Types of work scientific medical writers do include:
Advertising copy for pharmaceuticals and other products

• CD-ROMs
• Editing
• Internet content
•  Journal abstracts and articles
•  Medical education materials
•  Monographs
•  Multimedia projects
•  Pharmaceutical marketing and advertising
•  Physician speeches and presentations
•  Posters
•  Regulatory documents (clinical trial reports, integrated summaries of efficacy and safety, investigator brochures, Investigational New Drug documents, New Drug Application submissions, protocols)
•  Sales training manuals
•  Slide kits
•  White papers

Employers and clients for scientific medical writers include:

•      Academic medical centers
•      Associations
•      Contract research organizations
•      Foundations
•      Hospitals/Health care systems
•      Managed care organizations
•      Medical advertising/communication agencies
•      Medical education companies
•      Pharmaceutical companies
•      Publishers
•      Web sites

Sample jobs for scientific medical writers include:

• Scientific medical writer for medical communications company: to prepare clinical and pre-clinical manuscripts, abstracts, and posters; clinical trial reports; and medical education materials
• Medical writer for medical communications firm: to create pharmaceutical/health care educational programs
• Medical writer for a pharmaceutical company: to plan, write, edit, and review clinical documents including study reports, investigator brochures, Investigational New Drug annual reports, manuscripts, and integrated summary documents
• Medical writer for a health care communications company: to produce summaries of clinical data in a white paper format, develop continuing medical education programs, slide kits, and pharmaceutical promotional materials
• Publications editor for an academic medical center: guide publications management from protocol inception to completion and publication of manuscripts, posters, and other formats
• Director of scientific editing for a biotech company: to edit and/or re-write scientific papers and grant applications, and educate and train staff in scientific writing and editing
• Freelance medical writer for health care technology firm: to prepare peer-reviewed manuscripts.

Opportunities in Marketing Medical Writing

Types of work marketing medical writers do include:

• Advertising copy
• Articles
• CD-ROMs
• Editing
• Internet content
• Magazine articles
• Marketing materials
  
• Medical script writing
• Newsletters
• Patient education materials
• Public relations materials
• Proofreading
• Proposal writing
• Training manuals

Employers and clients for marketing medical writers include:

• Academic medical centers
• Associations
• Foundations
• Hospitals/Health care systems
• Managed care organizations
• Medical advertising/communication agencies (to some extent)
• Pharmaceutical companies (to some extent)
• Publishers
• Web sites

Sample jobs for marketing medical writers include

• Medical writer for Internet health care information and services provider to write for consumers
•  Science writer/public information officer for an academic medical center: write news releases, develop Web content, write articles for newsletter/newspaper, and work with media
• Medical writer for medical communications firm: to create pharmaceutical/health care educational programs
• Medical editor for medical communications company: create papers for peer-reviewed medical journals, abstracts, posters, and slide presentations
• Freelance writers for a medical publisher: to write essays for a medical encyclopedia for consumers

Characteristics of Successful Medical Writers
Obviously, writing skills are a must for this job. A medical writer must be able to write scientifically accurate, grammatically correct copy, and do so on a deadline. Therefore, time management skills are also important so that the writer can manage numerous projects in a timely manner.
Also, understanding the audience and requirements of each writing assignment and adapting the writing style, tone, and “voice” of the work are important as well.
Therefore, writers should also have excellent communication skills in all areas, in addition to writing, such as speaking, listening, negotiating, and comprehension.
In addition to writing skills and communication skills, medical writers may have to be able to create story ideas, depending upon the type of writing job you have.
Editing and proofreading are also important skills. Medical knowledge, especially medical terminology, is also very helpful, and required for most medical writing jobs.

Educational Requirements for Medical Writers:
Medical writers should have at least a bachelor’s degree, while most have a master’s degree or higher level of education. It’s helpful to have a degree in a life science or communications/journalism field, but not necessarily required.

Informal Medical Writing Training can be obtained as below:

• Read medical and pharmaceutical journals
• Use online Internet services to follow information about pharmaceutical company pipelines
• Study basic textbooks on statistics
• Read about the latest drug approvals by the Food and Drug Administration
• Study medical terminology with software
• Purchase and study medical writing dictionaries, style guides, and books on writing
•  Familiarize yourself with FDA guidelines for preparing regulatory documents 
• Keep your computer skills up to date

Formal Medical Writing Training

1. Take one course in pharmacology and one course in statistics
2. Complete a program of study in a basic science
3. Take medical writing courses or enroll in a medical writing program offered through colleges and universities

Job Opportunities:
You’ll find medical writers in pharmaceutical companies, contract research organisations (CROs), and communications agencies. CROs conduct clinical studies and help pharmaceutical companies to get their products registered with international regulatory authorities. In general, medical writers in CROs are involved with preparing a range of documents for these regulatory submissions, including protocols and final reports for clinical trials, and clinical expert reports. They may also be involved in the preparation of manuscripts for publication in medical journals.
The situation is generally similar in a pharmaceutical company with medical writers preparing documents for submission to the regulatory authorities and manuscripts for publication. However, depending on the company, they may also be involved in other  writing projects such as training manuals, promotional material for marketing purposes, and websites.
 Writers in communications agencies generally prepare manuscripts for publication, items  for conferences (e.g. posters, abstracts, and slide presentations), promotional items for  pharmaceutical marketing, training material, and multimedia (e.g. websites). The work in  this environment is likely to be more creative.
Many writers also work on a freelance basis, which is an attractive option for some  people. If you’re new to medical writing, it’s better to start off as an employee working  for a company. This will allow you to develop the skills that you need, and gain some contacts and experience.
 Freelancers work for the same types of organizations and do the same types of work as discussed under Opportunities for Scientific Medical Writers and Opportunities for Marketing Medical Writers. Freelances work for clients by the job (on an hourly or project basis) and also on a contract basis. Sample freelance opportunities include:

• Advertising copy for medical communications companies
• Clinical regulatory documents for pharmaceutical companies and technical writing firms
• Copy-editing journal articles for publishers or associations
• Entries/essays for consumer and professional reference books for medical publishers
• Newsletter articles for associations, foundations, or hospitals/health care systems
• Peer-reviewed manuscripts for medical communications companies and health care technology firms
• Proofreading various materials for medical communications companies, foundations, pharmaceutical companies, publishers, etc.
• Slide kits for medical communications companies