How To Turn out to be A Medical Author And Make $100,000 Every Yr

Trying to be taught easy methods to turn out to be a medical author? Right here’s how you’ll find freelance medical writing jobs and work at home.

In the present day, I’ve a fantastic interview about easy methods to turn out to be a medical author with Austin Ulrich.

Austin began his freelance medical writing enterprise in 2019 and grew it on the facet for over 3 years. He ultimately stop his job as a pharmacist and now works full-time as a medical author.

He at present earns round $200,000 every year as a contract medical author.

Austin can also be a blogger. On his weblog austinulrich.com, he writes about creating freedom and time by incomes and retaining extra revenue. 

In the present day’s interview solutions questions corresponding to:

• What’s medical writing?
• What’s a contract medical author?
• Who hires medical writers?
• How a lot are you able to earn as a medical author?
• Do I would like a medical diploma to turn out to be a medical author?

In the present day’s interview will assist you to get began and even perhaps introduce you to a brand new approach to earn cash from dwelling.

Associated content material on easy methods to turn out to be a medical author:

How To Turn out to be A Medical Author

1. Please give us slightly background on your self and what led you to turn out to be a medical author.

Should you had informed me 5 years in the past that I’d be operating my very own enterprise as an expert author, I by no means would have believed you. I used to be busy ending up pharmacy faculty and specializing in what would come subsequent for me – 2 years of residency and a lifelong profession as a pharmacist. 

However via a sequence of life occasions and experiences, I obtained into freelance medical writing and final 12 months made about double the revenue I might make working as a full-time pharmacist.

I had no concept that medical writing existed till early 2019 once I was wanting up methods to earn more money on-line. I attempted a number of various things, from on-line tutoring to transcription companies and even educating piano classes, however nothing caught.

However once I discovered about medical writing, I knew that it was one thing I might go for and have a superb probability of success. I’ve at all times been form of a grammar nerd, and as I look again, I’ve gotten a whole lot of suggestions all through my years of faculty that my writing was fairly good.

After studying rather a lot concerning the career, I arrange a easy web site (screenshot beneath) and launched my freelance medical writing enterprise, Ulrich Medical Writing, LLC in July 2019.

Subsequent got here the exhausting half – discovering purchasers and constructing a gentle stream of revenue. And I used to be the first breadwinner for our household of 4 (on the time, now it’s 6 – spouse + 4 youngsters!), so I couldn’t take as a lot threat as if I had been going solo. It needed to be constructed steadily over time.

It took a number of years to construct up my facet hustle (with many 60+ hour weeks) till I had a stable historical past of constant revenue.

I stop my job as a pharmacist in Might 2022 and have been a full-time freelance medical author ever since.

Medical writing has allowed me to develop my entrepreneurial ventures, and I’ve not too long ago been engaged on my weblog the place I write about what’s new in medical writing, like AI tools for medical writing, and different suggestions for aspiring medical writers.

2. What do you want about being a medical author? How has it modified your life?

My favourite a part of being a medical author is seeing how the ultimate deliverable comes collectively. I like the feel and appear of a high-quality piece that I’ve put hours into, and that exceeds expectations for my purchasers.

I additionally love the freelance a part of medical writing, because it permits me to have full management over my schedule, which initiatives I take or flip down, and the way a lot I cost. It’s additionally an enormous bonus that my work is 100% distant, so I can work anyplace I’ve my laptop computer and an web connection.

As I look again over the previous few years of rising my medical writing enterprise, I notice how important my pharmacy background has been. Early on, having the PharmD (Physician of Pharmacy) credential was an essential advertising software, demonstrating my worth to potential purchasers. 

So despite the fact that I’m not a practising pharmacist, I keep my licenses and credentials as a result of I’ve appreciated how that a part of my life performs a job in being a medical author.

In the present day I’ve extra time with my household, extra flexibility with my schedule, and a better revenue than I initially anticipated to earn throughout my pharmacist profession.

It wasn’t straightforward, but it surely’s been price it. 

3. What’s medical writing? What’s a contract medical author?

That’s in all probability the most typical query I get nowadays. After I inform individuals I’m a medical author, they form of give me a clean stare after which ask, “what’s medical writing?”

