tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59105055677233843892024-03-13T11:13:59.342-04:00American Medical Writers Association Annual Conference Blog<i>This blog is devoted to news about the AMWA Annual Conference.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-84930407222518747352015-09-25T11:53:00.000-04:002015-09-25T12:05:49.758-04:00Anyone can give a webinar now, but can you really rock one?<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let me start with a confession, I was one those people who
was late embracing the webinar. My attitude was attend them when I had to and
only host them if I must. Then suddenly I realized I was starting to see some
value in those webinars. So what changed? Technology for one thing. There
are now many reliable platforms and user friendly dashboards to take the angst
out of webinar logistics. The turning point for me was last year when I had
such a great time putting together the Twitter webinar with Adi Ferrara along
with the help of Andrew Buskey from AMWA headquarters. So much so that I
decided to attend the open session on developing, designing, and executing a
webinar by Ruwaida Vakil at our Memphis AMWA conference. What a valuable
session that was for me. I left there armed with useful knowledge that helped
me make great decisions for using webinars with client projects this year. That
was the first hurdle I had to overcome and if you are at that point with
webinars now, Ruwaida has a great online webinar available on demand at </span><a href="http://eventcallregistration.com/reg/index.jsp?cid=47021t11&inf_contact_key=eb43b35f5fcfd5142d06eb2de0517455871a34e2fbb887e47bbec949d51dd046"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Beacon
Live</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> that can quickly get you up to speed.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Webinars have really grown these past few years and
according to B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks they are now </span><a href="http://news.monster.com/a/business/14-reasons-you-should-utilize-webinars-6516dd"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">tied
with video</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> as the 3rd most effective means of marketing today. More and
more people are conducting them, but are they doing them effectively? That is
why I was so pleased to see a follow-up session by Ruwaida (OS39- How to Make
Your Webinar Relevant, Impactful and Memorable) on this year’s AMWA conference
program. Last year’s session was a great hands on exercise in getting the
session audience comfortable with executing a webinar. This year Ruwaida is
promising a session helping speakers to make their webinars more effective by
being more impactful. A common misconception for many people is that webinars
are the same as public speaking. Ruwaida points out for a webinar to be a
success, there is a need to translate the oral presentation into an online
presentation and that there are tools and technology that help enable that
translation to be successful.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In this session Ruwaida will be presenting the six key
components she feels are essential in order for a speaker to assure their
webinar will be relevant, impactful and memorable. If you still are not
convinced of the value of webinars check out </span><a href="http://news.monster.com/a/business/14-reasons-you-should-utilize-webinars-6516dd"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Ryan
Parker’s</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> 14 reasons why you should be using webinars. You can also hear
Ruwaida’s insights and perspectives on that topic in her on demand “content
marketing with a webinar” presentation on </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbBusKxRf9c"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">youtube</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a freelancer I have learned to appreciate the roles
critical content and visual marketing have played in my success. Ruwaida feels
strongly that webinars are wasted when treated as a sales presentation and her
goal is to show this session audience how to use a webinar as an effective
educational tool that will help establish a person’s credentials as the
content/subject matter expert. Establishing those credentials is an important
step in building your brand. Ruwaida’s session OS39- How to Make Your Webinar
Relevant, Impactful and Memorable is scheduled for Saturday, October 3 at 4PM.
