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Department of Communication Studies

Ph.D. in Health Communication

Preparing you for teaching and research in health and interpersonal relationships.

Choosing to pursue a doctorate in the Health Communications program will prepare you for teaching and research in the areas of health and interpersonal relationships, intercultural health, and mediated communication in healthcare contexts. You will be prepared to tackle the development of healthcare campaigns as well as the ethical questions surrounding the communication of healthcare messaging. Your coursework will prepare you to engage with clinical problems affected by communication and develop your ability to translate research into practice, putting you in a prime position for advanced work in academic and healthcare professions.

Course Requirements

IU requires a minimum of 90 credit hours of approved graduate coursework beyond the bachelor’s degree.

A maximum of 30 credit hours of approved graduate work completed with a grade of B or better may be transferred with the approval of the advisory committee and the Dean of the University Graduate School.

All coursework taken for the Ph.D. must be completed within seven years prior to the passing of qualifying exams, including any transfer courses. Coursework that does not meet this criterion may be revalidated.

Overall, the requirements include core courses (15 credit hours), seminars in content areas focused on (but not limited to) interpersonal relationship communication, intercultural communication, mediated/campaign communication (at least 15 credit hours), minor (9-12 credit hours), field work/research (6-9 credit hours), and dissertation credits (12 credit hours).

Students may select from the courses offered within Communication Studies.  In addition, other cross-listed seminars from affiliated faculty in departments or programs such as the International Center for Intercultural Communication (ICIC).  Medical Humanities, Medical Sociology, and other health-related areas may count toward the student’s degree with approval from the student’s advisor.

Minor Area of Emphasis (9-12 credit hours):

All students must complete a minor in an area related to their primary health communication focus. The minor area of emphasis must be approved by the student’s advisor and advisory committee and contain a minimum of three graduate level courses (9 credit hours) in accordance with the department or unit in which the minor is housed. Some departments require a 12-credit hour minor.

Comprehensive Examinations:

All students must take written examinations that cover both broad knowledge of the health communication field as well as specialized knowledge of a chosen area of health communication. Comprehensive exams are taken after the student has completed a minimum of 39 credit hours (beyond the Master’s) including the required core, seminars, and minor coursework.

Fieldwork /Research (up to 9 credit hours):

All students are required to initiate or participate in original research with the approval of advisor. This field/research work is geared to focus the student’s research interest to serve as a springboard for the dissertation work.

Ph.D. Dissertation (up to 12 credit hours):

Dissertation credits are structured so that the student is unencumbered with completing coursework and can focus completely on conducting research and writing the dissertation for completion of the degree.

Core Courses

COMM-C 500 Advanced Communication Theory (3) COMM-C 504 Pro-Seminar in Communication Graduate Studies (3) COMM-C 592 Advanced Health Communication (3) COMM-C 680 Doctoral Qualitative Research Methods (3) COMM-C 690 Doctoral Quantitative Methods (3) COMM-C 695 Seminar in Communication and Healthcare (3) Seminars in Content Areas (at least 15 credit hours)

Admission Requirements:

Required coursework:.

Students entering the program must have at least a Master’s degree (minimum of 30 credit hours) in Communication or a related social science or health discipline.

Preference will be given to those students with degrees from communication studies programs.

Students should have a GPA of 3.5 or higher in their Master’s coursework.

Students are expected to have taken some foundational coursework in Communication. For students entering the program with no background in Communication, additional preparatory coursework in the discipline may be required as a condition of admission.

Required Testing

Beginning in 2021, interested applicants are no longer required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Revised General Test (Quantitative, Verbal, and Analytical Writing).  Applicants may still want to submit their GRE scores to be considered in their application, and they may do so.

Successful candidates typically have scores between 150-170 in Verbal Reasoning and in Quantitative Reasoning and a score between 4.0-6.0 in Analytical Writing.

In addition, non-native English speakers who did not complete a degree at a college or university in the U.S. must take an English competency test. The student may complete either of the following:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The expectation for admission is a minimum score of 88 on the TOEFL iBT (internet based test). Please note that this score represents the minimum that will be considered. In practice, we look for scores above 100.
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The minimum acceptable IELTS score is 6.5; in practice, we look for an IELTS of 7 or more. It is required that applicants take the academic reading and writing modules, not the general training reading and writing modules. Please note that this score represents the minimum that will be considered. In practice, we look for scores above 7.

Additional Required Materials

• A written statement of purpose for entering this Ph.D. program
• Three letters of recommendation from individuals in professional positions able to judge success
• Curriculum vitae
• Graduate and undergraduate transcripts
• A writing sample demonstrating academic writing ability

Undergraduate Record

Graduate School requirements include a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, a minimum 3.0 grade point average on a scale of 4, and a minimum 3.0 average in the major field.

Applications will be viewed in their entirety. A candidate’s outstanding qualifications in one area can be balanced against more marginal qualifications in another dimension. Keep in mind that admission is competitive and financial support even more competitive. Most of the students admitted and supported will exceed the minimal requirements

Contact Kim White-Mills , Director of PhD Program and PhD Minors.

Related Links

• Master of Arts in Applied Communication
• Graduate Minor in Communicating Science
• PhD Minor in Health Communication
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Health Communication Courses

Students in the PhD program are invited to take courses across any of our areas. A complete listing of courses in the PhD program can be found here .

Regularly scheduled courses in health communication include:

COMS 8400 – Health Communication in Organizing This course introduces students to research on health communication issues in organizing and provides a forum for developing a research agenda in this area. Underscoring course reading and assignments is the assumption that health, wellness, illness, and healing acquire meaning through symbolic interactions located within social, political, economic, and cultural structures.

COMS 8420 – Health Communication and Culture The purpose of this course is to examine the influence of culture on communicative aspects of patient and public health. The course explores theories of communication medical anthropology, and health education to understand the conceptual foundations of intercultural health. The course analyzes how peoples’ health beliefs play out in interactions with patients and providers, and examines how public health strategies can be designed for specific cultural contexts. The larger purpose of this course is to train graduate students to communicate more effectively with patients, providers, and the public in multicultural health care settings.

COMS 8430 – Relational Issues in Health Communication This course provides an overview of theory and research within the broad scope of relationships and health communication. Specifically, students gain an understanding of health communication in personal, peer, and provider/caregiver relationships, including research on how health conditions shape communication in these relationships, as well as how every day communication in these relationships influences health.  

COMS 8440 – Health Communication and Society

Seminar exploring the relationships among communication, public culture, and public perceptions of health and wellness. Surveys theoretical approaches (i.e., cultural studies, rhetorical analysis) and emphasizes the application of theory through writing and criticism. There is a strong emphasis on exploring current issues and challenges facing the health care industry and the public’s understanding of health and wellness.

COMS 8450 – Health Communication Campaigns

This course explores the theory and practice of communication campaigns that attempt to influence awareness, knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors related to health. Students examine theories and research that inform the development, implementation, and evaluation of campaigns with an emphasis on practical implications. The course also focuses on values and ethical dilemmas in the design and conduct of campaigns.

COMS 8460 – Persuasion and Social Influence in Communication

This course focuses on the processes through which attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are shaped, reinforced, and changed via communication. The course provides a survey of theories and research in persuasion as well as analysis of contemporary examples of persuasive communication.

COMS 8470 – Communication and Uncertainty in Health and Illness

Uncertainty is common in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment for many illnesses, and in relationships among patients, care providers, and family members, where illnesses experiences are addressed. Communication is a source of illness-related uncertainty, a resource for dealing with such uncertainty, and most generally the medium through which the presence and meanings of uncertainty are constructed. This course examines the nature of illness-related uncertainty, and theory and research on communication and uncertainty related to instrumental, identity, relational, and affect management; it examines these issues in contexts such as health information seeking, health screening and genetic testing, diagnosis and medically unexplained symptoms, treatment decisions, including end-of-life care, and social support.

COMS 8480 – Environmental Communication

This course focuses on how we communicatively construct and affect the environment. Students analyze and critique a wide range of voices (e.g., citizen and community groups, Greens, corporations and lobbyists, scientists, anti-environmentalists, public officials and regulators, journalists) on a variety of environmental disputes. Students learn about environmental decision making and conflict resolution, advocacy, climate and environmental justice movements, science communication, and risk communication in the context of current environmental issues. The course is designed to accommodate primarily communication studies doctoral students, but it reviews foundational theories in sufficient detail to equip students from other programs to participate effectively. The course equips students to conduct original research on environmental communication and to engage in activism as appropriate to interests and exigencies.  

COMS 8490 – Special Topics in Health Communication Advanced seminar focusing on the role and dynamics of communication employed across a range of health contexts. Topic varies with instructor. Students may repeat the course as topics rotate for a total of 12 credits.  

Guide to Science and Medical Communication

The Fields Within Science Communication

Technical writing and editing.

• Medical Communication and Writing

Medical Science Liaisons and Clinical Scientists

Scientific research writing, science journalism, science marketing, science public relations, science education, education and training in science communication, professional resources for science writers.

As STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields continue to expand at a rapid pace both in the United States and internationally, the need for clear and effective science communication has expanded accordingly. Science communication is a broad field that encompasses technical writing and editing, medical communication, scientific research writing, science journalism, public relations for scientific or health organizations, environmental communication, and marketing. Scholars and practitioners of science communication play key roles in industries ranging from the pharmaceutical industry to government agencies, research institutions, and technology companies ranging from large corporations to small startups.

Science communication has a rich history dating back to ancient times in both the Western and Eastern hemispheres. From the public debates and forums held by Greek philosophers to the invention of gunpowder, paper, and the compass in China, humans have been seeking to understand their world, create inventions based off of scientific principles, and convey their knowledge to fellow scholars or the public for millennia. Scientific communications of centuries past continue to impact our modern understanding of and interaction with the world. Think of Galileo’s published observations of our solar system, or the research publications of William Smellie of Scotland, who published a Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Midwifery in three volumes from 1752 to 1764 (Britannica).

In the modern era, the creation of science communication is no longer relegated to the ranks of the educational elite. Online journals have made the sharing of scientific insights much easier, while tech-centric corporations have found the need to write documentation and consumer instructions regarding their products. In addition, as non-profit organizations that advocate for the environment, women’s health and reproductive rights, and fostering youth education in the STEM fields, there has been an expansion in the variety of science communication being used to convey important ideas. Finally, as the United States and other countries face increasing challenges on the health care front, more medical institutions as well as health-related start-ups have begun investing time into connecting with and educating patients and potential consumers alike.

This Guide to Scientific Communication delves into the current landscape of science communication, including the fields within this expansive discipline, the forms of communication that scholars and practitioners of science communication use, and the diverse careers that people assume within this discipline.

As mentioned previously, the modern era has seen an expansion in the types of science communication that exist, and the media used to convey scientific information. Examples of science communication today include technical writing and editing, medical communication, scientific research writing, science journalism, political writing (on topics relating to science, medical, or health policy and advocacy), health and science marketing, environmental communication, and even public relations for companies that offer technical or scientific products/services.

According to the Society for Technical Communication (STC), technical communication is defined as any form of communication that is about technical or specialized topics, instructs its audience/readership in how to do a particular task, or uses technology in its dissemination. Certain types of scientific and medical communication are also considered subsets of technical communication, if they are instructional in nature or concern a specialized topic in the scientific or medical field. The key characteristics of technical communication are that it is concise yet informative, explains or discusses niche topics in a cogent manner, and/or incorporates technology or science either in its subject matter or in its form of communication. Examples of technical writing and editing in the fields of scientific communication, medical communication, and technology include:

• Patient instructions and discussions of risk/side effects on pharmaceutical medications.
• Proposals that a university’s biochemistry research team submits for grant funding.
• Scientific articles published in scholarly journals meant for the research community, and reports that use statistical findings to discuss scientific phenomena to wider audiences.
• Project proposals or designs that require specialized knowledge, such as designs for technological products, an environmental preservation or resource management plan, or the trademark fermentation process for certain food products.
• White papers and press releases that concern complex scientific products, services, or issues, such as a corporation’s carbon footprint (with statistical evidence to substantiate any conclusions), or a description of a product’s impact on consumers’ health.
• Memos that are written for internal purposes at a biotechnology or medical device company, through which employees convey confidential and specialized knowledge about products, services, workflows, etc.
• A website with detailed instructions and interactive tutorials on how to use a particular web application, such as premium email features, cloud storage, a website builder, or a music or video editor.
• Computer and software manuals, such as instructions on how to use statistical analysis software.
• Instructions on how to operate machinery or complex devices, such as laboratory equipment, cameras, vehicles, and household appliances.

