Career Transition Episodes

Are you unsure which skills you need to thrive as a CME writer (or need for your writers)—or how to prove your value in an increasingly competitive field? Many medical writers stumble into CME with strong writing chops but little clarity about what the role truly demands. At the same time, education providers struggle to find writers who are not just capable—but competent. This episode bridges that gap. Don Harting and Haifa Kassis join us to unpack the results of their groundbreaking Delphi st...

How can you break into the rewarding and lucrative field of continuing medical education (CME) writing? If you're a health professional, academic, science researcher, or vet looking to transition into a career that offers more autonomy, flexibility, and meaningful work, this episode is for you. Discover how to leverage your existing skills and passion for writing, healthcare, and lifelong learning to create engaging educational content that supports health professionals and improves patient car...

Virginia Chachati is a pharmacist turned medical writer who embarked on her freelance journey after moving to Germany in 2020. Inspired by the need to work remotely and make a living online, Virginia started a travel health blog that caught a client's attention on Upwork. Despite being underpaid for her valuable work, this experience motivated her to create a community of medical writers focused on fair compensation and support. Virginia established a presence on LinkedIn, where a medical commun...

Are you trapped in the generalist rut as a medical writer? Discover the power of nourishing your niche in CME writing. Specializing in CME writing can help you crack the client mindset code, build authority, generate higher revenue, and optimize your marketing efforts. This Monday Mentor episode explores how focusing on CME can lead to a thriving medical writing career and help you: 1. Understand the rewards and risks of specializing in CME writing 2. Learn how to identify and develop your CM...

Are you a medical writer struggling to stay competitive and confident in the rapidly evolving industry landscape? Experienced medical writer and educator Michelle Guillemard shares her insights today on how aspiring and established medical writers can navigate the challenges of an increasingly crowded field, economic fluctuations, and the rise of AI writing tools. Whether you're looking to break into medical writing, specialize in a niche, or future-proof your skills, Michelle's advice will hel...

If you’re on LinkedIn, and you’re a nurse, a nurse who’s a health or medical writer, or a nurse who’s exploring how to become a writer, I think you’re going to love today’s First Friday episode. From the scrubs to the keyboard, Claire Bonneau’s story of how she shifted out of a full-time nursing role into a thriving freelance medical content writer is nothing short of motivational. She graduated from nursing school in 2019 and leaped into freelance health writing during the pandemic and her jou...

Welcome to Monday Mentor, a Write Medicine series. I’m your host Alex Howson and today Helen Folsam is back to share insights on CME medical writing. Helen Fosam is a seasoned medical writer with over 20 years shaping her career, beginning in academia in the UK then moving to the US where she discovered medical writing working at companies like Ince, WebMD, and small remote startups. She launched her own medical writing consulting business, The Edge Medical Writing, through which she founded the...

Have you ever wondered how academics or researchers transition into a successful career in medical communications (or medcomms)? With academia becoming increasingly challenging, many PhDs, scientists, and researchers are considering new careers that allow them to apply their expertise. Maybe you are too. As part of our First Friday Features, episode 87 of Write Medicine brings you an exclusive conversation with Vicky Sherwood, a seasoned medical writer with a rich background in academia and me...

If you are a Write Medicine listener and are tuning into our First Friday Feature, you are likely a medical writer who is curious about medical writing in the specialized world of CME and I think you'll enjoy this conversation with Dr. David Mendes, who shares insights from his journey transitioning out of academia and into a career in medical writing. David completed his PhD in neuroscience at McGill University in Montreal. During his graduate studies, he realized that landing a professorship ...

If you’re a pharmacist you are probably going to have thoughts about today’s episode. I’m joined by pharmacist and Director of Pharmacy at Minnesota Oncology, Kirollos Hanna Pharm.D. I first met Kirollos at the end of 2020 in the context of an end-of-year report on oncology trends for the Association of Community Cancer Centers, that included a series of focus groups with ACCC members. I was deeply impressed by Kirollos’s humanity, clarity, and pragmatism, and if you don’t know Kirollos, I think...

In this episode of Write Medicine, the tables are turned as I’m interviewed by guest host Holly Hagan. We talk about my own personal journey into CME writing, including how joining the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions was a turning point in my business. Being a part of this community has given me the opportunity to learn about new developments in the field and connect with education providers. We discuss how I’ve integrated my previous experience and interests into my...

The content creation process in continuing education for health professionals (CEHP) combines both art and science. As a result, creating content for continuing education attracts people who are synthesizers, information seekers, and creators—like academics, researchers, or health professionals looking for a career change. In EP 46 we explore taking the leap from clinical work to medical writing with Esther Langmack, MD, a medical writer and CME consultant. Esther deliberately practiced her new...

In this episode of Write Medicine, I'm joined by Don Harting to talk about CME writing competencies. What are the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that those writing CME/CPD content need to develop in order to create content that connects with and educates health professionals? Medical writers often ask CME writers where to find training and how to get started in CME writing. Don says that clients share with him how challenging it is to find skilled writers for CME-related work. Don and his co-...