MedicalWritersSpeak's podcast

Learning a little bit of something each day is a bit like dollar-cost averaging in the field of investing: keep doing them consistently over time, and you will end up becoming very rich in both marketable skills and savings. It's also always been my belief that the best investment you can possibly make—better than any mutual fund or stock market return—is in developing your own skills. Nobody can take them away from you. In this episode I talk about some of the things that are useful to learn as a freelance medical writer.  Here are the 10 traits of successful freelance medical writers: Focused on what the client and reader wants and needs Follows directions Follows formatting Responsive Well versed in AMA style and rules of editing Organized and mindful of time Cheerful/forgiving/flexible  Professional with clients on calls LinkedIn presence Lifelong learner Access “LinkedIn for Medical Writers” here. Download the free AMA Style cheat sheet here Download the free AMA style reference list here Find out more information about how to get into freelance medical writing at 6weekcourse.com  Does your company need medical writing assistance? Visit Nascentmc.com Join VisualMedComms here. Learn how to make your medical and scientific communications visually appealing  and benefit from incorporating a new set of in-demand skills. Find out more about joining the membership below.

This week's episode covers freelance medical writer success trait number 9, which is having a strong LinkedIn presence. I interviewed Dr. Kalpana Shankar a few months ago on this topic, and I think our conversation really covers most of what I would have to say (and includes several value bombs from Dr. Shankar), so I am reposting that here, along with a short intro on the topic. If you are a freelance medical writer and are interested in getting more clients, LinkedIn is definitely the place to be. You can have a fully built profile within a day. If you need a little guidance on that, check out my “LinkedIn for Medical Writers” course. Here are the 10 traits of successful freelance medical writers: Focused on what the client and reader wants and needs Follows directions Follows formatting Responsive Well versed in AMA style and rules of editing Organized and mindful of time Cheerful/forgiving/flexible  Professional with clients on calls LinkedIn presence Lifelong learner Access “LinkedIn for Medical Writers” here. Download the free AMA Style cheat sheet here Download the free AMA style reference list here Find out more information about how to get into freelance medical writing at 6weekcourse.com  Does your company need medical writing assistance? Visit Nascentmc.com Join VisualMedComms here

In this episode, I talk about the many things we have to remember to pull off a successful video conference call with a client, including what to wear, how to set up the video, and other minutiae involved in a professional client call.  This is trait number 8 of the 10 traits of successful freelance medical writers. Focused on what the client and reader wants and needs Follows directions Follows formatting Responsive Well versed in AMA style and rules of editing Organized and mindful of time Cheerful/forgiving/flexible  Professional with clients on calls LinkedIn presence Lifelong learner Download the free AMA Style cheat sheet here Download the free AMA style reference list here Course EDITING FOR MEDICAL WRITERS (Learn AMA Style https://learnamastyle.com/) Find out more information about how to get into freelance medical writing at 6weekcourse.com  Does your company need medical writing assistance? visit Nascentmc.com VisualMedComms is a new membership where you can learn how to make your medical and scientific communications visually appealing and benefit from incorporating a new set of in-demand skills to offer your clients. visualmedcomms.com  

This week I am talking about being cheerful, forgiving, and flexible--freelance medical writer success trait number 7. How far do you have to go in this regard? Is the customer or client always right? When should you cut ties with a client? Here are the top 10 traits of successful medical writers as I see them: Focused on what the client and reader wants and needs Follows directions Follows formatting Responsive Well versed in AMA style and rules of editing.  Organized and mindful of time. Cheerful/forgiving/flexible  Professional with clients on calls LinkedIn presence.  Lifelong learner You can listen to that overview episode here Download the free AMA Style cheat sheet here Download the free AMA style reference list here Course EDITING FOR MEDICAL WRITERS (Learn AMA Style https://learnamastyle.com/) Find out more information about how to get into freelance medical writing at 6weekcourse.com Does your company need medical writing assistance? visit Nascentmc.com VisualMedComms is a new membership where you can learn how to make your medical and scientific communications visually appealing and benefit from incorporating a new set of in-demand skills to offer your clients. visualmedcomms.com