Technical writing is an important part of our economy and society because it enables companies to support their consumers in accessing and utilizing their products and services, thereby making them more successful in their business and in their contributions to the economy. In addition, technical writing and editing help consumers use products and services available to them more efficiently, safely, and effectively. For example, medical instructions, as a form of technical communication, are extremely important in ensuring effective and safe treatment of patient ailments. At the same time, online support centers for one’s computer or operating system can be crucial for a person to maintain productivity.

Strong technical writers are adept at translating complex and/or specialized concepts into understandable and actionable prose for their readership. They use no superfluous language, and may also have skills in creating visual representations of complex concepts, procedures, or phenomena. Examples of careers that are common in the field of technical writing and editing include technical documentation writers and editors at technology companies, software or hardware manual writer, web designers and developers, grant/proposal writer, corporate communications specialist, information architects, technical illustrators, e-learning experts and developers, and instructional designers.

Technical communication is a broad field that not only includes scientific and medical communication, but also encompasses a wide range of other communication forms. For more information on the depth and diversity of technical communication, please refer to our Technical Communication Hub .

Medical Communication and Medical Writing

One form of science communication that has been expanding rapidly as the health care industry has grown is medical communication. According to the American Medical Writers Association , medical communication is the design, creation, and dissemination of content that specifically concerns medicine and health care. As a subset of the larger field of health communication, medical communication plays a diverse and crucial role across many different environments, including not only health care settings, but also research, educational, and mass media contexts. Examples of medical communication include but are not limited to:

• Research papers written by scholars of medicine and human health.
• Grant proposals for medical research funding.
• Expert input provided by medical science liaisons (MSLs) and clinical scientists regarding medicines, medical devices, scientific research, patient care, and business strategy.
• Health care policies and regulations, as well as health-related advocacy materials produced by non-profit organizations.
• Pharmaceutical marketing and public relations.
• Medical and health advice articles written for online audiences.
• Patient-provider communication ranging from in-person conversations that doctors and nurses have with patients and their families, to video chats, emails, and medical/treatment instructions.
• Group and organizational communication within medical settings, including conversations and medical documentation shared between health care providers, and between administrative leadership and staff in hospitals.

As the examples above illustrate, medical communication is the medium through which medical phenomena are explored and documented, and through which health care innovations are designed and discovered. It is also a crucial element of organizational dynamics within medical settings such as hospitals and community health centers. Medical communication also ensures the efficacy of health care providers’ treatment plans, and the safety of their patients in both inpatient and outpatient environments. Effective medical communication, like technical communication, emphasizes clear, informative, and actionable content that is relevant to target audiences.

In addition to possessing strong writing skills, and depending on their specific role, medical communicators must be knowledgeable in health, medicine, the health care industry, and/or health care policy in order to speak to these topics for the benefit of their target audiences. Examples of careers in medical communication include medical documentation writers, medical journalists, health policy writers, medical textbook writers, pharmaceutical marketing specialists, medical science liaisons, clinical scientists, and public relations specialists for hospitals, health insurance companies, and medical associations. The American Medical Writers Association offers training in medical writing for professionals interested in learning more about the field and professional certifications (e.g., Essential Skills (ES) Certificate and the Medical Writer Certified (MWC) credential) for medical writers interested in adding credentials to enhance their marketability in the medical writing profession.

Note : Medical communication is a subset of health communication, which itself is a broad field that also includes communication relating to public health, health marketing and education, political advocacy, and even communication between patients and providers. For example, educational content relating to nutrition, exercise, and general well-being (as opposed to specialized medical advice), women’s health advocacy materials, and public health policies all qualify as health communication. For more information on health communication as a discipline, please refer to our Health Communication Hub .

There are additional roles within the field of medical communication that typically require professionals to possess a doctorate degree in a medical field: for example, an MD, a PhD in biomedical sciences, or a PharmD. These positions include medical science liaisons (MSLs) and clinical scientists. MSLs combine medical or research expertise with strong communication and analytical skills to support the success of medical companies. They serve as research consultants, business analysts, and relationship builders for medical device, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology corporations.

MSLs’ key responsibilities include serving as a liaison between investigators conducting clinical trials, health care providers, medical researchers, and other key opinion leaders and thought leaders in clinical research. They also engage in medical education services for health care providers and patients, and engage in the discussion, publication, and dissemination of medical research. MSLs work at the intersection of medical research, clinical science, and business development, and therefore this career path can be a good alternative for medical professionals and doctorate-level scientists who would like to expand their profession beyond bench science.

As MSLs gain additional business experience by working for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, they can take on more managerial roles that combine scientific expertise, content strategy, public relations, and business analysis and development. Examples of such roles include:

• Medical Communications Manager at a biotechnology company
• Manager of Global Medical Publications at a pharmaceutical corporation
• Director of Medical Affairs at a medical device company

Clinical scientists, like MSLs, typically hold an MD or PhD in a biomedical field and have several years of experience working in industry. They are subject level experts who oversee research that is conducted as part of clinical trials. Part of their responsibilities include duties similar to MSLs in that they communicate with investigators to answer research related questions. They also act as a bridge between scientist conducting bench research and professional conducting clinical trials.

Scientific research writing includes both published journal articles on scientific topics, as well as the notes, records, and drafts that researchers write during their studies and experiments. Moreover, as scientific research typically requires funding, scientific research writing also includes the proposals that scientists must write explaining the details and importance of their research, which they submit to institutions that provide public or private research funding. Scientific research writing is an important discipline because it is how researchers across different scientific disciplines document, analyze, and share their experiments and their results. The great variety of scientific journals means that there is an academic journal for nearly any realm of science, from ecology to astronomy. Examples of journals where scientists might publish their findings include:

• American Journal of Public Health
• Astrophysics and Space Science
• British Medical Journal
• Journal of Ecology
• The Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging

Scientific research writing is typically quite structured, formal, and detail-oriented. Scientific journal articles are generally comprised of five main components: 1) Abstract, which summarizes the purpose, process, and findings of the study, 2) Introduction, which details the background, rationale, and primary objectives of the article, 3) Methods section, which outlines the design of the study, the methods and equipment for measuring data, and justification for their use, 4) Results, which describes the outcome of the researcher’s experiment, and 5) Analysis, which analyzes the data relative to the projections 6) Discussion, which explains the significance of the study’s findings. In addition to these general structural guidelines, researchers often have to tailor their scientific writing to the formatting and other standards set forth by the journal(s) to which they submit their research.

The same principles apply to the grant proposals scientists must submit for funding—these proposals must likewise be formal and structured. Therefore, researchers must not only have a thorough knowledge of their topic of study, but also how to express their knowledge and insights in a way that is tailored to their target audience, be it a research funding institution or the readers of a scientific journal.

For some researchers, the writing, editing, and publication of their research can prove challenging. Therefore, some research institutions and universities have dedicated science writers for certain research departments, who help scholars translate their findings into publishable prose. In addition, some research institutions have dedicated grant/proposal writers who help scholars navigate the grant proposal writing and submission processes.

Unlike scientific research articles, whose target audiences are generally members of the scientific community, science journalism is defined as content written or created for the general populace regarding topics in science. Science journalism is an important field because it keeps the public informed of important discoveries and issues ranging from the philosophical to the highly practical. Examples of science journalism include but are not limited to:

• An article in The New York Times about global warming and its projected impact on our community.
• An article in Wired about the latest technological advancements in computer microchips.
• A special feature in TIME Magazine about artificial hearts and their use in surgical medicine.
• An investigative article on extinct species by National Geographic.
• An article and radio podcast on the plastics crisis in the U.S. and globally featured on National Public Radio and NPR.org.

Most major news outlets have a dedicated Science section that employs science journalists to select, research, write, and edit engaging content. Science journalists typically need to have a strong grasp of scientific concepts, as well as specialized knowledge in the areas about which they write most. Newspaper science departments will sometimes but not always have teams dedicated to particular types of science news article, from human health-related science to environmental science, scientific scholarship and discovery, and the intersection of science and society. In addition, publications such as the Scientific American and Popular Science are wholly dedicated to scientific concepts, discussions, and events.

Science marketing is defined as the creation of content such as print and online advertisements, advertising videos, blog posts, promotional items, brochures and other collateral, trade show booths, and social media posts that promote an organization’s science-related product, service, or mission statement. Examples of science marketing include:

• Content written for an environmental advocacy organization, such as the Natural Resources Defense Council and The Nature Conservancy, explaining the organization’s mission statement and using scientific evidence and statistics to illustrate the importance of this mission.
• Marketing content that describes the benefit of a device and accompanying app that helps people monitor health metrics such as heart rate, body temperature, hours of sleep, etc., and which cites scientific principles or studies to prove its point.
• Website content for a company that sells computer hardware, detailing instructions on how to use these devices while also promoting the benefits of this company’s products over its competitors (in this case, this content would be a combination of technical writing and marketing writing).
• An informational pamphlet on a new pharmaceutical drug, detailing its mechanisms within the body and how it is effective.
• A promotional video for an environmentally conscious company that details the company’s green production practices as an argument for consumer commitment.

Strong science marketing writers combine their knowledge of engaging writing with their understanding of how scientific concepts intersect with their company’s products, services, or core mission. In addition, as much of marketing is visual, practitioners of science marketing may need to be adept at translating complex scientific concepts relating to their company into visualizations (ex. charts, graphs, infographics, and interactive videos) that are easy for consumers to comprehend and act upon.

Science public relations is defined as the development of content such as press releases, white papers, newsletters, and social media posts for organizations that offer products or services that are scientific in nature. As a diverse field in its own right, an organization’s public relations is by necessity tailored to the company’s specific product/service, customers, and stakeholders/investors. Examples of public relations in the realm of science include but are not limited to:

• A press release addressing consumer and stakeholder concerns about defects in a new tech product.
• Newsletters, magazines, and exclusive content written for members of a science-related organization, such as the American Medical Association or the National Association of Environmental Professionals.
• A white paper detailing the science behind a new agricultural practice and its reduced impact on the environment.

Science public relations, in tandem with science marketing and technical writing, are important because they help to ensure the health of companies that then contribute to the economy. Moreover, public relations is a form of accountability that companies maintain with consumers and stakeholders, which is important from a societal perspective because it enhances trust between the public and organizations.

Communication for science education has always been a core part of primary, secondary, and higher education. However, recently it has played an increasingly important role as STEM fields continue to expand, bringing with them increased demand for jobs in areas such as computer and mechanical engineering, medicine, the natural sciences, and more. Science education is a broad field that encompasses science instruction in the classroom as well as Massive Open Online Courses (or MOOCs) about everything from physics to molecular chemistry, ecology, and human nutrition. Examples of science communication include:

• The lectures and lecture slides that a physics professor writes/designs for his undergraduate physics classes.
• The textbooks that students purchase for their chemistry, physics, and biology classes.
• Science videos available on both public television or for purchase as part of a class session.
• The design of course content for an online class about human physiology.

Science education writing is similar to technical writing in that its main purpose is to relate information and teach its readers certain specialized knowledge. As such, the characteristics that distinguish good science education writing are similar to those that make good technical writing: clarity, relevant detail, and an attentiveness to the reader’s objectives in learning about a particular concept or skill. However, while technical communication tends to be very brief, science education communication can be longer and more detailed (such as in the case of textbooks, lectures, and in-depth videos). In addition, strong science education writing should engage the reader on a deeper level than does technical writing, as it is often more conceptual and is often delivered as part of an extended class session.

