What Does A Medical Editor Do?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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A medical editor (or scientific editor)

revises scientific language for usage, flow, and clarity

. … She reduces awkward phrasing, biased language, and jargon that is inappropriate for the audience. The editor ensures that facts, data, and scientific units have been used consistently.

How do I become a medical editor?

To become a medical editor, you typically need a

bachelor’s degree in English or journalism

, although a master’s degree can set you ahead of other candidates. Some employers prefer candidates with degrees in medicine or science who also exhibit strong writing and editing skills.

How much do medical editors make?

How much does a Medical Editor make in the United States? The average Medical Editor salary in the United States is

$73,804

as of August 27, 2021, but the salary range typically falls between $63,647 and $83,579.

What is the job of a medical editor?

Publishing corrections, retractions, and critiques of published articles;

Take responsibility for improving the level of scientific investigation and medical writing

in the larger community of potential authors and readers.

What qualifications do you need to be a medical writer?

Medical writers have at least a

bachelor’s degree in a scientific field like biology or chemistry

. Employers also consider those with writing-related degrees, such as English or journalism, as long as they also have some experience in the medical or scientific field.

Do you need a PhD to be a medical writer?

Medical writers need a

solid background in the life sciences

. … On the plus side, you don’t need specific academic qualifications to pursue medical writing. However, employers do prefer candidates with an advanced degree in a relevant field.

Do editors get paid well?

Editorial

salaries vary greatly

according to location, the publication company, your skills and your position and value within the company. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median wage for book editors was $61,370 in May 2019 with the highest salaries being paid to editors in New York and Los Angeles.

Is medical writing a good career?

A career as a medical writer

can be very profitable and exhilarating

. … Not only do medical writers find employment in pharmaceutical companies but they can also work with healthcare journals, healthcare online portals, hospitals, newspapers etc for providing medical and scientific writing support.

Are medical writers in demand?

Medical writers are increasingly in

demand to convey new information to health care professionals as well as the general public

. … Medical writers often work with doctors, scientists, and other subject matter experts (SMEs) to create documents that describe research results, product use, and other medical information.

Is medical writing stressful?

It’s competitive and has very long hours. Additionally, looming (dare I say nearly impossible) deadlines

can make medical writing very stressful

.

What makes a good medical writer?

To

make a good medical writer

, you have to have a range of skills such as

good

language/grammar user, understanding of literature and reference searching, interpretation and presentation of data and most importantly the ability to take into consideration the ethical, regulatory and legal issues.

What is a clinical editor?

The Clinical Editor

develops, partners with, reviews, and edits all content including content received from authors and Subject Matter Experts

. The Clinical Editor performs clinical review of content delivered through Care Planning, Clinical eLearning, Continuing Education, Patient Education, and/or Skills content.

How long does it take to become a medical writer?

Becoming a medical writer usually requires certification by the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA). In order get certified, you will need to have

at least two years of experience

in the field of medical communications. You will also need to take an examination, the Medical Writing Certification Examination.

How long does it take to become a senior medical writer?


At least 3 years’ experience as a medical

writer in an agency environment. Experience of managing and developing a team of medical writers, and proven leadership and influencing skills in a multidisciplinary environment.

Is medical writing lucrative?


Freelance medical writing can be a lucrative, rewarding, and flexible career

. Yet even if you have been writing professionally for years, you may have questions when it comes to how to create a solid client base and find steady work.

Is it hard to become a medical writer?

Medical writing and editing isn’t an easy field to “test out.” Research it and be sure you want to work hard to get your foot in the door. The field is also very competitive. Just as in the media biz, the slow economic recovery has meant even more candidates are vying for jobs.

Juan Martinez
Author
Juan Martinez
Juan Martinez is a journalism professor and experienced writer. With a passion for communication and education, Juan has taught students from all over the world. He is an expert in language and writing, and has written for various blogs and magazines.