A Day in the Life of a Medical Writer

Step into the dynamic world of medical writing at Synterex and discover a day in the life of our talented medical writer, Cheryl Kolus. 

• How did you become interested in medical writing, and what led you to pursue it as a career? 
  • I have both a medical background (veterinarian) and a writing/editing background (including a journalism degree), so I thought it would be a good fit. 
• What specific areas of healthcare or medicine do you specialize in when it comes to writing? 
  • Most of the documents I work on are in the therapeutic area of oncology, but I’ve also worked on some in the areas of infectious disease and rare disease. 
• Can you describe your typical process for researching and creating medical content? 
  • Most of the regulatory documents I work on are yearly updates, so typically I am updating data, study information, etc. I use that drug product’s related documents (such as Investigator’s Brochures, study protocols, or clinical study reports) to insert the necessary information. 
• What types of documents or materials do you typically write, such as research articles, patient education materials, or regulatory documents? 
  • Regulatory documents 
• How do you approach translating complex medical information into plain language for different audiences? 
  • I’ve only had to do a little of this, but I do enjoy it. My journalism education taught me the importance of avoiding jargon, so that (for the most part) comes easy to me, but it can be difficult to avoid the use of big words (i.e., 3 or more syllables). When potentially confusing words must be used, then they must also be defined; however, if they won’t be repeated, then perhaps the definition is enough to begin with! Using apps to determine the grade level of your writing is also helpful. Also, I try to think of how I would explain something to an elderly patient or a child.
• What tools and resources do you find most helpful in your work as a medical writer? 
  • Editing software is a nice way to wrap up editing when nearing the end of the writing process. 
  • Client company guidance documents, SOPs and templates with instructional text are invaluable. 
• How do you ensure the accuracy and reliability of the medical information you include in your writing? 
  • By checking and double-checking sources and asking for input from subject matter experts (SMEs) when needed.
• Can you share any strategies you use to meet tight deadlines while maintaining the quality of your work? 
  • Quality is very important in regulatory writing, so if that means staying up late to meet a deadline–well, unfortunately, sometimes that happens. 
• What challenges do you commonly encounter in medical writing, and how do you overcome them? 
  • It can be difficult to understand the roles of everyone involved on the client team (i.e., who to approach with questions for specific document sections). Sometimes, I just have to approach the SME(s) I think are appropriate and add a line to the email saying, “Please let me know if I should ask someone else,” or similar. Also, I can ask my Synterex colleagues more general questions about a particular type of document, best practices, or editing/formatting.
• Are there any specific ethical considerations or guidelines you follow when writing about medical topics? 
  • The primary one that I deal with is making word choices that honor the patients we are trying to help; for example, using “participant” instead of “subject,” and the like. 
• How do you collaborate with subject matter experts, researchers, or other professionals in the healthcare field during the writing process? 
  • Regular meetings, emails, and Teams chats are used to ask questions, provide answers, discuss timelines, and keep folks abreast of the document’s progress. 
• In what ways do you tailor your writing style to the intended audience, whether it’s healthcare professionals, patients, or regulatory bodies? 
  • I have helped with a lay summary of a study protocol (typically, a 2-page summary of how a clinical trial is structured that is directed to potential trial participants or family members), and a few informed consent forms (the forms signed by patients enrolling in a clinical trial that detail what enrollees can expect during participation). Otherwise, I write for regulatory agencies, and those documents usually have templates to follow, or I’m just updating the previous document. Even in those documents, though, the trend is to be clear and concise with your writing by choosing simpler words (show rather than demonstrate, for instance), breaking up long sentences, and avoiding redundancy.
• What advice do you have for someone looking to pursue a career in medical writing? 
  • Join the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA); it offers a lot of information. 
• How has the field of medical writing evolved during your career, and what changes do you anticipate in the future?  
  • It will be interesting to see how AI continues to be incorporated into the field. 
• Are there any specific certifications or training programs you recommend for aspiring medical writers? 
  • I recommend the Essential Skills course from AMWA as a great start or refresher on writing and editing, statistics, etc.