I Wanna be a Medical Writer

by Diane Russell, Student Liaison WLU

I envy all of you who discovered the joy of Technical Writing the first time around. When I started university at the age of...19? I had never heard the term 'Technical Writer'. Instead, I ended up with a degree in Environmental Science, which was never put to use because I immediately entered Dental School.

I always loved to write, and considered myself good at explanations, but after graduation I squelched any desires I may have had in the writing department and started working in the dental profession. I enjoyed it at first but, a few years ago, I realized that I probably should have selected something else right from the start. To determine my 'top ten' career profile, I filled out questionnaires with a career counsellor, and I was ultimately steered toward the field of Technical Writing.

Back to School

My decision to head back to university was met with mixed reactions from my friends and colleagues. While many said "good for you, I admire you", several made it known that I must be crazy to give up what many considered to be a lucrative profession. Undaunted, I traded in my briefcase for a knapsack, and enrolled at Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) to complete an English degree. Until then, I had never written a university-level essay. I had no idea how to do literary criticism, and I'd never taken any arts courses--strictly science. To make things even more interesting, I was older than most of my professors!

But you know what? Returning to school has been a fabulous experience. Getting 'A' grades this time around has meant so much more, especially considering that two short years ago I'd never taken an English course. I went back to study English and Rhetoric, and ended up learning some history and computer technology at the same time. As a mature student, I was more focused than the first time around, and I had a drive to learn all that I could.

The Academic Paper

In addition to learning in a traditional setting, I was also asked to assist PhDs with the writing of an academic paper. An undergraduate...writing a paper with PhDs? Yes -- and it was a great experience! Two professors from WLU's Faculty of Social Work needed a dentist to co-author a paper they wanted to publish (their topic was dental treatment for survivors of sexual abuse). I was privileged to be asked, and I thought it was wonderful to share my dental knowledge while also employing my newly-learned rhetorical strategies to help produce that part of the paper that suggests guidelines for health-care professionals. The academic paper will be published in an American professional journal some time this year and, because I have written articles for similar journals and still am a member of the Provincial dental association, I was also asked to facilitate contact with editors. I'm currently looking into the possibility of presenting the findings in the academic paper at a convention next year (I like public speaking too).

About to Graduate: What Next?

I am now about to graduate and I have several options for my future. Although medical technical writing is a relatively small field, I think there are some interesting possibilities. I'm eagerly anticipating the opportunity to combine my knowledge of the healthcare profession with my now well-developed ability to write. Here are some areas where I hope to put my skills to use:

• Designing and writing brochures for patient education;
• Writing instructions/fact sheets to give to patients about medical/surgical procedures;
• Redesigning medical questionnaires to reflect current concerns; rewording questions to facilitate better patient understanding;
• Redesigning insurance forms to make them easier for claimants to complete;
• Writing product information documents for use by other health-care professionals;
• Writing promotional documents and newspaper articles that relate to the healthcare field;
• Editing and co-authoring academic papers; and
• Editing professional journals, textbooks, and magazine articles.

Writing and Healthcare...two interesting fields that I am lucky enough to combine into one profession -- the best of both worlds!