Time for Step 4 of the “Beginner’s Medical Writing” series – a step-by-step guide to getting yourself started in freelance medical writing – an extremely basic guide for making the first move into medical writing.

If you’re just arriving, feel free to check out the earlier steps:

 

Hopefully by now, you’ve set up a blog, and maybe even started out with some business-related social networking. On that note, I’ve been asked to discuss what purpose a blog can serve for a medical writer, so here goes!

WHY USE A BLOG?

To Advertise Your Business:

If we’re not out there, nobody will find us. Work is a little bit like dating (any kind of work, whether you want to be an employee or self-employed) – if you don’t put yourself out there, it’s difficult to be found.

Whether we like it or not, the world’s gone digital. The days of locating businesses purely through those huge, hard copies of your telephone book or Yellow Pages are history – the first port of call for most people looking for any kind of business service is now an online search. I don’t consider myself a very digital person, but I know this is the case for me. The instant gratification of finding what you want after hitting a few keys on your keyboard, is tough to beat – I can’t remember the last time I ever picked up a Yellow Pages, let alone owned one. So if we don’t take advantage of this venue, we are missing out on an important way to self-advertise.

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To Showcase Your Potential:

Your blog can provide a perfect way for you to show off your work. This can be especially useful for non-scientists who want to break into medical writing, but have no prior work clips to share with potential clients. I don’t know about you, but although I love the ability to shop online, I tend not to order things that are “sight unseen”. Your blog helps your work to be seen.

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It Makes You Real:

A blog can also allow readers and potential clients to get a sense of who you are. The digital arena has a real-time advantage over a listing in a telephone book – it allows you to engage with people as often as you choose to do so. Updating your blog regularly provides something that a telephone book listing cannot deliver – the ability to connect with others. Everything you share on your blog allows readers to get a glimpse of your personality and passion. These regular connections help to make you real – potential clients will see that you have a zest for writing, and also get a feel for your writing tone – these things definitely help when it comes to deciding who to choose for help with a writing project.

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To Use As Your Portfolio:

You can also put your blog to good use as a showcase for your resume or portfolio. The ability to add different pages to your blog enables you to use it to almost any advantage. Some people add a resume page, or a portfolio page where readers can link up to clips of the writer’s work that may have been published online. Or you can even upload pdf versions of manuscripts for viewing.

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To Keep You In The Loop:

A blog is such a great way to keep you from feeling as if you’re all alone in the writing world, and this is probably especially true if you are working 100% freelance. In an office environment, you have instant connection with workmates if you need to bounce ideas off someone, or get a second opinion on something. When running a solo business, you don’t have this luxury. Your blog, however, can serve as a medium for this. It provides you with an almost instant way to receive ideas, comments, feedback, opinions etc. And from all across the world too! The cyber-connectivity can keep you grounded in your business venture, allowing you to network with others who can help you out, even if just by way of moral support.

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To Help Others:

Never underestimate what you might have to offer someone. Whether it’s an encouraging word, a snippet of information, or just simple enjoyment, I guarantee that your blog will provide something for someone at some point. Someone will leave you some positive feedback, or send you an email to thank you for something, or ask more questions. And you can guarantee that your blog will be useful for many who don’t let you know – think of all the material that you read online each day – do you leave comments each time you find something fun, interesting, useful etc? I know I don’t – but it’s certainly not for the lack of interest – we all read a lot, but simply don’t have the time to comment on everything we enjoy. So don’t forget, someone loves you! A little altruism never hurt anyone.

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Having a blog isn’t going to make you successful overnight, and it won’t bring clients flocking within a month if you’re new to the business and still trying to get your foot in the door. It does, however, get you out there, and lets clients see that you are real and also serious about what you do. I feel that it keeps you accountable too – a huge help for someone starting out, especially a non-scientist without publications to use as a springboard – your blog can help you to “keep on keeping on”. Given that it’s easier to give up than keep fighting the fight, if you commit to writing a little something regularly – even once a week – you can maintain business motivation while trying to catch some initial projects, and also build up your online portfolio in the meantime.

So if you are new to your medical writing business, think of your blog as the first step in self-marketing. Maintaining it can be time-consuming, but nevertheless, very beneficial. Writing begets writing.

What’s your favorite use for your blog?