So this week I have a touch of Covid (thankfully, the seemingly milder Omicron variety). And YES I got 2 vaccinations and a booster! Anyway, I don't want you having to listen to my croaky voice, except for in the intro sections! I did a 3-part series on productivity a while back and thought I would repost the series as a single episode here as it pertains to success trait number 6, which is “organized and mindful of time.” In the first of this 3-part series, I describe productivity hacks that everyone can use. In the second of this 3-part series, I talk about medical-writer specific productivity hacks. In the third of this 3-part series, I talk about delegating, the key to being uberproductive and having enough free time.   Here are the top 10 traits of successful medical writers as I see them: Focused on what the client and reader wants and needs Follows directions Follows formatting Responsive Well versed in AMA style and rules of editing.  Organized and mindful of time. Cheerful/forgiving/flexible  Professional with clients on calls LinkedIn presence.  Lifelong learner You can listen to that overview episode here Download the free AMA Style cheat sheet here Download the free AMA style reference list here Course EDITING FOR MEDICAL WRITERS (Learn AMA Style https://learnamastyle.com/) Find out more information about how to get into freelance medical writing at 6weekcourse.com Does your company need medical writing assistance? visit Nascentmc.com VisualMedComms is a new membership where you can learn how to make your medical and scientific communications visually appealing and benefit from incorporating a new set of in-demand skills to offer your clients. visualmedcomms.com

Freelance Medical Writer Success Trait Number 5: Being well versed in the AMA Manual of Style and rules of writing and editing In this week's episode, I talk about the success trait number 5, and that is being well versed in the AMA Manual of Style and the rules of writing and editing. Qualities like having a science background, being detail oriented and having the ability to sit quietly at a computer are a given and not included in the 10 traits. Here are the top 10 traits as I see them: Focused on what the client and reader wants and needs Follows directions Follows formatting Responsive Well versed in AMA style and rules of editing.  Organized and mindful of time. Cheerful/forgiving/flexible  Professional with clients on calls LinkedIn presence.  Lifelong learner From today's episode: If you would like an advance review copy of Nick Nichols' (aka dear hubby) new legal thriller All We Hold Dear coming out March 1, 2022, please email nicknwrites@gmail.com and we will send you a copy.  Here are some books I recommend: On Writing by Stephen King Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott On Writing Well by William Zinsser The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White How to Write Bestselling Fiction by Dean Koontz War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield And my book Freelance Medical Writing Emma Hitt Nichols, PhD Download the AMA Style cheat sheet here Download the AMA style reference list here Course EDITING FOR MEDICAL WRITERS (Learn AMA Style https://learnamastyle.com/) Find out more information about how to get into freelance medical writing at 6weekcourse.com Does your company need medical writing assistance? visit Nascentmc.com VisualMedComms is a new membership where you can learn how to make your medical and scientific communications visually appealing and benefit from incorporating a new set of in-demand skills to offer your clients. visualmedcomms.com

Because it's almost a brand new year, in this week's podcast episode, I'm talking about goals, specifically, the 5 steps of setting them and then actually pulling them off, which of course, is the hard part! Next week, I'll resume the ongoing series about the top ten traits of successful freelance medical writers. We're on trait number 5, "Well versed in AMA style and rules of editing." For the overview of the top ten traits, please listen here If you're in healthcare or science and interested in transitioning into freelance medical writing, check out 6weekcourse.com. Does your company need medical writing assistance? Visit Nascentmc.com VisualMedComms is launching on January 28, 2022. Make your medical and scientific communications visually appealing and increase your income by offering a new set of in-demand skills to your clients.

In this week's episode, I talk about number 4 of the top ten traits of successful freelance medical writers: being responsive. For the overview of the top ten traits, please listen here If you're in healthcare or science and interested in transitioning into freelance medical writing, check out 6weekcourse.com. Does your company need medical writing assistance? visit Nascentmc.com VisualMedComms is an upcoming site launching soon where you can learn how to make your medical and scientific communications visually appealing and benefit from incorporating a new set of in-demand skills to offer your clients. visualmedcomms.com

In this week's episode, I talk about number 2  and 3 of the top ten traits of successful freelance medical writers: following directions and following formatting. I combined these because they are somewhat related. For the overview of the top ten traits, please listen here Free AMA Style reference sheet Free AMA Style cheat sheet If you're in healthcare or science and interested in transitioning into freelance medical writing, check out 6weekcourse.com. Does your company need medical writing assistance? visit Nascentmc.com VisualMedComms is an upcoming site launching soon where you can learn how to make your medical and scientific communications visually appealing and benefit from incorporating a new set of in-demand skills to offer your clients. visualmedcomms.com

In this week's episode, I talk about the first of the top ten traits of successful freelance medical writers, and that is being focused on what the client wants and needs so as to meet their expectations. For the overview of the top ten traits of which this is one, please listen to last week's episode here If you're in healthcare or science and interested in transitioning into freelance medical writing, check out 6weekcourse.com. Does your company need medical writing assistance? visit Nascentmc.com VisualMedComms is an upcoming site launching soon where you can learn how to make your medical and scientific communications visually appealing and benefit from incorporating a new set of in-demand skills to offer your clients. visualmedcomms.com

