From SciComms to MedComms: An Intro to Medical Communications
If you’re trying to find a career where you can use your writing skills—this post is for you. Allow me to reintroduce myself…I’m Meredith Whitaker, PhD, former blogger and editor for the PLOS ECR Community. I wrote my last blog post in 2020 when I finished grad school and entered the medical communications industry. As I approach my five-year work anniversary, I’d like to share fresh insights for others who may be considering this career path.
What is medical communications?
Also known as “medcomms,” this industry involves creating and sharing accurate, evidence-based medical information with healthcare professionals, researchers, regulators, and patients. Medical writers work to ensure scientific data is clear, accessible, and compliant with ethical and regulatory standards. It is a multifaceted field, as impactful communication is at the core of many functions in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry required for a new discovery to reach patients. Medcomms professionals may work at specialized agencies, as freelancers, or ‘in house’ at pharma and biotech companies to support the development of peer-reviewed manuscripts or conference presentations, create publication extenders (e.g., video summaries, graphical abstracts, podcasts, or plain language summaries, or educate healthcare professionals using webinars, symposia, or other events. Medical communications professionals may also assist with internal training at pharmaceutical companies, preparing regulatory documents for drug approval processes. There are also opportunities to facilitate strategic planning by helping clients define their scientific strategy and key communication themes, target audiences, preferred congresses, etc.
What was my path from biomedical science to medcomms?
During graduate school, I realized that I was most passionate about the reading, writing, and presenting aspects of scientific research. A few trusted peers had entered medical communications upon graduation, and over coffee chats with them I learned they were enjoying intellectually stimulating and meaningful careers. I attended career events both at my university and in the NYC area to learn more. I was also fortunate that my labmates knew of my intended career path. Multiple postdocs in my lab forwarded me the Alphabet Health medical writer job posting from the postdoc-only listserv, saying, “This sounds just like you!” Following a writing test and interview, I started at Alphabet Health in March 2020 as a medical writer focused on publications. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to expand my skillset into almost all of the project types mentioned above and have enjoyed learning about multiple new therapies across diverse disease spaces.
What might a day in the life of a medcomms professional look like?
Medical communications is a fast-paced industry with opportunities to collaborate with researchers, statisticians, and healthcare professionals. On any given day at Alphabet Health, I’ll work in a team with fellow writers, client services/project managers, graphic designers, and digital specialists to bring data to life in collaboration with our clients and external expert partners. For example, if we are working to create a poster for a scientific congress, the client statisticians will share data with us, and following meetings with the expert authors and client team, we’ll develop a poster draft that is visually captivating and clearly communicates the results and potential clinical implications. Colleagues typically with PhD/MD/PharmD backgrounds will assist with reviewing the poster for important quality and accuracy checks. Colleagues with graphic design or digital expertise may assist with figures, layout, or enhancements such as an animation accessible from a QR code on the poster. The expert authors will provide their feedback, and our client services/project managers will keep everyone on track to obtain appropriate approvals within the congress deadline.
This is just one example of how different roles in the medical communications industry can coordinate to effectively convey new information. I’m continually seeing this type of coordination be used for new project types and new therapeutic areas. There are always opportunities to grow my expertise and skillsets while working with creative and thoughtful teammates. Please feel welcome to reach out on Linkedin if you’d like to learn more about my personal experience at Alphabet Health—it’s been a great ride so far!
Where can I learn more about medcomms?
A fantastic place to learn more about medcomms is The International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP). ISMPP is a global leader in advancing the ethical and effective communication of medical research. Whether you’re a graduate student, postdoc, or transitioning from academia, ISMPP offers essential resources, training, and a professional community of over 2,600 members to help you navigate the evolving landscape of medical communications. I wish I’d known about ISMPP when I was applying so that I could have taken advantage of their free resources for new professionals. There is also a reduced membership rate for students ($95/year). Following ISMPP on Linkedin is also an easy way to access learning opportunities and keep up with the industry. I also highly recommend attending ISMPP meetings for energizing in-person learning and networking. Their materials are helpful regardless of whether you’re interested in freelance, agency, or in-house pharma roles.
If you’re still wondering if medcomms is right for you, try browsing the ISMPP resources and reflect on whether the topics discussed herein resonate with you. Contemplate your strengths and weaknesses–if you find that writing, data visualization, and communicating are among your strengths, medcomms may be worth exploring. Seek out career events or ISMPP educational offerings to learn more. Practice your writing and editing skills by blogging, proofreading for friends, or self-administering common writing tests used in the industry. Some examples include taking a clinical trial results paper and creating a 10-minute presentation or having a friend redact the abstract of a paper and try to write it yourself. Are you able to set up an engaging narrative, accurately convey key points, and describe clinical impact of the results?
No matter where your scientific career takes you, being able to articulate new information and why it matters will be important for success. Hopefully, my experience and the resources available at ISMPP help you make informed decisions about your career.
Portions of this blog post were generated with the assistance of ChatGPT, incorporating insights from ISMPP resources. The content reflects my own interpretation and has been reviewed for accuracy. Featured word cloud image is made of cloud generator using a word list supplied by the ISMPP AI tool.
References and Resources
- MedCommsNetworking. Starting Out. https://medcommsnetworking.com/startingout/index.html. Accessed February 24, 2025.
- International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP). ISMPP website. Accessed March 18, 2025. https://www.ismpp.org/
- International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP). Explore medical publications as a career. Accessed March 18, 2025. https://ismpp.memberclicks.net/explore-medical-publications-as-a-career
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