Professionals in science communication must combine in-depth knowledge of scientific concepts and issues with skills in writing, editing, and media production. As science communication is a diverse and expansive field with many sub-disciplines, there are a variety of programs at the undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate certificate levels that train people in scientific writing and communication.

Bachelor’s Programs in Science Communication

Bachelor’s degree programs in science communication are typically comprised of 120 to 160 course credits, and consist of both general education requirements and specialized courses. Examples of undergraduate programs in science communication include but are not limited to the following:

• Carnegie Mellon University’s Bachelor of Science in Technical Writing and Communication : This program offers two tracks, one in Technical Communication and one in Scientific and Medical Communication. Students can choose from courses in visual communication, software documentation, document planning, environmental rhetoric, medicine and society, language and culture, and more.
• University of Houston’s Bachelor of Arts in Health Communication : This program prepares students for careers as health communication specialists in environments such as hospitals, community organizations, and companies through classes in patient-provider communication, multicultural health communication, health campaigns, and health literacy.
• Michigan Tech University’s Bachelor of Arts/Science in Scientific and Technical Communication : This program includes classes in digital media, graphic and information design, technical and professional communication, usability and instructions, multimedia communication, and science writing to train students to become versatile communication professionals.

Master’s Programs in Science Communication

In general, master’s programs in science communication are comprised of between 30 and 36 course credits, and often include a thesis or a professional project as a culminating experience to the program. While a thesis is a formal research paper (which follows the structure outlined in the scientific research writing section above), a professional project typically takes the form of a written or multimedia work that is directly relevant to the student’s desired career.

The following table includes a comprehensive list of master’s programs in science communication offered nationwide.

To help illustrate the kinds of curricula students can expect in a master’s in science communication program, below are descriptions for a select number of programs:

• The University of California at Santa Cruz’s Master’s Program in Science Communication : Students of this program take intensive classes in science news reporting and editing, science feature writing, multimedia storytelling, investigative and policy reporting, and are also required to complete an immersive internship in settings such as newspapers, radio stations, and research institutions.
• New York University’s Master of Science in Science, Health & Environmental Reporting : This program features classes in writing and reporting, medical reporting, investigative science journalism, and special topics in science, environmental, and health reporting. It also includes an integrated internship experience in a setting that is tailored to the student’s interests and goals.
• Johns Hopkins University’s Master of Arts in Science Writing : Students of this program learn the techniques of creative and professional science writing through a combination of writing workshops, interdisciplinary courses in areas such as environmental science, policy, and biotechnology.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Master’s Program in Science Writing : This program trains students to have a diverse set of skills in science communication that can apply to a variety of advanced communication careers. Classes include advanced science writing seminars, lab experience for science writers, and science documentary, and culminate in a graduate thesis. For their electives, students can take relevant and approved courses from either MIT or Harvard.
• The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Master of Science in Life Sciences Communication : This program has both a thesis and a professional track to accommodate students who want to pursue scholarly or industry-focused work in life sciences communication. Students take classes in communication theory and research, statistics, research methodologies, and life science communication strategies, and can also incorporate classes from other departments to create a customized program of study.

Students interested in science communication should note that, as science communication is such a broad field, degree programs that prepare students for science communication careers range from programs in environmental and health science journalism to technical writing. Therefore, prospective students who are interested in a career in science communication should identify the specific fields within science communication that interest them, and research programs that are specific to these fields. ( Note: For more information on master’s degree programs in environmental communication specifically, please refer to our Guide to Environmental Communication . )

Post-Graduate Certificate Programs in Scientific and Medical Communication

For students who hold a bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degree who do not want to pursue a full master’s program, there are post-graduate certificate programs. These maybe an especially good option for current PhD students as well as PhD graduates and post-docs who are interested in pursuing a career in science and/or medical communication. For these individuals, post-graduate certificate programs allow them to take specific classes that are tailored to their interests in health/medical communication and how it can be combined with their scientific or medical expertise. Certificate programs in science or medical communication are significantly shorter than master’s programs in communication. Moreover, many of them are offered online, which provides additional flexibility for students still earning their doctorate or PhD graduates who are working full-time while exploring a career transition.

Post-graduate certificate programs typically allow students to choose from a broad menu of advanced courses in science-related communication. While course offerings vary across programs, examples of classes that may be available through post-graduate certificate programs in science communication include courses in emerging media technologies in the scientific field, science writing, medical education, environmental communication, writing for biotechnology organizations, scholarly journal editing, and biomedical product promotion. Depending on an individual’s desired role in science communication, it may also be possible for them to take one or two courses of a post-graduate certificate program without having to complete the entire program.

A full list of post-graduate certificate programs in science communication is provided below:

For more information on post-graduate certificate programs in science communication (as well as a list of master’s degree programs in science communication), please refer to our FAQ on Graduate Certificate Programs in Science Writing, Communication and Journalism .

Examples of Courses in Science Communication

While the required courses for graduate programs in science communication vary according to students’ chosen specialization and the school at which they are enrolled, examples of courses that might comprise a master’s in science communication program include:

• Topics in Science, Environmental, and Health Journalism : This course provides an overview of key topics and developments in the scientific, health care, and environmental fields, giving students a strong foundation in important history and current events that will inform their work as writers. Students also learn how science writers conduct thorough research, analyze evidence, interact with scientists from different disciplines, and finally write and edit informative and impactful content.
• Science Writing Workshop : In this seminar, students learn the key elements of a compelling story, as well as the detailed steps and methodologies used to identify story leads, find relevant information, conduct interviews, and produce written and multimedia content. Students write numerous articles in this class and discuss them in a workshop environment, with the goal of publishing their best works.
• Technology and Tools for Science Writers : This course delves into the various multimedia tools that are available to science writers and content developers. Students practice using the latest technologies in the space to create visual and interactive content that explores important topics in science, medicine, and technology.
• Technical Writing and Editing : The skills, processes, and methods that are integral to writing technical and scientific content for publications such as medical journal articles, technical instructions, and journalistic articles on STEM subjects. Students learn how to create scientific and technical content for different audiences ranging from consumers to subject matter experts.
• Technical Communication Management : How to manage the technical content publication process from start to finish, including overseeing teams in the design, writing, editing, and publication of technical content. Students learn how to identify the needs of an organization and/or their readership, and to develop content that meets these needs.
• Techniques in Scientific and Medical Writing : In this class, students learn the principal skills and techniques employed by scientific and medical writers when covering topics such as biology, medicine, technology, and space. Through their assignments, students engage in many different types of science and medical writing, including literary non-fiction, journalistic articles, instructional material, and research writing.
• Patient-Provider Communication : This class covers the theories and methods that underpin effective patient-provider communication in all of its forms, from in-person appointments to written treatment instructions. Students observe doctors and nurses interacting with patients and their families, and discuss topics in patient-provider communication with these parties. The course culminates in a final report that analyzes and seeks to address challenges in patient-provider communication.

In addition to the academic programs that are dedicated to training students in professional science communication, there are a number of professional associations that support science writers at any stage in their careers. These organizations may offer membership benefits such as continuing education classes, networking events, and advocacy for the profession.

• The National Association of Science Writers (NASW) : NASW offers its members an exclusive jobs list, free access to scientific journals, fellowship and grant opportunities, and access to a network of fellow science writers and journalists.
• The Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ) : AHCJ is committed to promoting high quality medical journalism by building a community of medical writers and journalists and offering its members trainings and regional workshops, access to online writing and editing resources, career development services, and advocacy.
• The American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) : AMWA offers its members the chance to attend exclusive conferences and events, certificate programs and other educational programming, job listings and an extensive professional network, and access to academic journals that are relevant to medical writers and journalists.
• The Society for Technical Communication (STC) : The STC provides its members with access to a wealth of technical communication publications, educational and professional training materials, an annual professional conference, and the chance to add to their credentials through the Certified Professional Technical Communicator program.

Science communication in all its forms—from medical writing to technical publications and environmental advocacy—is an integral part of human history and civilization. It is the medium through which scientific and technological advancements are discussed, and also plays a crucial role in human health and medicine, environmental advocacy, and politics. Individuals who are interested in becoming science communication professionals must rely on a combination of in-depth scientific knowledge, research skills, and the ability to write clear, informative, and engaging content that enhances our understanding of the world around us. Through both professional and academic training, these individuals can have satisfying careers with far-reaching impact.

• “Defining Technical Communication,” Society for Technical Communication, www.stc.org/about-stc/defining-technical-communication/
• “The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Medical Writer,” American Medical Writers Association, https://info.amwa.org/ultimate-guide-to-becoming-a-medical-writer#what_is_medical_writing
• “What is a Medical Science Liaison?” Medical Science Liaison Society, themsls.org/what-is-an-msl/
• “William Smellie,” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/biography/William-Smellie-Scottish-physician

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• CAREER COLUMN
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How I switched from academia to science communication

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Evguenia Alechine is a freelance science-communications specialist, and programme leader of the Medical Writing Organization, part of the Cheeky Scientist Association.

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The transition out of academia can involve a good deal of change. For PhDs who enjoy writing, a career in medical communications is a viable option. The field of medical writing is broad, encompassing everything from regulatory affairs, to writing and editing manuscripts, to medical education and promotion. Despite numerous novel experiences offered by medical writing, several skills typically acquired during the course of a PhD programme align nicely with the new requirements and responsibilities. From the perspective of a medical communications agency, PhDs form an important bridge between the need for deep and thorough biomedical knowledge and the daily responsibilities of writing, editing, educating and promoting. Should one choose to apply these skills to medical writing, the result can be an interesting and enjoyable work for the PhD, and a benefit to the employing agency.

• Cyranoski D, Gilbert N, Ledford H, Nayar A, Yahia M. Education: The PhD factory. Nature. 2011; 472:276-9.
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Medical Communications: The “Write” Career Path for You?

The pharmaceutical industry spends billions each year on the clinical development of new medicines. Getting those products to the patients who will benefit from them requires an ability to convey the results of extensive clinical research programs to regulatory authorities, physicians, and payers. Employed by medical communications agencies, contract research organizations, and pharmaceutical companies, medical writers distill and translate complex clinical and scientific data to develop documentation spanning the entire pharmaceutical-product life cycle, from clinical development to registration and marketing. Despite being a relatively new career, the market for medical communications professionals has doubled in recent years and future job prospects look promising.

Medical communications offers two distinct career trajectories: editorial and account management. The editorial track, which is the most common track for those with a scientific bent, includes editorial assistants, medical editors, and medical writers, who are responsible for the development of all editorial content. They produce and/or manage the production of a wide range of materials, including newsletters, slide decks, posters, manuscripts, conference booth materials, websites, and electronic applications. After gaining some experience at a company, a medical writer can move into a management position, become a freelance writer, or move to a related career. Those in the account management track support the editorial team to ensure that projects are delivered on time, on budget, and in compliance with stringent industry guidelines and regulations.

The career path of medical communications blends scientific expertise with a passion for communication. Successful medical writers are excellent communicators, fast learners, sticklers for detail, and have a service-oriented mind-set. If you recognize yourself in this description, then perhaps it is time to throw off that lab coat and launch your medical writing career.

Over the past half century, scientific and medical knowledge has increased exponentially—so rapidly, in fact, that the originators of that knowledge (including scientists and medical doctors) began to struggle to communicate it effectively. Submitting a new drug to regulatory authorities for marketing approval involves the painstaking preparation of scientific documents so detailed and numerous that, until electronic submissions became the norm, they could quite literally fill entire trucks. The proliferation of promising drug targets in recent decades led to a boom in regulatory submissions and a definite shortage of people with the required skills to prepare this documentation. Medical writers stepped into the breach, deftly taking up the challenge to accurately disseminate biomedical information to a variety of audiences, whether charting the clinical development of a new drug for submission to healthcare authorities, drafting a clinical-trial report for publication in a medical journal, or preparing a slide presentation for a symposium at a scientific conference.