In this week's episode, I talk about the top ten traits of successful freelance medical writers. Qualities like having a science background, being detail oriented and having the ability to sit quietly at a computer are a given and not included. I provide an overview in this week's podcast and then I'll be going into detail into each one over the next several weeks. Here are the top 10 traits as I see them: Focused on what the client and reader wants and needs Follows directions Follows formatting Responsive Well versed in AMA style and rules of editing.  Organized and mindful of time. Cheerful/forgiving/flexible  Professional with clients on calls LinkedIn presence.  Lifelong learner Find out more information about how to get into freelance medical writing at 6weekcourse.com Does your company need medical writing assistance? visit Nascentmc.com VisualMedComms is a brand new membership where you can learn how to make your medical and scientific communications visually appealing and benefit from incorporating a new set of in-demand skills to offer your clients. visualmedcomms.com  

In this episode, I speak to medical writer Kalpana Shankar, PhD, and we talk about all things LinkedIn Marketing. Talking Points What's so special about LinkedIn?     - Specifically for the professional community and where your potential clients hang out. - Can create online professional brand and reputation and no one else can mess with it. - Can show your work directly. - Helps clients get to know, like, and trust you (and therefore hire you). - Often top of Google search. - Be careful how you portray yourself on LinkedIn, and what you comment on. Setting up your profile - Lots of courses about how to build a profile on LinkedIn Learning (they should know about this!) - LinkedIn course on 6-Week Course platform - Can take days if needed - Evolves changes of over time Profile – Headline       You in one sentence (about 20 words). “Freelance medical writer specializing in oncology and diabetes.” “freelance medical writer serving the continuing medical education industry.” Make it specific and clear. It's your unique selling proposition. Make it click bait.  How do you add value? How do you want to be seen? Profile – Summary     This is a bio. Identify who your target audience is. Why should people contact you? Describe benefits “what you can do for clients” not features (eg, all your degrees etc.). Look at those of other medical writers. Don't be “fake” or “hyped”. Write in first not third person (we all know you wrote it yourself!). Get someone to read your profile.  Must be error free. Profile – Experience and education    This is your professional CV/resume. You can omit positions that do not relate to your current career.  Don't hype things up What you do. Types of writing. Do include your clinical/research experience. Media upload is great for showing samples. Licenses and certifications Linked in Learning certificates all good. Profile – Photo and header     A must have. Convey energy and enthusiasm. Biz causal OK, well groomed. Look like you would for an important client call. Don't use an old photo or non-professional photos (eg with pets or your Tinder profile), obvious selfies or those with a flash. Building your Network            Connect when it makes sense. - You can import your email address book, but be careful with that. - Don't bulk invite—you may get flagged - When adding connections, send a personal note - Only connect with people where it makes sense. Know that fake profiles do exist on LinkedIn Paying it forward--Try to add value before asking for things. Write a recommendation. Offer to introduce someone. Share job posts and updates. Comment on other people's posts. Content strategy         Share industry-related articles and podcasts.  Take a moment to make a comment when you do. Write your own posts that would be helpful to potential clients. Be genuine. People can detect when you are just trying to self-promote. Writing articles on LinkedIn     Can replace a blog post. A great way to get info out there. Open to all users. Not for everyone/not necessary. Check out the 6-Week Course everything you need to know to start your freelance medical writing business at 6weekcourse.com. There, you can access free content on medical writing.  Nascent Medical--we can assist with all kinds of medical writing projects. nascentmc.com   

A must listen for any medical writer! In this podcast, I talk to three of our very experienced medical writers who regularly work on review articles. We talk about several aspects of writing review articles, including organizing references, synthesizing information, managing annotations and citations and all the other tasks involved.  Nascentmc.com a team of highly skilled PhD- and MD-level writers for your educational programs, needs assessments, manuscripts, and more. https://6weekcourse.com/  Access the 6-Week Course, everything you need to know to start your medical writing business--since 2011, the course has helped hundreds of people transition from being unhappy in a career as a clinician or science post-doc into a lucrative, work-at-home career as a freelance medical writer.

In this episode, I speak to Jamelah Martin, who has a master’s degree in biomedical sciences and public health. She started looking into medical writing at the suggestion of a friend. Right now, she is working on connecting with other writers, developing her samples, and working on a blog and a podcast, and, oh yes, being a mom to her 4 kids. She hopes to help others, especially mothers and introverts, who want to pivot in their career.   Check out the 6-Week Course, everything you need to know to start your freelance medical writing business at 6weekcourse.com. There, you can access free content on medical writing.