Be sure to check the </span><a href="http://www.amwa.org/Files/Events/AC2015/2015RegistrationBrochure.pdf"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">AMWA
Program Brochure</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> for additional information on this session and for other
sessions that may be of interest to you as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Additional webinar related sessions at this year’s </span><a href="http://www.amwa.org/Files/Events/AC2015/2015RegistrationBrochure.pdf"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">AMWA
Annual Conference</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Sept 30 – Oct 3 in San Antonio, TX include:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Roundtables</strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">T-04 So You Want to Do a Webinar? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Open Sessions</strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">OS–31 Beyond the Box: New and Money Making Strategies for
Freelancers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t forget to join the Twitter conversation and follow
AMWA at @AmMedWriters and use #AMWA2015 to keep up with as well as to share the
conference events.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>-Larry Lynam, 2015 AMWA Conference Committee</em></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">@scopedbylarry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
</span></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14748731477640083038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-5296849028070867292015-09-14T21:34:00.000-04:002015-09-14T21:42:38.238-04:00Hit Me with Your Best Shot: Mastering Critique and Criticism<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Medical
writing is both a science and an art. It requires a
clear understanding of medical concepts and terminology, a thorough
knowledge of specific requirements for different types of documents and
excellent writing skills. Perhaps, the most important aspect of medical
writing is the ability to handle the unique challenges of critique
and criticism. Robin Whitsell, founder and president of Whitsell
Innovations, Inc, will be presenting this topic in the open
session “It’s Not You; It’s Me: Dealing with Critique and
Criticism” at the AMWA 75th Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX,
September 30-October 3, 2015.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Although
the Annual Conference is in less than three weeks, Whitsell has provided a
sneak peek of what she will be discussing.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
<li>Strategies for handling feedback.</li>
<li>How to encourage substantive and actionable feedback that adds depth and insight.</li>
<li>The skills needed for handling critique and criticism in a positive way that minimizes defensiveness or anger.</li>
<li>How to maintain patience, professionalism, and self-control when receiving feedback.</li>
<li>How to have challenging conversations with difficult individuals in order to achieve desired results for: you, others, the relationship, or the organization.</li>
<li>Strategies and techniques for establishing and maintaining a team rapport.<o:p></o:p></li>
</span></span></ul>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Whitsell’s
presentation will provide case study examples of crucial conversations with
difficult individuals. Audience members are encouraged to share their personal
experiences of high stakes dialogue and offer solutions for achieving a
successful outcome. This very engaging session is an exciting opportunity for
medical writers at all levels.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Taken
together, this open session will enable attendees to learn effective
communication skills and prepare them to perform as persuasive
communicators and problem solvers. These skills are critical to improving:
productivity, diversity, and relationships both professionally and
personally. More importantly, everyone can and should practice these proven
techniques and practical tools in their daily lives. The more we
practice these techniques the more intrinsic and spontaneous our
communication skills will become.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">To
learn additional tips on how to best approach a crucial conversation with skill
and empathy, check out <a href="https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/top-ten-tips-for-handling-the-difficult-conversation/"><span style="color: blue;">12
Tips for Handling Difficult Conversations</span></a>.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For
those interested in attending an additional open session
presented by Whitsell at the 2015 Annual Conference, check
out “No Weak Links: Mentoring and Coaching in Medical Writing.” Please
see the <a href="http://www.amwa.org/Files/Events/AC2015/2015RegistrationBrochure.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">registration brochure</span></a> for a detailed description and
time of this session.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">To
join the Twitter conversation, follow @AmMedWriters and use#AMWA2015.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">-<em>Tara
Ann Cartwright, PhD; </em></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>2015
Annual Conference Planning Committee</em></span></span></span></span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14748731477640083038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-20367787140935467462015-07-28T19:00:00.000-04:002015-07-28T19:15:49.196-04:00No, I’m Not Tweeting—I’m Marketing<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Social media may seem like a haphazard series of tweets,
likes, and posts, but behind this evolving technology is marketing potential,
and with effective marketing, comes new business. Social media marketing
experts Jennifer Minarcik and Ruwaida Vakil will be presenting this topic in
the open session “Using Social Media for Marketing: Harness the Power of
Twitter, LinkedIn and Beyond” at the AMWA 75th Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX,
September 30-October 3, 2015.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although the Annual Conference does not kick off for a
couple months, the presenters have shared a few nuggets of information—a taste
of what is to come! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<strong>Use webinars as a content marketing tool.</strong> Presenter Ruwaida
says that when conducting a webinar or presentation, you can use social media
marketing for social listening on LinkedIn and Twitter. For example, create a
private LinkedIn group for all your attendees and a related hashtag on Twitter.