Medical writing may be a relatively new career, but the market has spread so quickly that medical writers can now be found in an astonishing variety of organizations. Medical writers are most commonly employed by medical communications agencies (also known as medical education agencies), contract research organizations (also known as clinical research organizations [CROs]), and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. However, many also find gainful employment in advertising or public relations agencies, hospitals or university medical centers, nonprofit organizations, medical or scientific publishing companies, and government agencies. This diversity of employers reflects the broad array of tasks that medical writers are expected to perform—all of which makes medical writing an exciting and varied career choice. Because the vast majority of medical writers launch their careers at one of the three main employer types—medical communications agencies, CROs, and pharmaceutical companies— this chapter focuses on them.

These three most common employers generally focus on three categories of medical writing: marketing, educational, and regulatory. Medical communications agencies such as Adelphi Communications, Complete Medical Group Worldwide, KnowledgePoint360 Group, Nucleus Global, and Ogilvy Healthworld tend to specialize in marketing and educational materials. Marketing materials are promotional in nature and explain the benefits of newly launched medicines or therapeutic agents, diagnostics, and devices to healthcare professionals such as physicians, nurses, and pharmacists. Materials may include slide presentations for stand-alone promotional meetings, scientific websites, webcasts, summaries of key clinical manuscripts or clinical case studies, interactive conference booth materials, and sales aids for pharmaceutical sales representatives. Educational materials are intended to inform a variety of audiences about the latest clinical trial results; these could include training manuals and product monographs. But educational materials can also be aimed at healthcare professionals: newsletters for investigators involved in clinical trials; posters and oral presentations at medical conferences; presentations for satellite symposia at medical conferences, advisory boards, and preceptorships; clinical manuscripts; and programs for continuing medical education (CME) activities. The work in communications agencies tends to be more creative than that at a CRO or pharmaceutical company, and is likely to suit those with commercial acumen who are driven by business objectives.

Whereas writers in medical communication agencies focus mostly on materials related to marketed products, those in pharmaceutical companies and CROs prepare materials describing products that are still in clinical development. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies include Abbott Laboratories, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer HealthCare, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co, Novartis, Pfizer, and Sanofi. In general, medical writers at pharmaceutical companies write the regulatory documents required to obtain product marketing approval from international regulatory authorities such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), but they are also responsible for developing a variety of other clinical documents supporting the approval process. These materials include clinical study protocols, clinical study reports, investigator brochures, periodic safety update reports, briefing documents for regulatory authorities, and responses to queries from regulatory authorities. CROs such as Charles River Laboratories, Covance, Parexel, Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD), and Quintiles conduct clinical studies and assist pharmaceutical companies with regulatory submissions. Medical writers in CROs tend to prepare clinical and regulatory documents, but may also write manuscripts for publication in medical journals.

Medical and scientific publishing is one of the fastest growing media sectors. Between 2003 and 2008, the medical writing market doubled from an estimated $345 million to $694 million, according to a CenterWatch report published in December 2008. Job prospects for technical writers, including medical writers, are expected to remain good in the coming years. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of technical writers is expected to grow 17%, about as fast as the average for all occupations, from 2010 to 2020. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics attributes the rise in job opportunities to the ever-increasing complexity of medical and scientific information, and to the fact that significant continued growth in online publications and services will spur demand for writers and editors with expertise and experience in electronic media. Medical writing is a desirable and specialized skill set, which can only be honed by experience. It may be difficult to get a foot in the door, but those who manage to gain relevant on-the-job experience will find that they are truly a sought-after commodity. There are simply not enough experienced medical writers to fill the number of editorial roles available. As a result, salaries are competitive and have increased steadily over the past several years.

Most medical communications agencies and CROs offer two distinct job tracks: editorial and account management/client services. However, some employers offer roles that combine aspects of both of these tracks. To understand the full range of possibilities, you should speak to people in different jobs and different companies and think carefully about the mix of responsibilities that would suit you best.

Editorial Careers in Medical Communications Agencies and CROs

Within medical communications agencies and CROs several editorial career paths exist (see Fig. 1 ). Editorial assistants support the editorial team; they do not produce medical or scientific content themselves, but they proofread and edit all materials produced by medical writers to apply consistent editorial style, check manuscript layouts, and perform general administrative editorial tasks, such as the electronic submission of abstracts to medical conferences and manuscripts to medical journals. They also liaise closely with experts in other departments within the company (e.g., layout production artists, PowerPoint specialists, or electronic media specialists) to develop final print and electronic materials that meet client specifications. In larger companies, editorial assistants may have the opportunity to progress to the position of medical editor and senior medical editor. Medical editors are responsible for ensuring that all materials are completed to a high editorial standard in terms of both language and content. It is possible, although not very common, for editorial assistants to switch to medical writer positions, and for medical writers to switch to medical editor roles. Editorial assistants and medical writers can also transition to account management roles, although this is quite rare.

Typical editorial career structure.

Most new recruits to the medical communications industry join as junior, trainee, or associate medical writers. Combining scientific knowledge and a flair for communication, medical writers translate the latest clinical trial results into language appropriate for a wide variety of audiences. They produce educational, promotional, and training materials for the healthcare industry and other end users. Although most of the work is office based, medical writing is not just a desk job. In medical communications agencies, some writers travel quite frequently to fine-tune slide decks for presentations by healthcare professionals at stand-alone or satellite meetings, or to take minutes at pharmaceutical industry meetings. More senior medical writers are expected to provide strategic input—for example, by developing annual communication plans or publication plans for specific products or business units. The editorial career path within agencies eventually leads to management positions, such as editorial unit head, vice president of medical and scientific services, or editorial director. Although the titles of these positions differ to reflect the naming conventions at individual companies, they tend to have similar duties, which are discussed in more detail in the section on career progression.

Editorial Careers in Pharmaceutical Companies

The editorial career structure in pharmaceutical companies is similar to that in medical communications agencies and CROs, with junior writers progressing first to senior and principal writer positions, then to managerial positions such as medical writing group manager, and finally to director of medical writing or head of clinical/scientific communications. At pharmaceutical companies, medical writers tend to work on complex regulatory documents, including clinical components of marketing authorization applications and briefing documents for interactions with healthcare authorities. At some pharmaceutical companies, medical writers also deliver study-level clinical documents such as clinical study protocols and clinical study reports.

Account Management Careers

A somewhat more linear career structure exists within account management (see Fig. 2 ). Project assistants provide general administrative support to project teams, often related to the logistics of event management such as satellite symposia at conferences, scientific preceptorship programs at hospitals, or advisory board meetings (at which pharmaceutical companies obtain advice on their clinical development programs from healthcare professionals who are recognized experts in their therapeutic area). Account executives, account managers, and account directors develop and manage client relationships for specific product accounts. They develop an understanding of client and product strategy and develop long-term communication plans to meet client needs. Next, they develop time lines, documents confirming the briefs received from clients, budget proposals and reconciliations, and are expected to maximize revenues and profitability within their accounts. The account management team provides guidance and leadership to the editorial delivery team to ensure that each project in the plan is produced in compliance with industry guidelines, and is delivered on schedule and on budget. In most companies, both editorial and account management staff have direct contact with clients. As with the editorial career track, the precise titles of senior roles in account management vary depending on the company.

Typical account management career structure.

Executive Careers

Both editorial and account management tracks can lead to executive positions within medical communications agencies or CROs. Senior vice presidents are generally responsible for an entire section or division of the company, with accountability for a large number of product teams. Depending on the size of the company, senior vice presidents may specialize in certain therapeutic areas or might work across several therapeutic areas. Their work often involves complex client negotiations, client appraisals, and winning new business. Finally, the president of an organization is responsible for the overall strategic and commercial development of the company, which involves keeping abreast of industry developments, identifying new business opportunities and directions for the company, and generally driving growth.

SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS

The core skills required for a successful career in medical communications are broadly similar for both editorial and account management career tracks, although of course for an editorial role there is much greater emphasis on writing and research skills. Arguably of much greater importance is the difference in attributes that are required in the service industry (medical communications agencies and CROs) and those needed in the pharmaceutical industry, and this section is structured accordingly to help you identify the work environment that might suit you best.

Core Attributes

Established scientific credentials are important, particularly for editorial positions. Most employers look for life science graduates (biological science, pharmacy, pharmacology, chemistry, or biochemistry), but a small number of medical writers have a background in journalism or technical writing. Although an advanced degree (MSc, PhD) or postdoctoral experience is certainly advantageous, it is not essential. Former medical professionals are also welcome additions to any medical writing team. For account management positions scientific credentials are usually less important but are certainly advantageous, particularly for career progression.

It goes without saying that you will need excellent writing skills for editorial positions, so be prepared to provide evidence of an ability to produce high-quality scientific materials. You should also demonstrate enthusiasm and a keen interest in medicine and medical science, as you will be expected to learn quickly about different therapeutic areas on the job. A willingness to learn and flexibility are also traits that characterize good medical writers. Excellent research skills are essential, as medical writers are expected to assimilate large volumes of data. Good numeracy skills are also important—you do not need to be a mathematical expert, but you will need to have a good understanding of the more common statistical approaches used in clinical development. A keen eye for detail is vital; if the documents that you produce do not represent the clinical data accurately, the consequences could be very serious indeed—errors could lead to compromised patient care, the rejection of a new drug application, lawsuits, or lost business for your company. In this field, being a pedant is a huge bonus.

Materials produced by medical writers must meet high ethical standards, so be prepared to learn about, and adhere to, strict industry regulations and guidelines. These include Good Publication Practice 2 (guidelines developed by the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals for responsible and ethical reporting of company-sponsored medical research) and the International Conference on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (to ensure harmonized interpretation and application of technical guidelines and requirements for pharmaceutical-product registration). You will also be expected to undertake ongoing pharmaceutical-compliance training.

Finally, it helps to be thick skinned. At agencies and CROs, all work is subjected to quality control by senior editorial team members before going out the door, and then, it will be scrutinized by the clients. An ability to cope with and to use criticism to improve your work is absolutely essential.

Attributes of Particular Relevance to the Service Industry

How many medical writers does it take to change a lightbulb? If you answered “How many would the client like it to take?” you should give serious consideration to a job at an agency! It might sound obvious, but the single most important attribute for working in the service industry is a service-oriented mind-set. If you are considered an expert in your academic field and are accustomed to your opinion being valued, learning when to bite your tongue might be one of the most challenging aspects of your job. The scope and content of all projects are defined by your clients. Being a good listener and having an ability to interpret your client's requirements, instill confidence, and gain their trust is the key to a successful agency career.

The second most important attribute is outstanding time management skills. Sticking to budgeted time lines is of paramount importance in an agency—in fact, it is almost as important as the quality of the work itself. It will not matter that your project is perfectly crafted if it has taken twice as long to produce as your account manager has budgeted for. Closely linked to time management is the ability to multitask under pressure. If the thought of receiving dozens of emails and phone calls a day while trying to finalize a slide deck and negotiate with your production team to amend several posters in time for next week's medical conference terrifies you, working at an agency might not be for you. With experience, you will be expected to juggle multiple projects and reassess priorities on a daily basis.

Do not make the mistake of assuming that writers are loners stuck in a cubicle, tapping away at a keyboard all day. Depending on the agency and your role, you might be asked to travel extensively to medical congresses or to hospitals or hotels for stand-alone meetings. During these meetings, you will be expected to communicate confidently with senior healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical industry executives. Attending these meetings can certainly be exciting, but do not expect to get much sleep or to see much of the city where the event is being held. Be aware that promotional writing does not suit everyone. You will need to be familiar and comfortable with the commercial drivers behind the materials you produce. Agency life can be stressful, but the work is also fun, fast, and furious. It suits those who work best in teams, and you will find that the fast pace of the work also leads to a true sense of camaraderie within project teams, which can be quite rewarding. Finally, agency work is more creative and varied than clinical and regulatory writing—so if you get bored easily, an agency might be the right place for you.

