Spotlight on the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA)

What is AMWA?
Founded in 1940, the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) is a professional society for medical communicators, including writers, editors, publishing professionals, reporters, educators, statisticians, translators, and clinical researchers. The organization currently has more than 4,000 members from over 30 countries, and membership is open to anyone from any location who as an interest in medical communication, even if they are not yet practicing within the field. Headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, AMWA has several regional chapters and provides local networking and educational events for members. AMWA strives to provide leadership within the field of medical communication by upholding their code of ethics while advocating for the role of medical writers within scientific publications.

What does AMWA do?
AMWA functions to provide leadership within the scientific communication space by championing the role medical writers play while also adhering to their code of ethics for medical communicators. These principles support the objectivity of science while promoting the highest professional standards, the continual advancement of education, and the importance of scientific rigor and accuracy. AMWA provides professional certification, hosts a library of resources, publishes a peer-reviewed journal (the AMWA Journal), and offers educational opportunities for both members and non-members.

AMWA Certification
AMWA provides two different levels of certification: the Essential Skills Certificate and the Medical Writer Certified (MWC®) credential. The Essential Skills Certificate includes seven courses that account for eight credits within their education system. It is available to anyone at any time, and is a record to demonstrate continuing education and a basic standard of medical writing knowledge. The MWC credential was developed in collaboration with the Medical Writing Certification Commission and is only available to medical writers who have been in the field for two years or more. To earn this credential, individuals must pass a 2.5-hr exam held on select dates throughout the year. Some employers recognize AMWA certification as a preferred trait in job listings, and certifications can provide increased confidence for potential employers or clients.

AMWA Publications and Resources
AMWA provides a bi-weekly newsletter to members, Medical Communication News, and publishes a quarterly peer-reviewed journal, the AMWA Journal. Medical Communication News provides short summaries of pertinent news and events within the medical writing and scientific communication spheres while the AMWA Journal provides articles regarding different aspects of medical writing, such as ethical dilemmas, commentary on the business of freelance writing, and general writing practices or tools, among others. The AMWA Journal also invites regulatory insights and original research articles that pertain to medical communication.

Outside of official publications, AMWA offers many educational resources (detailed below), a directory for freelance writers looking for clients, and a job board for members. AMWA provides an online forum for all members to discuss problems and provide solutions for one another, and most regional chapters have an additional forum system for members to get to know other local professionals, providing the opportunity for networking for individuals who are not able to participate in the live networking events.

AMWA Education and Events
Outside of the Essential Skills Certificate and its associated courses, AMWA offers a large catalogue of online courses ranging from short workshops for individuals just breaking into the field to dedicated, advanced courses for experienced professionals looking to expand their skillset. In addition, AMWA and its regional chapters both host educational seminars in person and online, as well as local networking events for individuals to get to know others in their field in their area. AMWA also offers on-site workshops in which educators from AMWA will run an educational event at an institution or worksite.

In addition to courses and workshops, AMWA also offers an annual conference for professionals to attend; focus areas include all aspects of medical writing AMWA covers, as well as daily talks, workshops, “speed networking” and more traditional meet-and-greets, poster sessions, field trips, as well as educational events for new products or tools. This year, AMWA is also introducing Learning Circles to the even programming, and it will be interesting to see if that remains a part of the annual conference’s schedule.