When we hear the term ‘clinical’, the images that come to our mind are
that of a hospital, a clinic or a healthcare centre. Until recently, a
profession in healthcare meant direct involvement with patient care;
which is not so, now. The avenues in healthcare have broadened to
include professions that don’t necessarily mean working in a hospital or
a clinic. These professions are non-clinical and require healthcare
expertise outside the patient care settings. However, indirectly, the
non-clinical professions work towards improving patient care- the basic
motto of healthcare.

These non-clinical professions are a
breakthrough in the conventional image of healthcare sector. In a
non-clinical setting, the doctor may become a healthcare business
analyst weighing the pros and cons of a setting up a medical device
company. A nurse may don the role of a software analyst guiding a team
of software professionals in preparing a software application for
patient admission. A midwife may become a writer, educating expectant
mothers through various informative articles on a related website.

The
diversification of conventional roles in healthcare has attracted many
aspirants from both- outside the sector and from within it. Not only the
opportunities are available for the first-timers, the opportunities are
plenty for clinicians who might want a career change, in which case,
the clinical experience is an additional advantage.

Non-clinical professions are designed for professionals who
? Do not go by conventional rules
? Are looking for new challenges
? Are deciding for shift career
? Wish to explore new options
? Want to know lucrative non-clinical positions
? Are nearing retirement and looking for further income
? Are looking for more creative approach to healthcare
? Are looking for career transition
? Are willing to accept change

Non-clinical career options for medical professionals
? Medical communications/writing/education
? Medical marketing
? Advertising
? Promotional educational
? Certified medical education
? Medical publications
? Paid blogging, and more
? Consulting
? Financial Services
? Health Information Technology (Health IT)
? Pharma/Biotech

Medical writing a promising career
Many
of you, in the course of your clinical practice, might have come across
situations, where you thought you could have handled the information in
a better way. There might be instances when- as a doctor you felt that
whatever you explained at length about cholelithiasis to a patient, not a
single word was heeded to; as a nurse you felt that health education
about care of a neonate to the new mother went unheard; as a
physiotherapist you felt the patient not exercising the muscles you told
him to or as a lab technician you found the patient has not prepared
himself for the test given. All these scenarios point towards one common
problem- communication gap.

We must understand that a patient
represents the common people, and does not understand medical terms and
are rather scared of it. Mention of a single term that bounces off their
head, makes them dis-interested in the content- how much ever valuable
it might be. In contrast, there is another group- the peers- people who
are well versed with medical language and are comfortable using it. Same
communication for both the groups does not work; the content should be
customized for them.

These are very few examples from a limited
setting in healthcare; there are plenty of instances where ends do not
meet because the information was not expressed or written properly, in a
way the target audience would understand. Expressing or writing
information the right way may sound easy, but can turn out to be a
Herculean task when you actually do it. Expressing thoughts or writing
information the right way- we call it medical writing- is an essential
and indispensable quality in healthcare sector- whether clinical or
non-clinical profession. This quality of writing right is inborn is some
and imbibed in others. And it is never too late- to polish the skill if
you already have it or to learn it if you don’t.

Contributing to healthcare the 'write' way
Medical
writing is one of the non-clinical ways to contribute to healthcare. It
requires art of a writer and science of a healthcare professional to
make a complete medical writer. As a doctor, it is important to
prescribe insulin for controlling blood sugar; however, it is equally
important to educate the patient about- his condition, significance of
diet control, technique of self injecting of insulin, importance of foot
care and eye care, necessity of regular check-ups, and maintenance of
regular exercise schedule- all in words that the patient could
comprehend, oral or written.

For doing this, a writer would need
to know the science of diabetes and the art to putting this science into
simple words sans complex medical terminologies. Seems a cake walk? How
many of us would know how to explain pancreas to a common man or how
insulin metabolises glucose? What is metabolism anyway? It’s a daunting
task to simplify these terms to the basic, medical writers just do
that..simplify!

Medical communication is a critical skill
because words do matter in research and medicine, for it is no politics.
Its importance is coming into light after medical writing industry has
taken off. As the world of medical communication is metamorphosing, new
courses are mushrooming broadening the options and existing courses are
modified and developed to meet the current industrial needs. Medical
writing is a promising career undoubtedly but is not true with mere
intent to get that dream job rather with passion and patience to explore
and write. Becoming a medical writer is easy but to maintain that
competency is challenging.

Is medical writing career the right
choice for you? Well! Question yourself and the answer is right there in
your senses. Here is the guide for making the perfect choice to enhance
your skill for a better recognition in your profession.

Introspect yourself A pre-choice thought
? How good are you in English? -The basic medium of communication in the medical world.
? Check how well you write? – The basic skill one needs to have is flair in writing.
? How well you understand science and medicine? -The core communication is based on scientific and medical information.
?
Are you inquisitive for exploring the subject constantly? One needs
to stay updated with latest information in science and medicine.
?
Do you have enough patience? Medical Information is vast and scattered.
One needs an eye for detail and patience to pick out the right
information.
? How passionate are you? It demands working beyond
hard work. Passion for writing is what makes you the perfect medical
writer you dream of.
? Is self study your way learning? Self-study is a great way to improve your knowledge and skills
?
How often can you practice? Practice makes a man perfect! Medical
writing needs meticulous practice to excel the way medical industry
demands.
? Are you ready to innovate? Medical writing is an art. It
needs constant innovation to explore interesting ways to communicate.

Medical
writing is definitely diverse with growing opportunities of employment.
To click the right key, one must have a “yes” for every question. If
yes, you will never regret for making medical writing, your career
choice.

The author is founder & CEO , InfocusRx™ and ZeebraCross™