Episode #16: 5 Steps to Becoming a Medical Writer

What would you do if in your first 6 months of practice, you were having major doubts and wanting to give notice? You could try to ignore those feelings. You might start looking for the nearest life raft. Or you might launch into the unknown and try to find out what you’d really love to do. In this episode, you’ll get to hear how Dr. Mandy Armitage navigated this difficult situation and found a new direction by reconnecting with a buried passion. She shares the story of how she became a successful medical writer through 5 actionable steps you can follow.

In this episode we’re talking about:

What it’s like to realize early on that medicine isn’t the right fit
Losing sight of a true passion because of others’ expectations
How to determine if medical writing could be for you
5 steps to take to become a medical writer
Dr. Mandy Armitage’s new book on medical writing

Links for this episode:

Medical Writing Resource Guide – This 11-page guide gives you an introduction to medical writing as well as links for courses, books, websites, and tips for exploring this diverse area. Includes steps you can take whether you want to do medical writing as a side gig, or work full-time as a freelancer or on staff in a company.

From Clinical Practice to Medical Writing: A Career Transition Guide by Mandy Armitage, MD – A great how-to book for becoming a medical writer. This book includes the author’s candid transition story of how she went from questioning her career as a young sports medicine physician to finding a new direction as a successful medical writer. It also describes the landscape of medical writing and what steps you can take to get started.

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Emergency Medicine Physician

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Internal Medicine