Attributes of Particular Relevance to the Pharmaceutical Industry

When I moved from an agency to the pharmaceutical industry, I was initially surprised at the strong emphasis on leadership and project management skills during the interview process. But I soon discovered that a medical writing position within the pharmaceutical industry really is a leadership role. You are accountable for the timely delivery of large, complex clinical and regulatory documents that require input from people with a wide range of skill sets within the company, and you will be expected to lead cross-functional teams to deliver each project. That means working and negotiating with physicians, regulatory affairs managers, patient safety scientists, programmers, statisticians, pharmacometricians, and toxicology specialists. Due to the size and complexity of the documents, the pace of work is slower than that within agencies; each project can take months to complete, so strong project management skills are essential. Finally, problem-solving ability and decision-making skills are helpful attributes in this environment.

GETTING A FOOT IN THE DOOR

Ask any medical writer how they ended up working in this field and it is likely that serendipity will have featured at some point in their career path. But that does not mean that you cannot take proactive steps to forge a successful career in medical communications.

First, focus on activities that will help you demonstrate a passion for writing and communication in your job application. Join clubs or societies and volunteer for their communication or public relations (PR) positions. Submit articles to university newsletters, newspapers, or magazines. Enter science writing competitions. If all else fails, start a blog. Take advantage of opportunities to hone your oral presentation skills—offer to lead a journal club or give a seminar in your department. Confident public speaking skills are a key requirement for many aspects of a medical writer's duties, including presenting to existing clients, pitching for new business, and negotiating with healthcare professionals. If you are willing to invest the time and money, consider enrolling for a journalism or science communication qualification. Not only will this help you stand out from the crowd and demonstrate that you are serious about pursuing a new career path, it will also help you determine whether you have the aptitude for a writing career. Some dedicated postgraduate courses are available, including one in biomedical writing at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and one in medical communications at the University of Worcester, United Kingdom. Finally, having any practical experience is of course an important asset, so consider contacting medical communications agencies or editorial/publishing houses to ask about internship opportunities.

Next, start identifying and researching possible employers and job vacancies. Use LinkedIn or other social networking sites to expand your professional network; try to connect with people working in medical communications and arrange informational interviews to learn about different roles and employers. Join relevant groups on LinkedIn (such as the MedComms Forum, Professional Medical/Scientific Writers, Science Writers, and The Publication Plan) and sign up to receive digests of discussions and jobs posted to these groups. This will help you build an awareness of relevant issues in the field. Because medical writers need to keep abreast of developments in medicine and medical communications, you can make a good impression in interviews by demonstrating an awareness of recent issues. Join the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) or the European Medical Writers Association (EMWA) and attend their conferences—these offer excellent networking and educational opportunities, including workshops that will teach you valuable practical skills. Their member magazines and job listings are also useful resources. Finally, consider registering with specialist healthcare recruitment agencies. A good recruitment agent can educate you about the industry, match you to suitable companies, and support you through each step of the job application process.

Once you have decided to apply for a position, there are pitfalls to be avoided. Remember that your curriculum vitae (CV) will be screened by a panel of editors and writers, so any typos or grammatical errors in your CV will end your medical writing career before it has even started. Do some background research so you can ask knowledgeable questions; before an interview at a pharmaceutical company, find out about their research pipeline, and before an interview at an agency, make sure you know something about their therapeutic niche in the industry. It is very common for job applicants to be sent a writing test as part of the interview process, particularly those who are new to the field of medical communications. These tests can take various forms: you might be sent a medical poster or clinical manuscript and asked to draft the missing abstract, or you might receive a slide deck and be asked to select three to five key slides to print in an abstract book. Some employers might ask you to prepare a presentation on a given topic and deliver it to a small audience at your interview. There may also be an editing component to the test. The key to successfully completing any writing or editing test is to remember that you are not being assessed on your medical knowledge, but rather on your attention to detail, ability to follow a brief, and ability to construct a coherent and logical story.

Breaking into this world may well require some serendipity, but more importantly, it requires an ability to identify and sell your transferable skills to prospective employers. Many employers use behavioral interviewing techniques, where the job applicant is asked to describe situations in which they demonstrated particular qualities or attributes. You can prepare for these questions by considering detailed examples from your academic career, focusing on how your behavior and actions led to particular achievements. As examples of written and oral communication skill, consider your doctoral thesis, publications, conference presentations, and grant applications. To demonstrate project management skills, mention field courses you have led or student-club events you have organized. Teaching and tutoring duties might be a good source of examples of mentoring and people management skills, whereas any multilaboratory research collaborations can provide evidence of teamwork. Experience running a laboratory will also be valuable when you are asked about leadership qualities. Finally, almost any research project should provide excellent examples of problem-solving skills.

CAREER PROGRESSION

With about five to seven years of experience as an in-house writer with a given employer, a medical writer can progress by becoming a line manager, specializing in a particular therapeutic area, becoming a freelance writer, or making a lateral move to a different career track related to medical communications.

Associate medical writers generally progress to medical writer and then senior medical writer positions. At this point, there are usually three possible routes depending on whether the writer is interested in line management responsibility: principal medical writer, scientific director, or editorial team leader (see Fig. ​ Fig.1). 1 ). Principal medical writers continue to focus on the delivery of editorial material, applying their extensive therapeutic area expertise to complex projects. Scientific directors are also involved in the development of editorial material, but they have a greater responsibility to provide strategic input and tend to specialize in a specific therapeutic area. Editorial team leaders have line management responsibilities, and are accountable for the quality of all editorial materials produced by a team of medical writers. Senior medical writers should try to gain experience mentoring junior writers to determine whether they have the right skill set and attributes for line management. Good editorial team leaders are extremely valuable to the company, and are always sought after.

With career progression into more senior positions, the boundaries between the editorial and account management career tracks become increasingly blurred, as tasks and responsibilities begin to overlap. Those in the editorial career track will be expected to increase their understanding of the financial aspects of the business, while those in account management will need to contribute to higher level discussions with clients and healthcare professionals, demonstrating a grasp of the scientific background and medical data underpinning the business strategy. Those in senior roles in both career tracks will prepare for and attend pitches to potential new clients, selling medical writing as a service to win new business for their company. They will be involved in annual strategic communication planning for each product, project pricing and negotiation, writing proposals, as well as having financial responsibilities such as predicting revenues, meeting budget targets, and measuring team productivity. In addition to these project management duties, senior team members will also be expected to manage teams, which includes mentoring and guiding junior team members and conducting annual performance planning and reviews.

Working at a pharmaceutical company has a number of advantages when it comes to career progression. Because medical writing allows you to develop leadership skills and a detailed understanding of the entire clinical development process, it is an excellent gateway to other careers in the pharmaceutical industry, including positions in regulatory affairs, clinical research, medical information, document management, competitor intelligence, patient safety, and medical affairs. Most pharmaceutical companies encourage career progression within the business and are large enough to offer a range of different roles and internal transfer opportunities.

Not all writers are keen to move into management positions or remain at a company, working a typical 9-to-5 job. Becoming a freelance writer is a relatively common career choice, not only because it can be surprisingly lucrative, but also because it offers greater flexibility when it comes to work/life balance and the ability to choose your projects. However, a word of caution for new recruits hoping to break into medical writing as a freelancer: Clients will rarely, if ever, commission unknown or inexperienced freelance writers. For this reason, it is strongly advisable to gain significant experience (5–10 years) as an in-house writer at an agency, CRO, or pharmaceutical company before embarking on a freelance career. Those years spent learning the craft of medical writing are invaluable, allowing you to gain knowledge of different therapeutic areas, experience of developing a wide variety of materials, and an understanding of the financial aspects of the medical writing business. But most importantly, you will build a reliable network of healthcare professionals, pharmaceutical executives, and medical communications employees, essential for developing a strong client base for any freelance business. Successful freelance writers with entrepreneurial spirit might even consider starting up their own medical communications agency by employing other writers.

Although most of this chapter is devoted to “traditional” medical communications, medical writers and account managers can use their specialist skill sets in a number of closely related areas. Making a lateral move is advisable when you feel that your current position no longer challenges you, or when you have identified an aspect of medical communications that you enjoy most and want to find a job that offers greater focus on that particular aspect of work.

For example, if you find preparing for and attending conferences and stand-alone meetings one of the most enjoyable aspects of your job, you could consider moving to an event management company, which specialize in logistical support for meetings and events. Lateral moves to companies specializing in PR or medical advertising might appeal to those who enjoy devising promotional campaigns and are less keen on writing data-heavy documents. Writers with a background or strong interest in economics and finance might wish to consider jobs at agencies specializing in health economics and outcomes research (HEOR), which involve the development of reimbursement strategies to demonstrate the clinical and economic value of pharmaceutical products.

For those who are interested in journal production or wish to focus on clinical publications (a term encompassing manuscripts, abstracts, posters, and oral presentations for conferences), medical or scientific publishing companies such as Elsevier or Wolters Kluwer Health offer related careers such as journal editor, production editor, or editorial director. Similarly, scientific publication managers working either in the pharmaceutical industry or at specialist companies are responsible for developing and delivering global publication plans to communicate the benefits of pharmaceutical products to healthcare professionals.

Gaining expertise across a range of therapeutic areas and experience with different types of medical writing are important if you want to remain competitive in the medical communications job market. So whatever role you are in and whatever employer you work for, make sure that your personal career development plan encompasses sufficient diversity to ensure career progression in this exciting and diverse field.

My Experience

Having completed a BA in Natural Sciences (Zoology) at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, I was full of enthusiasm about an academic career. I was lucky enough to gain the support of an excellent PhD supervisor who helped me navigate the maze of grants and bursaries available to European Union students at Cambridge (I am of Dutch/Belgian extraction). Because I had always enjoyed science communication, I spent a considerable amount of time traveling to schools and outdoor festivals to perform interactive science demonstrations for children as a volunteer for National Science Week and Cambridge Hands-On Science, a student-run group with the apt acronym CHaOS. I also started writing for the science page of Varsity, the student newspaper at Cambridge, where I discovered that I really enjoyed listening to scientists enthuse about their latest research.

Then a chance email changed the course of my career. While I was writing my PhD thesis, a bursary was advertised on a science communication mailing list. The winner would hold a temporary position as press officer for the Society for Experimental Biology (SEB), interviewing scientists and writing press releases for the SEB's annual main meeting. I won the bursary, and managed to convince my supervisor that this would be a month well spent. At the SEB conference, I met the news and views editor of the Journal of Experimental Biology (JEB), a scientific journal focused on comparative animal physiology. Using my SEB press releases to showcase my writing expertise, I persuaded the editor to commission me to write some freelance articles for the journal. This subsequently led to a position covering her maternity leave for a year, the start of which happily coincided with the submission of my PhD thesis. As the year was coming to an end I entered and won the Daily Telegraph Science Writer Award, a prestigious national science writing competition in the United Kingdom, which boosted my confidence and confirmed that I had chosen the right career path.

When my contract at the JEB ended, I moved to the North West of the United Kingdom to join my husband, who had started postdoctoral research at the University of Manchester. Through a contact from my SEB placement, I discovered that Cheshire is a hot spot for medical communications agencies, and successfully applied for a position as a trainee medical writer at a global medical communications agency. Some years later, I learned that it was the combination of my scientific background, experience at a scientific journal, and the Science Writer Award that helped me secure an interview and subsequently the job offer—it can be difficult to convince employers to take a chance on new recruits with no prior medical writing experience. The focus of the work was the delivery of educational and marketing materials for a blockbuster oncology drug. It was a steep learning curve, the work was varied and fun, and I enjoyed building good relationships with my colleagues, clients, and healthcare professionals.

After five and a half years, I decided that it was time to broaden my medical communications expertise beyond commercial writing. When a global biopharmaceutical company based in Cheshire advertised a vacancy in their medical communications department, I spoke to several LinkedIn connections about their experiences in clinical and regulatory writing and decided to apply. Regulatory writing certainly broadened my perspective; during the first year, I worked on products in three different therapeutic areas. After two years, the company announced the imminent closure of its Cheshire site, so I moved back to a medical communications agency. I am confident that medical communications will continue to offer sufficient challenges for a long and happy career!

