"Medical Communication is the development and production of materials that deal specifically with medicine or health care. Professional medical communicators who write, edit, or develop materials about medicine and health. Journal articles and manuscripts for medical and scientific publications."
Medical Communications (or "Med Comms") is an umbrella term covering an array of professional services which raise awareness of the products and activities within the Life Science industries. The Medical/Healthcare Communications field is split into many different specialisms, but essentially, they are all trying to achieve the same goal, which is to educate and inform stakeholders about the latest innovations and perspectives in healthcare and to influence their choice of products, and therapies either for themselves or others. Healthcare Communications is both technical and creative and it requires an in-depth understanding of science and medical information and regulations, but this needs to be balanced with softer creative skills like writing, design or concept development. Many disciplines also require an element of commercial business acumen as well as great planning and organisational skills and an eye for detail.
If you are looking to enter the Medical/Healthcare Communications field and you want entry level jobs, most employers will ask for a science degree, but depending on the specialism a Business, Marketing, PR or Politics degree may also get you to the interview room, as would experience in journalism, the NHS, Government or another related fields. For most Medical Writing positions, the usual entry benchmark is a PhD in a life sciences subject, possibly with a post-doctorate, but other science and health-related degrees may also be considered alongside a post-graduate qualification or relevant work experience.
If you are looking for a Healthcare Communications role which inspires your creative side, then a career in Brand Management or Healthcare Advertising might be right for you. If writing is where your strengths lay, perhaps Healthcare PR, or a role as a Medical Writer or Editor within Medical Education would suit you better. If you are particularly commercially minded, Market Access/HEOR might be a good field to explore and if you are an organised, people-person, then Account Management/Client Services could provide the right role for you.
Medical & Healthcare Communications jobs are becoming more flexible and many can be carried out either in-house, in a specialist agency or freelance - although there has been a large shift in the last 12-months towards bringing candidates in to an organisation on a permanent basis but offering increased home working and flexible working hours/days.
Medical Communications (or "Med Comms") is an umbrella term covering an array of professional services which raise awareness of the products and activities within the Life Science industries. The Medical/Healthcare Communications field is split into many different specialisms, but essentially, they are all trying to achieve the same goal, which is to educate and inform stakeholders about the latest innovations and perspectives in healthcare and to influence their choice of products, and therapies either for themselves or others. Healthcare Communications is both technical and creative and it requires an in-depth understanding of science and medical information and regulations, but this needs to be balanced with softer creative skills like writing, design or concept development. Many disciplines also require an element of commercial business acumen as well as great planning and organisational skills and an eye for detail.
If you are looking to enter the Medical/Healthcare Communications field and you want entry level jobs, most employers will ask for a science degree, but depending on the specialism a Business, Marketing, PR or Politics degree may also get you to the interview room, as would experience in journalism, the NHS, Government or another related fields. For most Medical Writing positions, the usual entry benchmark is a PhD in a life sciences subject, possibly with a post-doctorate, but other science and health-related degrees may also be considered alongside a post-graduate qualification or relevant work experience.
If you are looking for a Healthcare Communications role which inspires your creative side, then a career in Brand Management or Healthcare Advertising might be right for you. If writing is where your strengths lay, perhaps Healthcare PR, or a role as a Medical Writer or Editor within Medical Education would suit you better. If you are particularly commercially minded, Market Access/HEOR might be a good field to explore and if you are an organised, people-person, then Account Management/Client Services could provide the right role for you.
Medical & Healthcare Communications jobs are becoming more flexible and many can be carried out either in-house, in a specialist agency or freelance - although there has been a large shift in the last 12-months towards bringing candidates in to an organisation on a permanent basis but offering increased home working and flexible working hours/days.