Despite the fact that most individuals haven’t heard of it earlier than, you’d be shocked how typically in your every day life you encounter one thing a medical author has created.

Medical writing is the method of growing scientific or medical paperwork and supplies that talk info to healthcare professionals, researchers, sufferers, and most of the people. It’s a broad definition, and medical writers can work in a wide range of completely different areas.

Anytime you learn medical info on-line, it was probably created by a medical author and certain reviewed by a healthcare skilled. 

Medical writing additionally consists of creating supplies like scientific and medical journal articles which might be revealed in peer-reviewed journals, healthcare skilled schooling slide decks and paperwork, and regulatory paperwork for pharmaceutical corporations.

A contract medical author is somebody who presents medical writing companies to corporations on a contract foundation. Many corporations, corresponding to healthcare organizations, pharmaceutical corporations, and medical communications companies, have on-staff writers that deal with most of their content material.

However when somebody has a undertaking that exceeds the bandwidth of their workers writers, that’s the place freelancers are available. Freelance medical writing is much like common freelance writing, but it surely’s extra specialised.

Many corporations additionally work with freelance medical writers usually as a result of it really works effectively with the ebb and move of their content material course of.

4. Who hires medical writers?

Any firm that produces written supplies probably hires medical writers.

In line with the American Medical Writers Affiliation (AMWA), there are lots of varieties of corporations that rent medical writers, together with contract analysis organizations, medical schooling corporations, authorities companies, and extra.

I’ve personally labored with a number of varieties of corporations on this listing. Many of those corporations are interconnected within the internet of medical info, so the deliverables I’ve created for my direct purchasers additionally cross via to peer-reviewed medical journals, pharmaceutical corporations, {and professional} affiliation supplies.

5. How a lot do you earn as a medical author? What number of hours do you spend every week on medical writing?

Employed medical writers and freelance medical writers are inclined to have barely completely different revenue ranges.

In line with a 2019 medical writer salary survey carried out by AMWA, employed medical writers make a median gross annual revenue of $107,000, with a spread of $79,000-$112,000. And freelance medical writers make a median gross annual revenue of $151,000, with a spread of $77,000 to $203,000.

Whenever you begin working as a medical author, you’ll are inclined to earn extra on the decrease finish of the vary (and for those who work fewer hours). The extra expertise you get, your wage is prone to enhance after a number of years towards the upper finish of the vary.

The very first undertaking I secured as a contract medical author was a $4,000 undertaking creating 8 slide decks for a medical convention, and I ended up making about $75 per hour. Since then I’ve gotten higher at estimating how lengthy sure initiatives will take. I’m additionally extra environment friendly in how I work, in order that helps elevate my “efficient hourly charge” as effectively.

I spend about 30-35 hours per week on medical writing on common. Because of the nature of freelancing, some weeks are 40+ hours and a few weeks are lower than 30 hours.

I’ve discovered that one of the simplest ways to earn a superb “efficient hourly charge” as a contract medical author is to cost by the undertaking. So whereas I’ve an thought of an hourly charge that I’d wish to make, I at all times cost by the undertaking as a result of it ends in higher incentives for me and the shopper. 

Charging by the hour incentivizes the author to spend as a lot time as they will to create the deliverable to allow them to invoice the utmost quantity. With undertaking charges, the author is incentivized to spend much less time, however nonetheless create a high quality product because it’s their title on the road. In the long run, the shopper has a high-quality deliverable quicker.

6. Can anybody turn out to be a medical author? What professions would this be a superb match for? What {qualifications} do it’s good to be a medical author?

There aren’t any set necessities to turn out to be a medical author, so technically anybody can turn out to be a medical author. That mentioned, you’ll have to persuade potential employers or purchasers to rent you.

When you’ve got a background as a medical or medical analysis skilled, this generally is a enormous benefit to moving into medical writing. You’ll probably have already got the technical information wanted to grasp medical info – you’d simply have to concentrate on honing your writing abilities.

There are a lot of docs, pharmacists, nurses, and PhDs which might be profitable medical writers.

On the opposite finish of the spectrum, many medical writers have a bachelor’s diploma in communications or journalism they usually be taught the medical half via programs or certifications.

7. How can an individual discover their first medical writing job? How can an individual get into medical writing with no expertise?