Ten Dos and Don'ts

• Do not submit a CV with typos or grammatical errors.
• Do join the European Medical Writers Association (EMWA) or American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) and attend their conferences/workshops.
• Do not give up too soon if you struggle to get a foot in the door; persevere and try to find an employer who is willing to train new recruits.
• Do expand your network of contacts. Use LinkedIn or other social networking sites to connect with people working in medical communications and join relevant discussion groups.
• Do not forget to add scientific publications and conference presentations to your CV—they provide evidence of communications expertise.
• Do arrange informational interviews with new contacts to find out more about specific companies and/or job roles.
• Do not rule out companies based on location alone; some employers offer the possibility of working remotely.
• Do send your CV to specialist healthcare recruitment agencies and ask for advice.
• Do not be afraid to send speculative letters to potential employers and attempt writing tests to determine whether you have an aptitude for the job.
• Do consider taking a writing or journalism course to gain experience, boost your CV, and demonstrate your commitment to a writing career.

Editors: Kaaren Janssen and Richard Sever

Additional Perspectives on Career Options for Biomedical Scientists available at www.cshperspectives.org

Doctoral Program

If you are interested in doctoral-level studies, you may apply to the ph.d. program even if your highest educational credential is a bachelor's degree., about the doctoral program.

A master's degree is not required for admission into our doctoral program.

Doctoral Program Preparation

The Ph.D. program is designed for students with backgrounds in communication or a related field, notably, psychology, sociology, political science or the social aspects of computer science.

Requirements

The Ph.D. program is designed for students with backgrounds in communication or a related field such as psychology, sociology, political science or the social aspects of computer science.

Academic Advising

Academic advising is available to doctoral students through several resources: from their major professor and committee, as well as from the program's graduate adviser. Guidance on administrative procedures also can be obtained from the program's graduate coordinator.

Career Placements

All members of our 2015 class of graduating doctoral students have found employment.

How to Apply

Submit your application online to apply to the doctoral program.

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Communicating Medicine—A New JAMA Series

• 1 Penn Medical Communication Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• 2 Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• 3 Associate Editor, JAMA
• 4 Editor in Chief, JAMA
• JAMA Insights Stragegies to Improve Medical Communication Anne R. Cappola, MD, ScM; Karthika S. Cohen, MS, MA JAMA
• JAMA Insights Delivering Effective Messages in the Patient-Clinician Encounter Joseph N. Cappella, PhD; Richard L. Street Jr, PhD JAMA

The manner in which medical information is communicated by clinicians has a major effect on patients. However, patients also receive medical information from sources other than clinicians or health care environments. Although information from the mainstream media, the internet, or social media may be more accessible for patients, these sources can present challenges for communication during the clinical encounter, particularly if real or perceived risks of a medical intervention are magnified and benefits are minimized. Clinicians have an important role as trusted sources of medical information. Helping clinicians deliver accurate information more effectively can lead to better-informed patients.

JAMA ’s mission is to promote the science and art of medicine and the betterment of public health. JAMA pursues this mission by publishing original research with Editorials and Viewpoints to provide the context for scientific findings and articles that educate readers on important clinical topics. JAMA publishes for a broad audience that includes scientists, clinicians, patients, health care leaders, policymakers, the media, and the lay public. An important priority for JAMA is helping clinicians provide evidence-based care to patients. Because communication in the clinical encounter is important for effective patient care, JAMA aims to help clinicians accurately and effectively communicate medical information to patients and help patients obtain unbiased information relevant to health.

JAMA is launching an Insights series titled “Communicating Medicine” as a forum to introduce strategies for the clinician to improve communication of medicine and health-related topics to patients. The first in this series, “Strategies to Improve Medical Communication” by Cappola and Cohen, was previously published and described a framework from communications literature for examining information exchange in the clinical encounter. 1 In the current issue of JAMA , the article “Delivering Effective Messages in the Patient-Clinician Encounter” by Cappella and Street discusses strategies for clinicians to share credible and clear health information with their patients. 2

JAMA invites new submissions for this series. Articles in this series will be approximately 1000 words in length with an accompanying table or figure. Submissions should be based on rigorous research from the medical, communications, and social science literature. JAMA looks forward to launch of this new series and welcomes readers’ comments and feedback. Inquiries can be made to section editor Anne R. Cappola, MD, ScM, at [email protected] .

Corresponding Author: Anne R. Cappola, MD, ScM, Penn Medical Communication Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Bldg 521, Philadelphia, PA 19041 ( [email protected] ).

Published Online: February 1, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.15086

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.

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Cappola AR , Bibbins-Domingo K. Communicating Medicine—A New JAMA Series. JAMA. 2024;331(9):739. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.15086

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Graduate Certificate in Medical and Applied Health Communication (Online)

​ APPLY NOW

Graduate Degree and Graduate Certificate Application Deadlines

Spring 2024 - January 1, 2024

Summer 2024 - May 15, 2024

Fall 2024 - August 1, 2024​

The Graduate Certificate in Medical and Applied Health Communication is an online, 9-hour program designed to provide skills, practice, and knowledge for those working as communication professionals in fields related to medicine and health (pharmaceuticals, biomedical research, hospitals, science writing, non-profit organizations, etc.).

This certificate is the first of its kind in the state of Texas and within the field of professional and technical communication. Students in the program will:

Ultimately, you will learn to:

• Analyze how to use various theories and approaches to manage and report medical and health information
• Evaluate effectiveness of medical/health messages
• Conduct community-grounded research appropriate to understanding audiences
• Apply theories related to behavior change, motivation, and persuasion
• Create strategic health messages in writing and graphic representation
• Demonstrate familiarity with technology used in creative and media processes
• Identify the features of clear and useful graphic representations of medical and numerical data

Curriculum and Requirements

The certificate consists of two required courses (6 SCHs) and one elective course (3 SCHs):

Required Courses 

• TCOM 5304 - Foundations of Professional & Technical Communication (3 credit hours) Note : If you have a  graduate degree in technical communication, TCOM 5304 can be substituted with another elective from the list below.
• TCOM 5325 - Advanced Medical Writing or COMM 5302 - Health Messaging (3 credit hours)

Elective Courses (choose 1)

TCOM 6324 -  Writing in the Professions Using Plain Language TCOM 6310 -   Intercultural & World Communication TCOM 6318 -   Stylistics & Editing COMM 5302 - Health Messaging TCOM 6331 -   Grant Writing for Nonprofit Management TCOM 5340 -  Project Management TCOM 4306 -  Science Writing (with permission from program director) TCOM 3329 -   Environmental Writing (with permission from program director)

Please visit the UHD Catalog for more detailed information on degree requirements, course offerings, and course descriptions.

Admissions Criteria

Applicants must hold a BA, BS, or an equivalent degree from an accredited college or university in the US or overseas and have proficiency in English (if a graduate of a university in which English is not the native language) provided by adequate TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores. The recommended/preferred GPA for applicants is 2.5 or higher.

How to Apply

Complete and submit all of the following items in order to be considered for admission. Resumes and personal statements can be uploaded through the applicant portal, emailed to [email protected] , or mailed to:

Office of Admissions – Graduate Admissions University of Houston-Downtown One Main Street, Suite GSB 308 Houston, Texas 77002-1001

Application Checklist

• Submit an application 
• Pay the $35 application fee
• Request/submit official transcripts  from all colleges and universities previously attended to the email or mailing address above (including community college work and prior graduate work).
• Provide a professional / personal resume detailing your work experience and education 
• What interests you about this program?
• How will the program further your professional, academic, and/or personal goals?
• What do you hope to get out of the program?
• Provide TOEFL scores of 550 with section scores of 50 or higher (if a graduate of a university in which English is not the native language).

ACR Bulletin

Covering topics relevant to the practice of radiology

In Medical Radiation Communication and Advocacy Go Hand in Hand

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I feel very fortunate to have been selected with distinguished honor to deliver the Villforth Lecture. —M. Mahesh, MS, PhD, FAAPM, FACR, FACMP, FSCCT, FIOMP

During the 56th National Conference on Radiation Control of state regulators in May, the honorary John C. Villforth Lecture will be delivered by M. Mahesh, MS, PhD, FAAPM, FACR, FACMP, FSCCT, FIOMP, who will focus on understanding negative biases about radiation and exploring methods for effective communication about it with patients, physicians, the media and the public. Mahesh was nominated as the lecture presenter by both the ACR and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM). 

A diagnostic medical physicist and professor of radiology and radiological science at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Mahesh currently serves as a member of the ACR BOC, chair of the ACR Commission on Medical Physics, and the JACR ® associate editor of physics. He was elected to be AAPM President in 2025. 

To learn more about his goal for the lecture, as well as his involvement with advocacy at federal and state level over the years, the ACR Bulletin sat down with the longtime advocate about navigating the complexities of policy development and translating scientific data into actionable recommendations to enhance radiation safety standards. 

The ACR has had a decades-long relationship with state regulators and the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD). In your opinion, what are the most tangible benefits of keeping a strong partnership together?

I believe this longstanding relationship between the two organizations has been very important and mutually beneficial. Data sharing and research come to mind right away. The ACR has provided financial support in the past for the National Evaluation of X-ray Trends (NEXT) surveys, which yield important benchmarking results that the radiation protection community uses to analyze the trends and techniques employed across the U.S. In Sweden and other countries with universal healthcare, such information about X-ray trends can be easily obtained. However, here in the U.S., it is not so. 

Therefore, we rely on surveys from CRCPD and others, and the process of training inspectors and conducting surveys has its own challenges due to its scale. When it comes to the collection of data and research, the CRCPD has been a strong partner to the ACR and other stakeholders in setting up nationwide evaluations of trends. The CRCPD takes on the training of its inspectors to collect data from various states to create an authentic snapshot of X-ray trends for the nation.

From the perspective of physicists and radiologists, what key messages will you aim to deliver during your John C. Villforth Lecture?

I feel very fortunate to have been selected with distinguished honor to deliver the Villforth Lecture. For almost 30 years, Villforth was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service in the Department of Health and Human Services, and for 19 years of his career, he was assigned to the FDA. As you can imagine, he had a very active career and is often remembered for his contributions during the Three Mile Island accident, when he was tasked to provide information to the public. 

There are always challenges, and challenges can provide opportunities. —M. Mahesh, MS, PhD, FAAPM, FACR, FACMP, FSCCT, FIOMP

I am drawing a parallel to the expertise of communicating about radiation to the public in my Villforth lecture. The topic itself, “Communication About Radiation Events — Challenges and Solutions,” can be a daunting task. There is a translational effect between the technical experts and the public, and the experts speak in a way that is, in some ways, opposite to what the public wants to hear. I advocate for communicating the truth, figures, and facts of the message in such a way that they are not diluted but are “in tune” with the audience. 

The best way I look at it is this: A goal with complicated topics is that you should be able to share a concept with even your grandmother in a way she understands even if she doesn’t speak the same language or lingo, and I hope to do the same with communications about radiation. Often the person speaking should be a trusted authority among peers, and how he or she communicates is very critical considering the different target audiences. 

Can you elaborate more about communications between the experts in the radiological field and the media?

Over the years, interacting with media, I believe it is of great importance to build and maintain effective relationships with media outlets so when an issue related to radiation arises, they can reach out through ACR’s PR department to experts like us in the radiological field. When such circumstances occur, I do my best to provide a timely response and accurate feedback so that correct information can be conveyed to the general public. It takes time to build the trust and relationship with the media so that when the general public reads the communication coming from experts through the College, they are well received. It is important for the experts to explain about radiation without creating fear. 

The ACR’s public relations team has been essential in providing accurate information for years. Timing is critical when it comes to the 24-hour news cycle. You cannot wait two days to answer. 

Most recently, the American Dental Association came out with a statement about the use of lead aprons. The ACR PR department received an inquiry from a media outlet and wanted a quick response. The PR department reached out to ask me if I would respond to that query, which I did. I was able to speak with the reporter at 2 p.m. so by 5 p.m. the information was in the news. This is one example why it is important to respond to queries in a timely fashion, so that they can convey the right information to the general public. By providing timely responses over the  years, I have found that the media staff are confident in reaching out to us to get the correct information in a timely fashion.

In your experience, what are some of the toughest parts about working with regulatory bodies? And how do you deal with those challenges?