In this episode, I speak to Jennifer Herrin who is originally from the US but has lived and worked in the UK for the last 10 years. She has a background in nursing, which she parlayed into a degree in technical writing. She then got a staff job as a medical editor, followed by a job in nursing while continuing to write. She now enjoys freelancing while setting her own schedule and working from anywhere.   Check out the 6-Week Course, everything you need to know to start your freelance medical writing business at 6weekcourse.com. There, you can access free content on medical writing. 

In this episode, I delve into the nitty gritty of medical manuscript writing. If you are an experienced medical writer, you probably know most of this, but I hope it serves to reinforce your knowledge.  -Get up to speed in the subject area. -Work from a detailed outline that has been approved by the “author(s).” -Establish the format up front—download author guidelines. Clarify the word count.  -Understand why the paper is being written. -Use the basic of clear writing—topic sentences, signpost words. Lead your reader through the piece in a logical order: from the already known to the new information.  -Be clear about your medical writing role (no analysis, no statistics, no graphics). -Make sure any data is from the primary source. -For annotations, it’s best practice to annotate within the article, not the abstract. -Make sure the wording is not too similar to the original reference, but also similar enough that it will appear to be accurate to a fact checker.  -Use sources that are high up in the impact factor and reputable. Limit your use of promotional materials, such as paid review articles, CME programs, press releases, informational products behind a pay wall. -Check data is complete (ie, don’t leave out a side effect by accident), and make sure your piece is fair balanced. Must include all agents within a class. Must include the positive and any negatives.  -Make sure comparisons are appropriate (head-to-head trials are to compare but generally you cannot compare different trials). -Make sure if you are referencing a conference presentation or poster that there isn’t in fact now a published paper on the study. -Write slowly with complete accuracy because you may not catch it upon review. -Reference and annotate as you go using the split screen function in word. Or if you are an Endnote power user, go for it.  -Even healthcare professionals don’t want to wade through a hotchpotch of unrelated study descriptions. If reading your own manuscript makes your eyes glaze over, there’s a problem. Try to tell a story.   Check out the 6-Week Course, everything you need to know to start your freelance medical writing business, at 6weekcourse.com, where you can access free content on medical writing.  Also go to learnamastyle.com if you're interested in medical editing. The course is currently available and the next group will start May 29th, 2021.

In this episode, I cover tips for interacting with clients as a new freelance medical writer or any kind of freelancer for that matter.  Get the skills and feedback to make sure there is a reasonable chance that you will do a good job.  Really try to make new projects your best work. Expect to get a lower hourly rate for this first project. If you are writing in a specific genre, such as a needs assessment, review the client’s guidelines extra carefully and Google “how to write …..” and follow along with the generally accepted best practice.  Don’t turn things in with spelling errors.  Know that your client is not here to be “remedial.” When you take on a new project, look at the files immediately. It’s better to turn in something a day late than something that is not high quality. Know that just because it is a “first draft,” it still should be in great shape.  Most clients should be coming back to you for repeat business. If not, find out why not. It’s usually the quality of your work. Client is not obligated to tell you.  Check out the 6-Week Course, everything you need to know to start your freelance medical writing business, at 6weekcourse.com, where you can access free content on medical writing.  Also go to learnamastyle.com if you're interested in medical editing. The course is currently available and the next group will start May 29th, 2021.

In this episode, Dr. Sharon Morjig and I discuss the power of volunteering as a way not only to do some good in the world but to add impact to getting started in medical writing and jump starting a career in medical writing. Visit Sharon’s website at smmedicalwriting.com.  I also mention the following websites that may help you get started with volunteer medical writing: http://medangel.org/https://www.catchafire.org/ https://taprootfoundation.org/ https://www.volunteermatch.org/ Check out the 6-Week Course, everything you need to know to start your freelance medical writing business, at 6weekcourse.com, where you can access free content on medical writing Also go to learnamastyle.com if you're interested in medical editing. The next group will start May 29th, 2021.

Dr. Kalpana Shankar sought flexibility in her schedule to raise her children, and after researching her options and considering her innate talents, she turned to freelance medical writing to achieve that. We talk about the types of work she does and how she has found some clients by revamping her LinkedIn profile. For more information and to hire Dr. Shankar please visit her website at 3cmedicalwriting.com.   Check out the 6-Week Course, everything you need to know to start your freelance medical writing business, at 6weekcourse.com, where you can access free content on medical writing.  Also go to learnamastyle.com if you're interested in medical editing. The course is currently available and the next group will start May 29th, 2021.

