How to break into CME as a medical writer

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 care.

By listening to this episode, you'll learn:

1. The five essential milestones to pave your way to success as a CME writer

2. Core competencies needed to excel in CME writing

3. Practical strategies for building your portfolio and networking to lay the foundation for landing your first CME writing projects

Takeaways

1. Understanding the CME landscape is crucial: Familiarize yourself with the history, purpose, and function of CME, including policies, ethics, and key stakeholders in this highly regulated field.

2. Develop core competencies: To succeed as a CME writer, in addition to strong writing skills, you need to be conversant with medical terminology, have solid research abilities, and be able to apply adult learning principles to content.

3. Build relationships and showcase your expertise: Networking is paramount in the close-knit CME community. Use platforms like LinkedIn to connect with education providers, attend industry events, and showcase your expertise.

Resources

Ehrlich A. Introduction to Medical Terminology. Cengage, 2014. 

Stanford. Writing in the Sciences

Jones BD. Comprehensive Medical Terminology. 2016 

Zinsser W. On Writing Well. The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction. New York: Harper Perennial. 2016. 

Zinsser W. Writing to Learn. New York: Harper Perennial. 1993. 

How to streamline your medical writing literature review process

How to choose the right literature review approach for your medical writing project

Claire Bonneau, Email Newsletter Writer

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction

01:57 Milestone 1: Understanding CME

04:20 Milestone 2: Adult Learning Principles

05:27 Milestone 3: Formats and Deliverables in CME

06:41 Milestone 4: Core Competencies

09:57 Milestone 5: Connecting with Prospects and Networking

Subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast!

Subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast for more valuable insights on continuing medical education content for health professionals. Click the Follow button and subscribe on your favorite platform.

Next Steps

📰 Want more tips and tools on CME content strategy? Subscribe to Write Medicine Insider. 

🎙️ Know someone who would love this episode? Share the podcast

🎧 CME Writer Bootcamp: A complimentary private podcast on how to break into CME/CE writing 

🎧 Write Medicine Mentor – Get behind-the-scenes insights and templates to deepen your CME writing practice.

➡️ Ready for skills, scaffolding, and support? Join WriteCME Pro

📣 Want to get your message to an engaged audience of medical writers and CME professionals? Advertise with us.