There are always challenges, and challenges can provide opportunities. Especially with regulations, once something becomes a law, it’s difficult to change, so it is best to be engaged during the rule-making process for the best outcomes. A recent example is the doing away with gonadal shielding, a widespread practice of using radioprotective (more familiarly “lead”) shielding of the male and female reproductive organs from the primary X-ray beam. To change the federal guidance, it may take years, but because of strong existing relationships with the FDA and the CRCPD, the state regulators were able to secure exemptions via rulemakings or via issuance of radiation protection board guidance documents. A good working relationship with state and federal regulators makes the regulatory process smoother.

Do you find there are differences between advocating within regulatory bodies versus advocating within legislative bodies?

Collaborative policy development is critical regardless of whether you pursue regulatory or legislative advocacy. All the stakeholders must be working collaboratively to develop evidence-based policies and regulations that prioritize public health while considering the needs and perspectives of healthcare providers.  

Often ACR is asked to provide advisors by regulatory bodies or by CRCPD during drafting of new rules or regulations. In such circumstances, we need to answer the call and find subject matter experts within the college to help with such processes. I believe the best time to get involved is when regulations are first drafted. 

Advocating within regulatory bodies typically involves influencing the implementation and enforcement of existing laws and regulations related to a specific issue, such as radiation safety standards. 

On the other hand, advocating within legislative bodies has a focus on shaping new laws or amending existing ones through the legislative process. This often involves lobbying elected officials, building coalitions and testifying at hearings to advance specific policy objectives. 

In Maryland, we had a radiation dose badge issue when procedures that ran close to the limit of the exposure badge values allowed would trigger heavy fines. Through the Maryland Radiological Society, we tried repeatedly to appeal to the regulators, but we learned that the law needed to be changed. This was my opportunity to serve as an expert, and I testified in the state Capitol in Annapolis. However, in the end, a compromise was reached that allowed “high-end users” to continue their practice safely without any regulatory holdup. 

The compromise that we worked out through the legislative route made sure that we were not diluting the radiation protection statute since most of the users will continue to use the same standard. However, the conversion factor, accepted by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP), can now be used for “high-end” users. Successful advocacy for an exception to the rule saved a lot of headaches for all of us who work in hospitals in Maryland.

How do you tailor advocacy messaging when it comes to science-driven data?

When advocating within regulatory agencies, the focus is often on technical expertise, scientific evidence, and regulatory compliance. As experts and advocates, we always emphasize the need for evidence-based decision-making, especially when we propose revisions to regulations or provide feedback on enforcement actions. 

In contrast, advocacy within legislative bodies typically requires a broader strategy that includes building political support, mobilizing stakeholders and framing issues in a way that resonates with policymakers and the public.

I know you are very involved with joint research initiatives. Can you speak about your collaborative work on research initiatives to address emerging issues in radiation safety and efficacy, and translating research findings into actionable recommendations?

I strongly believe that strong and valid data drive the best policy development, and data sourcing relies on active involvement from many different organizations, the ACR and CRCPD among them. For example, in the development of the NCRP 160 Report back in 2009 (Ionizing radiation exposure of the population of the United States), stakeholders from different fields were engaged. ACR’s CT dose registry data was used as one of the sources for estimating CT doses. In a follow-up report (NCRP 184), as co-chair of the report, I worked with both CRCPD and ACR. The ACR CT dose index registry data was used and ACR’s Executive Vice President of Quality and Safety Mythreyi Chatfield, PhD, actively participated in the report, Medical radiation exposure of patients in the United States (NCRP 184), which showed a slight decrease in the dose in the U.S. 

It seems there is a strong commitment to continuous improvement of policy among stakeholders when it comes to data collection and research.

Absolutely! Committing to ongoing evaluation and improvement of radiation control policies and practices through regular dialogue, assessment of outcomes, and incorporation of best practices is the main goal. The CRCPD is tasked with development of suggested state regulations, and during this process they seek input from the ACR, AAPM, the EPA, the FDA, and others. The regulations are not written in a vacuum, and of course all stakeholders are aware that these regulations impact patient care as well. 

One of the effective uses of regulatory relationships is maximizing the feedback mechanisms. Workgroups and advisory committees are about establishing feedback mechanisms to gather input from physicians regarding the practical implications of radiation control policies and regulations in clinical settings. Often the states adopt suggested state regulations in their entirety, so it is important to have a good product. 

In Maryland, for the past 20 years, I have served as an advisor to the radiation control board, and because some regulations are archaic, there is a critical time to provide feedback as physicists, as physicians and as patient advocates. Additionally, my colleagues represent the ACR in CRCPD workgroups and it ensures that suggested state regulations are informed by expert feedback, ultimately enhancing patient care and regulatory effectiveness.

In your experience of working with regulatory bodies, both federal and state, how do you handle the maze of rules and regulations when you're trying to get changes made?

I got comfortable navigating the system after decades of involvement, and any chance I get, I try to motivate younger colleagues to understand that advocacy is very important for the field. Physicists within the ACR are very active, and I’ve been a part of the process for 30 years. 

I very much hope to leverage knowledge of what I have learned in my various roles at the ACR during my tenure as the AAPM president starting next year. I want to raise the profile of advocacy in all issue areas. I especially hope younger members understand that job creation is also wrapped up in advocacy. 

I proudly tell the example of Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA). The measure was a 2,000-page document, and the ACR advocated for accreditation of CT, MR, NM and PET with every imaging center needing to be tested by a medical physicist. Not only did we raise the quality bar when it comes to diagnostic imaging, but we were also able to generate jobs for medical physicists. I believe it is a great example of where advocacy translates into good patient care and also new employment opportunities.

When you're talking to fellow experts, how do you balance all the technical stuff with real-life concerns?

Balancing science with real-life applications can be a challenge. I remember a few years ago while serving on an advisory committee for the FDA, there was a proposal to label tanning booths with “long-term exposure may lead to cancer.” As you can imagine, many businesses were represented, and although the experts had the data, the proof, and the numbers, fighting with business interests was still very difficult. 

In a way, one may think that arguing the technical side is straightforward, especially given that we are experts in the radiation field, but it is not so in real-life scenarios. The people who have business interests might object to all rational suggestions, but we still must hold our position and find compromises to be worked out. 

The best advice I can give anyone wanting to do advocacy is that when you do get to a compromise, stick to it. A unified message has a lot more weight. It holds especially true when it comes to unity among experts. You do not want to dilute messaging with two similar but different messages coming from the experts in the field.

What helps you get people on board to help with advocacy and interacting with regulatory bodies?

A good place to start is to become active in the state radiological society and to volunteer to be on an ACR committee of interest. Advocacy is a longtime involvement, whether for regulatory or legislative areas. I hope our members stay motivated to participate in advocacy. 

I have “drunk the Kool-Aid.” I strongly believe in advocacy. But we need more young professionals to get involved and to stay involved.

“Whatever You Enjoy Doing, Do That” Comms Graduate Parker McDermott on Developing Skills Through Practice

Graduating senior parker mcdermott answers questions about his time at byu.

Q: How have you found belonging during your time at BYU?

McDermott:  Belonging and community are topics I think about a lot, and I think the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a good example of that. It’s kind of a built-in community where you show up and everyone gets a calling and a responsibility. I've also found that people are good everywhere you go. Everyone wants to make connections with people, somebody just has to take that first step and start inviting people to make those connections. I think belonging is easy to find, you just have to take that step and reach out to people. Life is so much better when you take that step because there's just so much joy to be had in being part of a community.

Q: How has your BYU education prepared you for the future?

McDermott: My BYU education has prepared me in so many ways. I'm grateful that the advertising program is so phenomenal. Our professors are so focused on preparing us for the industry and on helping us understand what we need to do. The professors treat our program as if it was an agency. When we have assignments, we've got the account managers, the art directors and the copywriters. Everyone has their role and I’m so grateful to get hands-on experience.

One thing I love about BYU is that it is a place of faith. No matter what class I'm in, whether it's art history or advertising, there's always some gospel connection. Everything that is true and good comes from God.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

McDermott: I have been applying to jobs. I know a lot of advertising agencies tend to hire people quickly when they are needed. So since I’m graduating at the end of April, they're gonna start interviewing us at the start of April. I'm open to work at any ad agency, we’ll just have to see where my interviews lead.

Q: Which professor inspired you the most? Why?

McDermott: Probably Jeff Sheets. He's been our advertising professor and mentor for the last year and a half or so. He guides us through and helps us to define this whole creative process. He's always giving us advice and encouraging us to push our ideas further. He's definitely been the professor most involved in helping students in the program get jobs as well. He's all about networking and has connections with all these people from different agencies. He's so focused on helping us, and that's been a huge blessing.

Q: What piece of advice would you give to current students?

McDermott: The first piece of advice I’d give is, whatever you enjoy doing, do that thing. Then you'll get better and you'll become qualified to do that thing for the rest of your life. It's easy to get caught up in other things, but if you want to write screenplays for movies, write screenplays for movies in your free time. If you want to paint, go paint. If you want to do graphic design, practice graphic design. That’s something I wish I was better at during my time at BYU.

Another piece of advice would be to make connections with people. The people that you meet, the people that you work with, the people that you get to know better, those relationships will grow and they can help you to produce better work. Whether it's a collaborative field like advertising or even if it is something more individual like fine arts, the critiques and the inspiration that everyone has to offer can make a difference.

Q: What was your most inspiring experience at BYU? Why?

McDermott: What I love about the advertising program is that we have the Ad Lab—a space where we all can hang out and collaborate. It's like a second home dedicated to advertising students. I have ADHD, so I can't focus at home and it’s just not an easy environment for me to work in. The Ad Lab became a place where I can go and work. I was also able to hang out with friends and share ideas because it's a collaborative space. For the most part, I spent the majority of my waking days in the Ad Lab. It's so hard to pinpoint one specific experience with the Ad Lab, because everyday was full of wonderful experiences.

Q:What was your favorite experience from the advertising program?

McDermott: We did a few ads for MasterClass , and the vision was to have people multitasking with different things that you can learn in MasterClass programs. So for one clip, we had someone frosting a pastry while skateboarding. For another, we had somebody playing the violin while rock climbing. There were a lot of crazy ideas, but when we were making the ad no matter what the idea was, we would make it happen. I never found myself thinking, “Can we do that?” Instead, we bought a violin on Amazon and found somebody who had a little experience with both rock climbing and violin, and recorded them doing both. I just love that the advertising program is a place where imagination becomes real. It's such a cool feeling to have ideas and to have a team working together to make it happen.

Q: What drew you to the advertising program?

McDermott: I was originally majoring in illustration because I wanted to teach seminary, and you only need a bachelor’s degree to teach. I like art, so I figured I would just get an art degree and then I'd teach seminary. I taught seminary part time for a semester and it was really great, but I knew that that wasn't going to be my long-term plan anymore. I also decided to switch out of illustration because, while I enjoy art, I found myself wanting to dive into the conceptual side of things quickly. I wanted to play with ideas and the concepts sooner and find something that was more social and more collaborative. I was eventually brought to a choice between advertising and design. When I looked at the application for advertising, it was just a bunch of silly questions like “How would you advertise shoes to bees?” I saw that and I knew this was where I needed to be.

• Nebraska Medicine
• Current Students
• Faculty & Staff

Dr. Crouse establishes endowed fund to support UNMC Graduate Studies

• Written by Kalani Simpson, UNMC strategic communications
• Published Apr 4, 2024

David Crouse, PhD, and wife Sara with Dele Davies, MD, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean of graduate studies

David Crouse, PhD, professor emeritus, and his wife, Sara, have created an endowed fund through the University of Nebraska Foundation to benefit UNMC Graduate Studies.

“His decision, along with his wife, Sara, to provide this endowment and continued gifts is merely the latest testament to Dr. Crouse’s commitment to the program,” said Dele Davies, MD, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean of graduate studies. “And this is a gift that will benefit generations of graduate students for years to come.”

It’s a program very dear to Dr. Crouse, who led UNMC Graduate Studies three separate times on an interim basis. Graduate studies are important but often overlooked or misunderstood, he said.