In my conversation with Dr. Cheryl McCutchan, we talk about her pathway from her PhD studies in botany and biochemistry, to becoming a scientific illustrator for academia and education, to now delving into a career in medical writing (which also includes the use of her visual medical communications skills). Check out the 6-Week Course, everything you need to know to start your freelance medical writing business, at 6weekcourse.com, where you can access free content on medical writing   Also go to learnamastyle.com if you're interested in medical editing. The course is currently available and the next group will start May 29th, 2021.

In this week’s podcast episode, I chat with Dr. Sheila Patterson, who has a PhD in molecular biology. After entering into the field of medical writing, she discovered that she prefers factchecking to medical writing (although she still does some of the latter). We talked about what types of skills factcheckers need. These include the ability to understand the content being reviewed, editing skills, as well as the possession of a certain level of empathy when inserting her comments. We talk about the pay rate, how to get work, and how to price projects. We also talk about the monstrous 49” curved monitor she uses. https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-C49J890DKN-49-3840x1080-32/dp/B07CS4KF7J Sheila Patterson’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheila-patterson-phd-b1a6629a/ Check out the 6-Week Course, everything you need to know to start your freelance medical writing business, at 6weekcourse.com. The new version is launching soon, so sign up now to get a discounted rate. You'll get immediate access to the current course at a lower price than the new version.  Also go to learnamastyle.com if you're interested in medical editing and visualmedcomms.com if you would like to sign up to my upcoming medical visual communications courses.

In this week’s podcast episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Crystal Austin, who has a PhD in Microbiology but is also transitioning into medical writing. When she heard about medical writing from a coworker in her lab, at first she thought it was too good to be true that you could do something working from home with a science degree. Then, during a post-doc she discovered she enjoyed grant writing and got some funding with her efforts also. Although she is finishing up her current post-doc, Crystal is also doing subcontracting work for Nascent and other clients and plans to go full time as a medical writer in the future. Check out my 6-Week Course, everything you need to know to start your freelance medical writing business, at 6weekcourse.com. The new version is launching soon, so sign up now to get a discounted rate. You'll get immediate access to the current course at a lower price than the new version.  Also go to learnamastyle.com if you're interested in medical editing and visualmedcomms.com if you would like to sign up to my upcoming medical visual communications courses.

Janna Afanasjeva, PharmD, BCPS realized early on that patient care was not for her and through a drug information residency she ended up on her current path of medical writing. Her website is https://www.aptewrite.com/. She signed up for Dr. Hitt Nichols’ editing course and has just finished up the 6-Week Course (Everything you need to know to start your freelance medical writing business), and at the time of this recording was in her first couple of weeks as a full-time freelance medical writer. Check out the 6-Week Course, everything you need to know to start your freelance medical writing business, at 6weekcourse.com. The new version is launching soon, so sign up now to get a discounted rate. You'll get immediate access to the current course at a lower price than the new version.  Also go to learnamastyle.com if you're interested in medical editing and visualmedcomms.com if you would like to sign up to my upcoming medical visual communications course.

Dr. Louisa Marcombes a mid-career veterinarian from the UK and living in France transitions into medical writing. She describes her reasons for making the transition and what her plans are for the future.   Check out my 6-Week Course, everything you need to know to start your freelance medical writing business, at 6weekcourse.com. The new version is launching soon, so sign up now to get a discounted rate. You'll get immediate access to the current course at a lower price than the new version.  Also go to learnamastyle.com if you're interested in medical editing and visualmedcomms.com if you would like to sign up to my upcoming medical visual communications course.  

In this episode, I talk to medical writer Morgan Leafe, MD, who has recently transitioned from clinical practice as a pediatrician. She talks about some of her first projects in medical writing, as well as her interest in medical informatics, which may be of interest to some of us medical writers as a parallel “non-clinical” career. We also talk about the power of volunteering as a way of getting started in medical writing (it’s one of the most effective things you can do to make connections!). If you’re interested in medical writing, check out the 6-Week Course, everything you need to know to start your freelance medical writing business. There's free content there to get you started. A new version is launching soon, but if you sign up now, you’ll get access to that new version, but at the current, much discounted rate.   If you might be interested in medical editing and learning all about the AMA Manual of Style, go to learnamastyle.com. That course "Become a Freelance Medical Editor" will launch on May 29th, 2021. There, you can sign up for free cheat sheets, such as a check list about setting up shop as a freelance medical editor and also a cheat sheet that has several different types of references in AMA style that you can cut and paste as you work. 

