical writer like?
For me, each day begins the same, with a freshly brewed cup of coffee.
But that’s where the ‘typical day’ ends and the writing begins (for any Star Wars fans out there, in the words of Anakin Skywalker: ‘this is where the fun begins’).
I could tell you about the ins and outs of client meetings and receiving briefs, but – as I said – no two days are ever the same. So, instead, I’m going to share with you some highlights from the Word Monster team:
Genevra
‘Working on a long-term booking with a pharma client supporting their Product Training team has been great. I work closely with the medical and marketing departments, as well as with other agencies, to develop training packages for the commercial and medical teams – from pathophysiology to the drug’s mode of action, to patient profiling, and everything in between.’
Emzy
‘One of my first briefs was creating a ‘legacy wall’ for an inspiring woman in science. I got to read all about her life, her achievements, and the impact she left on the scientific community, and then turn all this into a memorable installation that would hang on the walls in the global offices of a pharma company. I was both extremely excited and humbled to see my words come to life in the final product honouring this scientist’s life.’
Gabby
‘My first week at Word Monster also marked the first time I had ever worked on a client brief: it was a storyboard, requested by a pharma company, to mark the early design and outline of an e-lesson. The e-lesson would then be used to train various people of different backgrounds on the importance of keeping both patient and expert safety of central concern when creating new drug formulations. The project required creativity: I was required to turn text blocks of complex information into an easier-to-read format, with a focus on visual impact and imagery. I quickly learned the invaluable lesson that simplicity is key when approaching a brief – this was almost the opposite of what I initially had in mind for a creative project. I was very nervous and equally as excited to hand in my first completed brief, and learn that I enjoy bringing the best out of a written piece, by adding in elements of design to elevate its content.’
I’m sure you’ll agree that this is pretty inspiring stuff. But, from first-hand experience, we know how hard it can be to break into the realm of Med Comms and land your first role.
Now, let me tell you how the Monster Academy can help.
What is the Monster Academy?
In one sentence, the Monster Academy is a 12-week, part-time, fully remote course, which provides a comprehensive overview of the medical writing industry around your other commitments.
It is THE place to learn to be a medical writer; it’s perfect for science graduates or those looking for a career change from related fields (see our course brochure for more information about who can apply).
A place at the Monster Academy will give you heaps of writing experience, tome-worthy masses of knowledge, and the critical know-how surrounding Med Comms agency life, all of which will set you on your way to transforming your career dreams into reality.
Are you ready to become a medical writer? Check out our course brochure.
So, I ask again, have you ever dreamt that medical writing dream?
Now’s your time to shine, and turn that dream into your day to day.
Carpe diem. Live your best life as a medical writer. Apply now .
