Working in the healthcare industry can be unique, and you do not have to measure people’s blood pressure, prescribe medication or chastise them for putting on weight. Instead, you can write. As a freelance medical writer, you can have contracts with several offices and doctors. Although you will have a tremendous amount of freedom, there are positive and negative aspects to this job.
Enjoying the Work
Some people never pursue a career in medical writing. It finds them. Some writers can find success if they are initially contacted by a medical office after a doctor sees some of their work online, and they receive their first freelance medical writing opportunity. You can create the content for a doctor’s website or provide a weekly blog and newsletter for patients. Then, you may be contacted by other offices and find more opportunities. You may realize how much you actually enjoy the work and the ability to write about medical subjects.
Using a Degree
Working as a freelance medical writer gives you the opportunity to use a science or medical degree on a daily basis. You can update their websites with current scientific research, create blogs about medical news and write the pamphlets they give to their patients.
The Freedom
As a freelance medical writer, you can choose the contracts and the offices for work. You usually have flexible guidelines for the topics that can be included. Sometimes you have to translate science papers into a language patients can understand. This allows you to write about a variety of subjects including scientific breakthroughs, research results and healthy living ideas. The variety of subjects and possible points of view prevents this job from ever being boring.
The Uncertainty
Although there are multiple opportunities for freelance medical writing, this career choice carries an enormous amount of uncertainty. Contracts provide some level of security, but they can be terminated at any time. In addition, the pay varies greatly. Unfortunately, even medical offices can quickly become deadbeat clients and come up with a large number of excuses for payment delays. You also do not receive sick pay, vacations or other benefits.
Indirect Influence
A job as a freelance medical writer gives you an indirect influence on people’s lives, but there is no interaction. Many writers discover medical work does not have a byline, and they have strict contracts preventing them from revealing or using this information. You may receive limited feedback from the medical offices about your writing, but you never know the full impact of the work on their patients’ lives.