In this week's episode I talk to 4 people from my course who are living and working in Africa. A very interesting podcast about what this is like and what they would want you to know here in the US.  Check out my 6-Week Course, everything you need to know to start your freelance medical writing business, at 6weekcourse.com. The new version is launching soon, so sign up now to get a discounted rate. You'll get immediate access to the current course at a lower price than the new version.  Also go to learnamastyle.com if you're interested in medical editing. 

Download Dr. Emma Hitt Nichols’ article on MWSS here.  Check out LearnAMAStyle.com for information on the course Become a Freelance Medical Editor.  Check out 6weekcourse.com Everything You Need to Know to Start Your Freelance Medical Writing Business here.   Music: Frozen Summer by Hypp fractal

Download the AMA Manual of Style checklist here.  Checkout LearnAMAStyle.com for information on the course Become a Freelance Medical Editor.  Music: Frozen Summer by Hypp fractal

In this episode, I’m talking with Anne Janzer, who has written a book Writing To Be Understood. Anne’s book dissects what it is that makes nonfiction compelling. She talks about using stories and analogies and several other strategies that translate also to writing about medical topics. Anne Janzer is an award-winning author on a mission to help people communicate more effectively through writing. As a professional writer, she has worked with more than one hundred technology companies, writing in the voice of countless brands and corporate executives. She is author of four books, including Writing to be Understood: What Works and Why and The Workplace Writer's Process. Her books and online courses help writers improve their processes and communication skills, so they can share their thoughts and ideas with the world. Her latest book can be found here: https://annejanzer.com/book/writing-understood/ ===== Check out the PowerPoint course for scientists and medical writers and use PPTDISCOUNT for a discount. Check out nascentmc.com for medical writing assistance and 6weekcourse.com for free info on getting into medical writing. 

What the American Medical Association (AMA) Manual of Style has to say about reference style and rules for capitalization. Warning: make sure you have had your coffee. It’s a lot of info crammed into a few minutes! Also a good idea to have your AMA manual loaded into your browser.  Visit http://6weekcourse.com/ama-manual-of-style-tips/ for these tips in video format. Check out the PowerPoint course for scientists and medical writers and use PPTDISCOUNT for a discount. Check out nascentmc.com for medical writing assistance and 6weekcourse.com for free info on getting into medical writing.   

Lori Alexander is the American Medical Writer's Association (AMWA) Past President and their current Education Director. She discusses, among other things, AMWA's plans to expand their educational offerings, especially with respect to online educational activities. She talks about some of AMWA’s current offerings, such as online webinars, interactive activities, and fast interactive training “FIT”—a nugget of training delivered in 15 minutes. Check out the PowerPoint course for scientists and medical writers and use PPTDISCOUNT Check out nascentmc.com for medical writing assistance and 6weekcourse.com for free info on getting into medical writing. 

In this episode, I interview Dr. Will Pass who recently transitioned from being a veterinarian to being a full time medical writer. He talks about how being a vet helped him prepare to be a medical writer and some of the benefits of working as a freelance medical writer.   Check out the PowerPoint course for scientists and medical writers and use PPTDISCOUNT Check out nascentmc.com for medical writing assistance and 6weekcourse.com for free info on getting into medical writing. 

American Medical Association (AMA) Manual of Style P value pointers and overview of the AMA Manual of Style contents. In this episode, I briefly describe what P values are; it’s a deep topic better left to statistical experts, but still, as medical writers, it’s important that we have a basic understanding. We also need to know how to format P values in the documents we write. I'll also, in this episode, give an overview of the contents of the manual, talking about how the different sections are organized and which ones are most useful to us as medical writers. Visit nascentmc.com/blog for the written version of these tips. Visit http://6weekcourse.com/ama-manual-of-style-tips/ for these tips in video format. Check out the PowerPoint course for scientists and medical writers and use PPTDISCOUNT Check out nascentmc.com for medical writing assistance and 6weekcourse.com for free info on getting into medical writing. 

Today I'm talking about PowerPoint. Some clients request this skill, either creating PowerPoint slide decks from scratch or reorganizing and reworking a previously created slide deck to make it more visually appealing. Creating engaging scientific and medical PowerPoint presentations is a skill in addition to writing that can benefit medical writers and their clients, and it's quite lucrative! Definitely worth adding to your toolbox. Find out more and how to learn the skills you might need.  Check out the PowerPoint course and use PPTDISCOUNT Check out nascentmc.com for medical writing assistance and 6weekcourse.com for free info on getting into medical writing. 