The primary medical writing job is at all times the toughest. Should you’re trying to be employed as a medical author (suppose W-2 worker), most job postings say that you just want 3-5 years of expertise. In order that results in the conundrum, how do you get expertise for those who can’t get a job?

My suggestion is to emphasise what abilities and expertise you do have. I had written a number of scientific articles and slide decks in pharmacy faculty and residency. So these had been my writing samples that demonstrated I might write effectively.

Should you don’t have any samples of your writing, create some! After studying extra about what kind(s) of medical writing you wish to do, choose a subject you’re thinking about and create a 2-3 web page article or 10-slide deck. Even these small samples reveal that you realize what you’re speaking about and might put collectively high-quality supplies.

Getting began as a contract medical author with no expertise tends to be a bit harder than with freelance writing in different fields, however when you get into medical writing, your incomes potential might be greater, at the same time as a newbie. 

8. Is there demand for medical writers?

Since I’ve gotten into medical writing, the necessity for medical writers has solely elevated. In line with AMWA, there was rising demand for medical writers in recent times.

I imagine demand will proceed to rise as a result of there are at all times new medication being created that should be written about, and new analysis being achieved within the medical area.

Medical writers play an essential position in speaking that info precisely.

It’s additionally price mentioning that medical modifying is a wholly separate, however associated, area of medical communications. Medical editors are typically extra centered on checking paperwork for grammar and elegance, and the work is much less artistic than writing the paperwork. 

However medical editors are additionally a key a part of the medical communications world, and also you’ll discover editors working for medical and scientific journals, healthcare organizations, and different corporations, ensuring written supplies are optimized and proper earlier than going out into the general public area.

9. Is it exhausting to get a medical writing job?

As talked about above, it may be tough to get your first medical writing job. It’s going to in all probability require some networking and speaking with potential employers or purchasers to get you a greater probability of getting employed. 

Merely filling out job functions with none “actual” medical writing expertise might not be as efficient, as a result of your software could get rejected mechanically in the course of the screening course of.

When you’ve landed your first medical writing job or freelance gig, be sure to do a fantastic job. That turns into your finest advertising software – in case your purchasers just like the work you do, you’ll by no means have a scarcity of alternatives.

10. What different suggestions do you could have for somebody who desires to turn out to be a medical author?

My #1 tip for anybody thinking about medical writing is to take a look at the AMWA.org web site. They’ve tons of sources for studying about medical writing and easy methods to get began. 

Should you’re critical about medical writing and also you don’t have a lot expertise with the medical area or with writing, taking a medical writing certification course just like the Essential Skills Certificate Program from AMWA might help you get the fundamental information and abilities it’s good to get began.

After I was first beginning as a medical author, I joined AMWA and located my first few purchasers via the job board on their web site. I additionally attended the annual medical writing convention and obtained to community with different established and aspiring medical writers.

You’ll additionally discover that many medical writers (myself included!) are greater than keen to share suggestions or speak about what works to get into medical writing. 

In the end, medical writing is a good career that’s solely going to develop within the coming years. Writing isn’t for everybody, however when you have a knack for placing sentences collectively, you’re thinking about medical or scientific matters, and also you’re keen to place within the work, you might be profitable as a medical author!

How To Discover Medical Writing Jobs

I hope you loved at present’s interview on easy methods to turn out to be a medical author.

Medical writing signifies that you can be writing on the subject of medication or well being care, however you don’t should be a health care provider or have a Ph.D. to get began with some medical writing jobs. As a substitute, some medical writers have a bachelor’s diploma in communications or journalism, after which they be taught the medical half via programs or certifications that they take. For instance, it’s possible you’ll resolve to take some life sciences, chemistry, or biology programs as a way to get began.

As a medical author, it’s possible you’ll be working for a lot of completely different sorts of purchasers, corresponding to pharmaceutical corporations, medical system corporations, medical faculties, educational establishments, on-line publishers, biotechnology corporations, medical professionals, scientists, and a lot extra. You could be writing promoting or advertising supplies, abstracts, weblog posts, academic supplies, manuscripts, journal articles, and extra.

The typical wage or revenue of a contract medical author can differ, however you might be able to earn between round $75,000 to over $200,000 per 12 months.

Do you wish to learn to turn out to be a medical author as a way to discover medical writing jobs?