 

 

 

A third of us are infected with Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that can be transmitted to us by animals. Cats represent a major source of this organism, and are therefore a common route of infection for us since they continually shed the parasite. Consequently we can become infected with Toxoplasma gondii if we come into contact with anything that is contaminated with the organism as a result of a cat’s shedding. Some ways include:

  • Contaminated soil  (when gardening in an area where cats have defecated)
  • Cleaning the cat litter box
  • Contaminated water
  • Undercooked meat (lamb, pork, and venison especially – these animals are infected by cats in the same way as we are)
  • Cooking utensils coming into contact with undercooked, infected meats

Although many people are infected with this parasite, most are unaffected by it, and show no clinical symptoms since the immune system effectively prevents it from causing disease; however, clinical toxoplasmosis can be a real problem for people with weakened immune systems, such as:

  • HIV infected patients
  • Chemotherapy patients
  • Organ-transplant recipients

Additionally, it poses a particular risk for unborn babies. A  woman who comes into contact with the organism for the first time during her pregnancy may transmit it to the fetus in utero, resulting in birth defects or even infant fatalities. Transmission of the parasite to an unborn baby, however, is less likely if the woman has previously come into contact with the organism at least six months or more, prior to becoming pregnant.

Links With Brain Cancer?

Interestingly, a recent study reports a correlation between rates of infection of Toxoplasma gondii, and the incidence of brain cancer. Global data on brain cancer in people from 37 countries was collected and compared with the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in those regions. The research group reported that brain cancer rates increased in countries where the parasite was more prevalent.

This ecological study, however, merely points to a correlation between the two events – it does not imply that the parasite actually causes brain cancer in people. And certainly the opposite could be true – it’s not impossible that brain cancer could be the driving factor behind Toxoplasma gondii infection.

So as it stands, this report does not prove cause and association, but is predominantly hypothesis-generating, and does provoke scientific curiosity. In the words of one of the authors:“These were the best data available and we felt they were sufficient to take the first step. Working with actual brain cancer patients is an obvious next step, but it would be an expensive proposition.  It is a lot easier to justify the second, expensive step when you have some evidence for the hypothesis. We are hoping that our results motivate others in the field to do further studies.”

Thomas, Lafferty, Brodeur, Elguero, Gauthier-Clerc & Misse. 2011. Incidence of adult brain cancers is higher in countries where the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is common. Biology Letters

 

Although most kittens learn to use a litter box courtesy of their mother, some may need a helping hand from a new owner – especially those who may have been abandoned or orphaned.

Here are some tips in an article that I wrote for The Pet Store Online.

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If you’re in the same position as me and have a full time job in addition to running a freelance business, you’ll know all about “not enough hours in the day”.

 

Even without my freelancing, my life is busy enough: 

  • I get up at 5am & drive 45 miles to work
  • I do volunteer work in Boston
  • I volunteer on an educational/exam committee for my veterinary board specialty area
  • My week is split between MA & upstate NY where my boyfriend is

 

So trying to maintain some semblance of a life, while keeping up a freelance niche, is tricky at the best of times.  Currently, the majority of my freelance work is done on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings each week – with a splattering of work at other times, on an “as and when” basis, if time permits.

Typically I don’t do much freelance work at weekends – most of that time is spent with my boyfriend in NY. That involves me making the almost-6 hour drive there on Friday afternoon – I managed to rearrange my work week around a bit, thanks to my great boss. So I tend to work later each night to make up enough hours to allow me to leave early on Fridays, and come into work late on Mondays. As you can imagine, a 6 hour drive Monday morning doesn’t get me to work until around noon. I’ll work until about 8pm, then I get to drive 45 miles home – which is why I don’t do much freelancing on Mondays!

 

I do some of the usual things to carve out time for my freelancing:

  • Catching up with emails or Twitter while I’m drying my hair each morning!
  • Repeating the above at lunchtime, or squeezing in some writing around this time

 

One thing I’m quite passionate about in my life, is exercise. For me, it’s not just about keeping me fit, it’s about maintaining my mental health. A regular exercise regime just keeps me grounded. As you can imagine though, my chaotic calendar doesn’t necessarily allow me enough free time for much exercise midweek. I have, however, figured out a compromise:

 

 

Yes, if I really want the best of both worlds, occasionally I hit the gym with my:

  • Pencil
  • Notepad
  • iPhone

I find this a great way to multitask – I have an Evernote app on my iPhone, so I can either add notes there, or write them in the notepad. Sometimes I’ll just brainstorm ideas for posts or potential clients. Other times I’ll be catching up on emails, or on Twitter. (I actually remember doing the same kind of thing many years ago while I was studying for my board specialty exam – the almost 24/7 studying for a few months before the exam left me like a zombie between studying & a full time job –  but I was determined to find a way of fitting in exercise, so I’d take study notes to the gym!)