Many, sometimes including graduate students themselves, think of PhD students and graduates as being under the auspices of their mentors’ respective colleges, rather than the UNMC Office of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Education. While UNMC’s graduate community has many successful alums, people don’t necessarily think of it as a collective entity to give back to.

When he served in Dr. Davies’ role, “We just didn’t have the resources to do the things a dean would like to do,” Dr. Crouse said.

He and Dr. Davies now are longtime friends with a shared dream of continued success for UNMC Graduate Studies.

Dr. Davies said: “I benefitted immensely from his wisdom and counsel during my transition here to UNMC, when he preceded me as interim vice chancellor for academic affairs and interim dean of graduate studies. Even in retirement, David has continued to give back and always answers the call when needed.”

When he was in a position to do so, Dr. Crouse decided to create a permanent endowment that would provide support in perpetuity for UNMC Graduate Studies. He encourages other faculty, alumni and supporters to specifically support graduate studies as well.

He and Sara established the Derry-Crouse Fund for UNMC Graduate Studies (the Derry is for Sara’s family) with a gift two years ago, and then made a subsequent gift in late 2023. The endowed fund is unrestricted, with annual distributions to be used at the dean’s discretion.

Dr. Crouse said he’s pleased to see graduate studies’ momentum in recent years under the leadership of Dr. Davies and others.

“It’s exploded,” Dr. Crouse said. “That’s thrilling to me – to see all these new graduate programs arise from a core of programs that were doing very well.”

UNMC’s enrollment grows every year. That is in large part due to graduate studies programs that continue to draw new students, he said.

“I’m going to love seeing what that (gift) can do,” he said.

Dr. Crouse, known as UNMC’s ultimate team player , continues to serve. He keeps office hours as one of two wellness advocates for UNMC Graduate Studies and postdoctoral students. Stop by and see him Mondays and Thursdays, 9 a.m.-noon, at the Graduate Student Wellness Hub, located on the ground floor of Durham Research Center I.

He hopes others are inspired to support graduate studies.

“I see it as a signal to other people to consider doing the same thing,” Dr. Crouse said. “I would love it if more faculty and students associated with the graduate studies programs looked to that graduate studies unit as a recipient.”

Dr. Davies said, “I join all our graduate students, faculty and staff in saying thank you to Dave and Sara for their generosity.”

Gifts to the Derry-Crouse Fund for Graduate Studies may be made online .  

The couple’s gift was made as part of “Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future.” The campaign is an historic effort to encourage at least 150,000 benefactors to give $3 billion to support University of Nebraska students, faculty, academic and clinical programs and research to address the needs of the state.

18 comments

Well done. What a thoughtful gift!

Sara and Dave, Thank you to a great gift. Carol

Dr. Crouse: Thank you for your generosity and your work with graduate students and postdocs.

Great work & congrats to David and Sara!!

Thank you Dave for your continued leadership and support of graduate programs at UNMC.

An incredible legacy! Thank you, Dr. Crouse and Sara!

Thank you David and Sara.

Very noble idea and gift. Kudos to you both.

Dave and Sara – what a wonderful gift to benefit our future generations!

As always Dave and Sara can be counted on to step up and help the UNMC Community. Thank you both.

Dr. Crouse and Sara, Thank you for your continued support of the UNMC Community!

Great to see that you and Sara have created an endowment that is to support graduation. Now, let’s have others follow your example.

What an awesome gift! Dave and Sara are true ambassadors for UNMC. We are so lucky to have them. Thank you for your amazing generosity.

Thanks for your generosity and continued contributions to the Graduate College and UNMC.

Thank you, Dave and Sara, for your generous support of the UNMC graduate studies!

Thank you, Dr. Crouse, for your continued support for graduate education at UNMC.

What a wonderful gift to scientists in making, Sara and Dave!

Thank you so much for supporting Graduate studies

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About UNMC Graduate Studies

Graduate students are the backbone of UNMC’s research. UNMC Graduate Studies includes 10 doctoral degree programs, 12 master’s degree programs, 14 specializations in two interdisciplinary umbrella programs and four certificate programs. Graduate enrollment increased by 14% over the previous year in 2023, with 720 students from 46 countries, making it the third largest student body at UNMC. Almost half of U.S. students are from Nebraska. Graduate students published more than 400 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters or government reports over the last year and made more than 500 conference presentations. Seven national-honor fellowships were among 136 national, regional and local awards during 2023, a 33% increase over the previous year. UNMC graduate students have earned 86 national awards since 2013.

College of Professional Studies

Corporate & organizational communication.

The Master of Science in Corporate and Organizational Communication is designed to provide you with the skills, knowledge, and experiential learning opportunities required to succeed in a dynamic field.

Incorporating the case method, research into the latest communication trends, interactive learning formats, and experiential learning opportunities, this program addresses complex communication challenges—providing students with a distinct advantage in today’s competitive marketplace. The curriculum also reflects the transformational impact of social technologies on the communication patterns of employees, customers, investors, and other audiences. Your instructors have real-world communication experience in the private and nonprofit sectors—they have practiced what they teach.

Unique Features

• Seven concentrations that align with in-demand skills needed in this profession
• A variety of experiential learning opportunities, from co-ops to consulting projects, and a capstone project for professionals
• Transfer credit is offered for up to 20% of total tuition if you have an APR, CMP, SCMP, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, or HubSpot Academy certification
• Design an ePortfolio to create a personal and professional brand and synthesize learning across the curriculum
• Faculty bring real-world experience to the in-person and online classroom

Featured Concentrations

Public and media relations.

The PR concentration features a virtual public relations firm enabling you to work on assignments for a real-world client using the HubSpot marketing platform.  Read our Q&A with concentration lead Ed Powers  and watch the video below for more information!

Cross-Cultural Communication

The cross-cultural communication concentration offers practical tools to successfully navigate cultural fields of interest, and gain skills to develop a cultural audit.

Read our  blog post  from Professor Patty Goodman about insights on cross-cultural awareness in the workplace.

• Social Media

Select from courses in interactive marketing, digital branding, SEO, online customer behavior, digital marketing analytics, and social media strategy. Offered both online and on-location.

More Details

Transfer credit opportunities for certifications from professional associations.

About the transfer credit opportunities:

Why consider a Northeastern master’s degree in corporate and organizational communication? We recognize the knowledge and competencies you have demonstrated by earning the following certifications – APR, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, CMP, SCMP, PHR, SPHR, or HubSpot Academy Certification. As a result, credentials holders have the unique opportunity to accelerate through our program by applying their credentials in exchange for transfer credit.

• Will receive 9 quarter hours of transfer credit – a 20% saving in tuition
• Will be able to earn a master’s degree by completing 12 courses, rather than 15
• Will enjoy the convenience of a totally online, interactive curriculum
• Will receive 3 quarter hours of transfer credit – a 6% savings in tuition
• Will be able to earn a master’s degree by completing 14 courses, rather than 15
• Transfer credit is awarded for the following course: HRM 6015 Introduction to Human Resources Management
• Will receive 6 quarter hours of transfer credit – a 13% savings in tuition
• Will be able to earn a master’s degree by completing 13 courses, rather than 15
• Transfer credit is awarded for the following courses: HRM 6015 Introduction to Human Resources Management and HRM 6005 Creating a High-Performance Organization
• Will receive 4 quarter hours of transfer credit, a 9% savings in tuition for a master’s degree – online or on-ground at our Boston campus
• Will accelerate through the degree program with one less course to complete
• Select a more advanced course aligned with the student’s career objectives
• Will receive 3 quarter hours of transfer credit – a 6% savings in tuition
• Transfer credit is awarded for the following course: CMN 6000 Introduction to Organizational Communication
• Will receive 6 quarter hours of transfer credit – a 13% savings in tuition 
• Transfer credit is awarded for the following courses: CMN 6000 Introduction to Organizational Communication and CMN 6010 Strategic Communication Management
• Will receive 3 quarter hours of transfer credit – a 7% savings in tuition
• Transfer credit is awarded for the following course: PJM 6000 Project Management Practices

Program Objectives

• Design a strategic approach to a wide range of communication challenges based on stakeholder analysis and a systematic planning methodology.
• Craft and deliver messages—with a heavy emphasis on digital media—that can influence the attitudes and behaviors of internal and external audiences in a wide range of organizational scenarios.
• Measure and assess the impact of communication methods and channels to help achieve organizational performance objectives.
• Apply key course concepts and communication skills gained through the curriculum to real-world projects.

Career Outlook

According to the Burning Glass Labor Insight database, the value of a graduate degree in organizational communication is very clear: 37% of hiring employers prefer or require candidates for many communication roles to have a graduate degree. Additionally, there are over 345,000 open job listings related to corporate and organizational communications.

Student Portfolios

Curious to see the work of MS in Corporate and Organizational Communication students? Click below to view two recent student portfolios that include their learning journey and how the program impacted their professional growth:

• Jillian Porazzo
• Sarah Riggs

Testimonials

Carl zangerl, program director, kathleen a., program graduate, jillian porazzo, program graduate, sarah riggs, program graduate, rebekah s., reflection of developing cultural awareness course, looking for something different.

A graduate degree or certificate from Northeastern—a top-ranked university—can accelerate your career through rigorous academic coursework and hands-on professional experience in the area of your interest. Apply now—and take your career to the next level.

Program Costs

Finance Your Education We offer a variety of resources, including scholarships and assistantships.

How to Apply Learn more about the application process and requirements.

Requirements

• Online application
• Statement of purpose (500–1000 words): Identify your educational goals and expectations of the program. Please be aware that Northeastern University's academic policy on plagiarism applies to your statement of purpose.
• Professional resumé
• Unofficial undergraduate transcripts; official transcripts required at the time of admission
• Two letters of recommendation from individuals who have either academic or professional knowledge of your capabilities such as a faculty member, colleague, or mentor, preferably one from your current employer
• Official associate or bachelor's degree transcript from an accredited college or university in the U.S., stating degree conferral and date
• TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, Duolingo, or NU Global Exam scores

Are You an International Student? Find out what additional documents are required to apply.

Admissions Details Learn more about the College of Professional Studies admissions process, policies, and required materials.

Admissions Dates

Our admissions process operates on a rolling basis; however, we do recommend the application guidelines below to ensure you can begin during your desired start term:

Domestic Application Guidelines

International Application Guidelines *

*International deadlines are only applicable if the program is F1 compliant.

Industry-aligned courses for in-demand careers.

For 100+ years, we’ve designed our programs with one thing in mind—your success. Explore the current program requirements and course descriptions, all designed to meet today’s industry needs and must-have skills.

View curriculum

Experiential learning opportunities include:

A choice of two 12-week experiential learning capstone courses:

• An online "co-op at work" experience in which you can design a project initiative in your own workplace
• An opportunity to engage in a virtual consulting project with a sponsor in the private or nonprofit sectors and that is overseen by a faculty member

Two elective courses: A "traditional" Northeastern co-op placement for full-time students in the Boston area and an International field study course involving interdisciplinary teams collaborating on trans-national projects. Students also have the option to work virtually on six-week projects through Northeastern's Experiential Network on a not-for-credit basis.

Our Faculty

Northeastern University faculty represents a broad cross-section of professional practices and fields, including finance, education, biomedical science, management, and the U.S. military. They serve as mentors and advisors and collaborate alongside you to solve the most pressing global challenges facing established and emerging markets.

Patricia Goodman

Ed Powers, PhD

Carl Zangerl, PhD

By enrolling in Northeastern, you’ll gain access to students at 13 campus locations, 300,000+ alumni, and 3,000 employer partners worldwide. Our global university system provides students unique opportunities to think locally and act globally while serving as a platform for scaling ideas, talent, and solutions.

Below is a look at where our Communications & Journalism alumni work, the positions they hold, and the skills they bring to their organization.

Where They Work

• Boston Globe Media
• Fidelity Investments
• Harvard University

What They Do

• Media and Communication
• Business Development
• Art and Design

What They're Skilled At

• Public Relations
• Public Speaking

Learn more about Northeastern Alumni on  Linkedin .

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