In this episode I talk to HBA president & CEO Laurie Cooke. we talk about gender parity issues in the health care industry as well as what we can all do to improve the working environment for all participants. Laurie also describes the mission of the HBA and how medical writers specifically can benefit from the organization. Please visit https://www.hbanet.org/ for more information. Please visit 6weekcourse.com for more information on medical writing. Please visit nascentmc.com for assistance with medical writing. 

In this episode, I interview freelance medical writing Jessica Martin, PhD martinmedicalwriting.com. Dr Jessica Martin earned her PhD from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her research background is in human infectious diseases and cancer-causing viruses, including HIV-1 and related retroviruses. During her time in an academic setting, Dr Martin successfully published multiple first-authored research and review papers. Using her scientific and writing skills, Dr Martin began freelance medical writing in 2015. She is experienced in planning, writing, and editing continuing medical education and promotional medical education, both branded and unbranded. Deliverables have included slide decks, manuscripts, video scripts, and content for diverse interactive modules.    In our interview, Dr. Martin talks about how she started her medical writing business, how she deals with multiple clients and projects. She also describes the most important newbie mistake and how to avoid it. If you need medical writing help, please check out our website nascentmc.com, and if you are interested in getting into medical writing, please visit 6weekcourse.com.

This week, Dr. Emma Hitt Nichols discusses searching strategies, in particular 4 different approaches to get the results you want from the AMA Manual of Style. She also discusses formatting tables and figures according to the manual. To see the written blog versions of these recordings, please go to nascentmc.com/blog. Please subscribe, rate and review if you like this podcast. Thank you! 

Dr. Emma Hitt Nichols talks about the format of the new Medical Writers Speak podcast.  

Understanding the healthcare value dossier. How to accelerate revenues and expand markets.  Virtual or corporate onsite training for MSLs, MA professionals and Medical Writers.  Nascent Medical LLC to offer a Six-week Course on Health Economics and the Health Outcome Liaisons on April 20th.  The course will be led by Jennifer Williams PhD, JD, MBA, RN, MS a veteran leader in the field of Medical Science Liaison and Market Access.  Corporate onsite training available.  more info at http://nascentmc.com/blog/2017/01/11/msl-market-access-course/#more-3419 Six-Week Course on Health Economics and the Health Outcome Liaisons Course content includes: The role of the MSL and Health Economics Liaison Review Managed Care Models Review Value Development Plans (VDP) Review the components of a Value Dossier and Develop an individualized Dossier HEOR impact on Licensing and R&D Review Market Access Strategies to include pricing, research plans, and sales strategy Identify tactical outcomes research and economic models to demonstrate the clinical and economic elements Define the communication strategy and tactics for the diverse audience to include Government and Lobbyist, Health Plans, IDNs, Advocacy Groups, and KOLs Address price strategy and reimbursement Review new technologies to enable communication in the form of field tools such as calculators and dashboards   What is a Value Dossier? A Value Dossier presents a summary of the clinical, economic, and humanistic value and supporting evidence (studies) for a new product in a disease area as well as background information on that disease. This includes the burden of illness and epidemiology The dossier development process involves the creation of value messages, an evaluation of the evidence supporting each of the messages, and identification of evidence GAPs The dossier can be instrumental as a guide the development of future research studies, publication strategies, and other evidence generation activities. What information is in the Value Dossier? Disease Description Global Epidemiology and Global Burden of Illness Summary of Treatment Pathways, Guidelines, and Competitor Landscape Unmet Medical Need and Place of New Product in Clinical Pathway Value Story Clinical, Economic, and Humanistic Value Messages and Statements Summary of Evidence Supporting Product Value Clinical Evidence: Summary of Safety and Efficacy Studies Humanistic Evidence:  Summary of Outcomes Studies to include Quality of Life Studies

Emma talks about the ins and outs of covering an ad board with Ginny Vachon, PhD

Feeling overwhelmed with your ever expanding workload? Get your life back by learning how to delegate effectively! In the third of a 3-part series on productivity, Emma talks about delegating, the key to being uberproductive and having enough free time!

In the second of a 3-part series, Dr. Emma Nichols talks about MEDICAL-WRITER-specific productivity hacks. In the first episode, she described productivity hacks that EVERYONE can use, and in third episode, she will talk about the art of delegating.

In the first of a 3-part series, Dr. Emma Nichols talks about general productivity hacks for writers. These are 5 things that we can all do to increase our productivity. In the next two episodes, she will talk about medical writing specific hacks and then in the third episode, the art of delegating.