Naturally I don’t reach the aerobic levels that I experience when I’m just devoting the time to exercise – but it’s a happy medium. I get some moderate exercise, & that’s good enough for me.

 

Is it crazy? Yes, of course.

Do I want to be doing this forever? No, absolutely not!

 

But for now, it’s a crazy compromise that I’m willing to make!

What crazy things do you do by way of multitasking?

 

 

Every year, over 40 million people in the US suffer from anxiety disorder, and more than 20 million will experience some depressive illness.

Although anxiety is a natural reaction of the body to any risk, threat, or danger, if your worries become a recurring theme and prevent you from living a normal life, this could suggest an anxiety disorder.

Such disorders can lead to enormous financial costs for the economy, but emotional cost for affected patients is even more important and significant. Symptoms vary from one person to the next, but most will experience both physical and emotional problems, as well as illogical and heightened worries.

Regardless of the stimulus, anxiety attacks can be extremely damaging to a person’s well-being – social and work lives suffer, and one can easily enter a negative spiral with feelings of low self-worth. Such conditions are highly treatable, however, so help should always be sought from a professional – especially in severe circumstances.

Additionally there are numerous self-help methods that you can employ to try to break the cycle. So although such problems can be highly debilitating, the good news is that chronic worrying is a mental habit that can be broken – so don’t let it keep you up each night!

Time for Step 3 of the “Beginner’s Medical Writing” series – a step-by-step guide to getting yourself started in freelance medical writing – an extremely basic guide for making the first move into medical writing.  

If you’re just arriving, feel free to check out the earlier steps:

So, where are we up to now? Hopefully by now you have a blog or some kind of website “out there”. And I haven’t forgotten that I left you with some assignments to get you started with writing for your blog.

If you haven’t yet posted them to your blog, then go ahead and do so – this is the start of your showcase, so the sooner they are up and running, the better. As for the next step – it’s time to link up with some other folk in your field.  Gathering a new social circle can be a wonderful way to help propel your new business.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Does the very thought of being involved in social media leave you kicking & screaming? If so, you have a big decision to make. On the one hand, if you are social media-phobic, then it might be a waste of your time setting up accounts for your business – there’s no point pretending you’re going to give it a go, if you already know you’ll never use any of them. On the other hand, however, this is 2011 & like it or not, social media is now part of our online business DNA.

So before you dig in your heels & declare your business a failure when it’s just getting started, I’d urge you to give it just a little thought. These days, many small businesses are successfully using Facebook, Twitter, & LinkedIn (amongst others) to promote their services. So it is absolutely in your best interests to at least consider using one of them. Decide which of the social media sites might appeal to you most – take your pick based either on which will be a better choice for your type of freelance business, or which of the networks you are most likely to actually feel content about using.

 

Some benefits of social networking to help persuade you in the right direction:

  • Improves marketing of your services
  • Allows business networking with others in your niche
  • Increases visibility of your business
  • Drives traffic to your website/blog
  • Builds credibility for your services
  • Provides a simple method of enabling feedback on your services
  • A great way to gain moral support

 

Just One?

If you are looking to maybe just take on one of the social networks, I’d advise using LinkedIn – this will at least expose your business to the world (including potential employers) and is probably the one that requires the least maintenance once you’ve set it up appropriately. So this might be the choice for you if you absolutely know that the Facebook, Twitter, or other universes are simply not where you want to place your energy.

I use 2 networks for my business, so feel free to link up with me at any of them:

 

There are also direct links to my LinkedIn and Twitter profiles at the top right of the screen.

Whilst the situation will be different for different individuals, I have to say that I tried a business Facebook site, and this has been the least useful for my business purposes – although LinkedIn & Twitter have proven to be great ways to network and for me to be found.

So go ahead & explore some of the social networking options for yourself, & see which you might be interested in trying out. Your assignment today is to set up at least one social networking profile and link it up with your business site online.

Which of the social networks have you used, and which has been most useful for your business?

Another special thanks goes to Anne Wayman who invited me to write a guest post on medical writing for her site – you’ll find it here.

For those of you who are freelance writers, please check out the rest of her site for all kinds of advice, from starting up your business, to maintaining and moving it forward.

Hope you all have a wonderful July 4th holiday weekend!