Program Overview

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Introduction to the Medical Writing Program

The Medical Writing Certificate Program at UC San Diego Extended Studies is designed for biomedical and life sciences graduates seeking to launch careers in medical writing. The program is guided by an expert Advisory Board and equips students with essential skills to communicate scientific information to lay audiences and scientific communities.

Program Overview

The Medical Writing Program is a 16-unit program that can be completed in 9-12 months. The program cost is approximately $4,000, and students must earn a minimum passing grade of B-/80% in every course.

Target Audience

The program is designed for individuals with degrees in biomedical or life sciences, such as biology, chemistry, pharmacy, nursing, nutrition, or public health. Many accepted applicants will have advanced degrees, including PhDs, which are particularly competitive for medical writing positions in the commercial sector and academic settings.

Demand and Job Prospects

Medical writing offers a rewarding and intellectually stimulating career, with six-figure salaries for senior writers. The demand for medical writers is growing, with a projected 27% growth in technical writers in healthcare from 2012 to 2022.

Program Cost, Duration, and Expectations

• The program cost is approximately $4,000.
• The program duration is 9-12 months.
• Students must earn a minimum passing grade of B-/80% in every course.

Highlights and Benefits

Key Program Highlights:

• 100% online specialization for those with biomedical and/or life sciences backgrounds.
• Gain baseline knowledge and skills to obtain a position as a specialized medical writer.
• Capstone tracks: Regulatory Writing, Journal Article and Publication Development, or Medical Education Materials (CME).

Program Benefits:

• Gain practical hands-on training with leading Medical Writing and Editing industry practitioners.
• Build a foundational knowledge of the role of medical writers and a variety of specific skills sets.
• The demand for trained writers in healthcare is growing, and medical writers' salaries are more than double the rate of inflation and increase with professional certification.
• Career offers flexibility and provides six-figure salaries for senior writers.
• Many medical writers manage their own freelance businesses, and it is an attractive well-paying alternative career path for recent PhDs who do not secure a faculty position.

Who Should Take the Certificate?

Developing professionals currently working in the healthcare ecosystem who want to boost their current career or transition into a Medical Writing role. Accepted applicants will have graduate degrees in biomedical or life sciences, such as biology, chemistry, pharmacy, nursing, nutrition, medicine, or public health.

Recommended Prerequisites

• Medical Terminology: An Anatomy and Physiology Approach (FPM-40632)
• Grammar Lab (WCWP-40234)
• Clinical Trials and Regulatory Writing Primer (FPM-40672)
• CT: Biostatistical Approaches to Clinical Trial Design (FPM-40233)

Required Courses (10 units)

• Introduction to Medical Writing and Editing (FPM-40696)
• Applied Medical Writing and Editing (FPM-40652)
• Ethics for Medical Writers (FPM-40609)
• Designing Figures, Tables, & Graphs (FPM-40608)

Electives (6 units required)

• Communicating Real World Evidence; Medical Writer Professional Development (FPM-40658)
• Citations and Reference Methods for Medical Writing (FPM-40660)
• CT: Documents in Drug Development: Writing Protocols, Reports, Summaries, Submissions, and Disclosures (FPM-40685)
• Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) (FPM-40659)

Capstone Project (Optional)

• Capstone: Journal Article and Publication Development (FPM-40630)
• Capstone: Medical Education Materials (FPM-40627)
• Capstone: Regulatory Writing (FPM-40628)
• Capstone: Scientific Grants (FPM-40629)

Conditions for Admission

Successful applicants must have a relevant educational background and native-level fluency in English, with the demonstrated ability to write clear, logical, and grammatically correct sentences.

Certificate Guidelines

The following prerequisites are recommended for students pursuing the Medical Writing certificate:

• Medical Terminology FPM-40172, 1 unit online
• Practical Clinical Statistics for the Non-Statistician FPM-40233, 2 units online
• Grammar Lab WCWP-40234, 3 units online
• Clinical Trials and Regulatory Writing Primer, FPM-40672, 1 unit online

Next Steps Experience

Connect your classroom education with real-world experiences through a Next Step Experience course. These specially designed classes allow students to gain hands-on experience by working closely with instructors and/or peers on real-world projects.

Advisory Board

The Medical Writing Program Advisory Board consists of experienced professionals in the field, including:

• Noelle Demas, Medical Writer, Panorama MedWriters Group, Inc.
• Timothy Mackey, MAS, PhD, Assistant Professor, UC San Diego School of Medicine
• Michelle Beauclair, Medical writer and copywriter, MB Medical Writer
• Tim Collinson, BSc (hons), ISMPP CMPP, Director, Global Publications, Santen Inc.
• Thomas Gegeny, MS, ELS, MWC, CMPP, Director, Scientific Strategy & Partnerships, Prime Global Medical Communications Ltd.