Today, I am talking to Blair Thielemier PharmD who founded the Pharmapreneur Academy, which is a course hosted on her website, BT Pharmacy Consulting (http://www.btpharmacyconsulting.com/). This will be a very interesting podcast for any clinician (not just pharmacists) wanting to learn more about Medication Therapy Management (MTM). MTM is medical care and counseling that aims is to optimize drug therapy and improve therapeutic outcomes for patients. According to Dr. Thielemier, any clinician can perform these services, and she can show you how.

In this interview, I talk to Kristine Scruggs, M.D. Dr. Scruggs is a medical doctor practicing in North Carolina and who wants to transition into medical writing. She is also completing a book, a medical thriller, called “What They Don't Know". We talk about the process of writing a book, what it takes, and some of the pros and cons of traditional versus self-publishing. Kristine has also recently written a blog that has been picked up by the Huffington Post, and she discusses the process whereby she submitted it to Huffington Post. Her website is https://kvscruggs.com/  

Michelle is based in Sydney Australia, and is the founder of Health Writer Hub. She is also the President of the Australasian Medical Writers Association (AMWA). Over the past decade, Michelle has worked with medical journals, medical publishing companies, cancer research foundations, associations, hospitals, medical specialists, health professionals, health insurance companies, digital agencies, wellness brands, health coaches and more. After recognising the need for a specific resource to help health writers enhance and develop their specialty skills, Michelle created Health Writer Hub. Since 2013, Health Writer Hub has helped thousands of writers through advice, courses, training and mentoring. Michelle teaches health writing and freelance writing-related subjects to writers and health professionals from around the world, and her specialty courses include Introduction To Health Writing, How To Become A Freelance Health Writer, and Breaking Into Health Writing. www.healthwriterhub.com  

Wendy Meyeroff, is president of WM Medical Communications, and has been providing health communications for national and international clients--both print and then online--for over 25 years. She’s located in Baltimore, MD, and will talk to us about writing for a consumer audience. Her website is http://www.wmmedcomm.com/ She tells some very interesting stories from her long and varied career, and actually she predicted a health trend that is wasn’t obvious 20 years ago, but now it certainly is….

Today I talk to Brian Bass about building your medical writing business with subcontractors. Both Brian and I work with subcontractors in our business, and it was fascinating to talk with him, because while we have a similar business model, we approach things in quite a different way. He uses only highly experienced writers but doesn’t spend as much time on training, but possible charges more to his clients. My model on the other hand has a training component (the 6-week course—check out 6weekcourse.com). Not everyone gets selected to work as a subcontractor, and the ones that do are highly motivated and demonstrate that they will do a great job. One thing that we both agree on is that subcontracting is not for the faint of heart and in some ways it’s more complex and you can make less money doing it. One benefit though, is you have a business that is outside of yourself to some extent, and in that sense it is a hugely valuable assets, and also a contribution Brian Bass is a is President of Bass Global, Inc., which has been around since 1989 and does many different types of medical writing. Brian is also co-author of The Accidental Medical Writer Series of books, resources, information, and inspiration for freelance medical writers. Brian is a Past President of The American Medical Writers Association (AMWA), and has served the organization at both the national and chapter levels for 2 decades. Brian is an avid speaker and presenter. He is among the first to receive the Medical Writer Certified™ (MWC™) credential.

This is the third and final episode in the series where I interview my business partner, Chrystie Leonard, about buying and selling a business, specific to medical writing. These three episodes cover 1) What to look for when buying a business; 2) How to grow a business; and 3) How to get your business ready for sale. In this third episode, Chrystie and I talk about the following: What makes a business attractive for sale? Why would a company buy a business rather than just hire employees? What to do to prepare your business for sale.

In this episode, Emma Hitt Nichols talks to her business partner Chrystie Leonard, co-owner of Nascent Medical. This is the second part of a three-part series. In this part, we talk about strategic planning, how to grow a business, and the key metrics that are needed to evaluate the growth of a business. In the first part, aired a week ago, we talked about what to look for when buying a business. Next week, in the final third, we'll talk about getting the business ready for sale.  

Join me as I talk to my business partner Chrystie Leonard about what to look for in a business purchase and also what to consider if you ever want to sell your business. Maybe as a freelance medical writer, you have never thought about how your business is going to end, but end it must at some point! Chrystie, who has formerly conducted several mergers and acquisitions transactions in corporate America, bought into Hitt Medical Writing, LLC, in August, 2015, and together we formed Nascent Medical, LLC.