Why? Ruwaida explains (1) “the LinkedIn group allows you to continue the
conversation with your attendees” and (2) “the Twitter hashtag helps you listen
to and relate to your attendees during and after your webinar.” Ruwaida
addresses webinars further in a </span><a href="http://www.beaconlive.com/blog/ask-the-webinar-expert-ruwaida-vakil"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">blog
post</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Create effective visuals to increase exposure.</strong> Presenter Jennifer
recommends using visuals to bump up your brand’s exposure, ultimately driving
more traffic to your website. To create visuals, Jennifer suggests the online
tool </span><a href="https://www.canva.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Canva</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> because it is a great
do-it-yourself design tool for creating unique, targeted images. “But don’t
just post images,” she says, “add captions and descriptions (for example,
hashtags, a website URL, or a ‘Call to Action’).”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Humanize social media to reach your audience.</strong> As insiders,
Jennifer and Ruwaida share a final secret, “This year, the goal for anyone
using social media should be to share relevant content while becoming more
human. Social networks, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube, provide
freelancers the ability to create content specifically designed to attract
dream clients.” Along with this push to make social media marketing more
personal come fresh concepts, such as social selling, content curation
strategies, real-time social media marketing, visual content, video content,
and advertisement campaigns.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Open up a hard copy of the </span><a href="http://www.amwa.org/journal"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AMWA Journal</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> or log on to read more
about social media marketing in Jennifer Minarcik’s article “The FDA and Social
Media” published in volume 30, issue 1. Also, tune in to the YouTube channel </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_9SxvRmcuV5A9YSXVLJGBg"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Freelance
MedWriters</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for more expert advice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To join the Twitter conversation, follow @AmMedWriters and
use #AMWA2015. To tweet about the upcoming social media marketing open session
and follow tips from the presentation, use #AMWA15SM.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For those interested in the open session described in this
post, listed below are other related presentations and activities offered at the
2015 Annual Conference. Descriptions, dates, and times for each offering can be
found in the </span><a href="http://www.amwa.org/Files/Events/AC2015/2015RegistrationBrochure.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">registration brochure</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Roundtables<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
T-03: Quick-Start Marketing for Freelance Success<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">T-04: So You Want To Do a Webinar<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">T-07: Nobody Ever Wins in a Twitter Fight!<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">T-27: Freelancing: Starting and Marketing Your Medical Writing Business<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">S-04: The Social Media Tool Swap Shop<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">S-13: Five Tips to Prevent Your Website from Becoming an
Antique<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Open Sessions<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
OS-12: Basics of Content Writing for Medical Practices and Hospitals<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OS-39: How to Make Your Webinar Relevant, Impactful, and
Memorable<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Workshop<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
WS-44: Fundamentals of Freelance Business Marketing<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Christina Bennett, 2015 Annual Conference Planning Committee </span></em></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14748731477640083038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-87664431675557542592015-06-29T15:47:00.000-04:002015-06-29T15:47:41.392-04:00Earn Credits Toward ISMPP CMPP Recertification at the AMWA 75th Annual Conference<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you were CMPP certified in 2010, this is your year to recertify!
The International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP) has
approved the following 4 sessions offered at the AMWA 75th Annual Conference for credit
towards Certified Medical Publication Professional (CMPP) recertification.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Workshop</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">WS-20 Ethical Standards in Medical Publication (3 Continuing
Education [CE] Hours)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Open Session</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">OS-24 Transforming Perception of Medical Writers from Coal
to Diamonds-if Superman Can Do it, so Can We! (1.5 CE Hours)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Roundtables</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">S-09 Journal Selection: Does it Matter in the Electronic
Age? (1 CE Hour)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">S-12 Permission Granted! Copyright Compliance and Permission
Requests (1 CE Hour)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Please see the <a href="http://www.amwa.org/Files/Events/AC2015/2015RegistrationBrochure.pdf" target="_blank">registration brochure</a> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">for the detailed descriptions and times of these sessions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Attendees seeking CE credits can email annual_conference@amwa.org</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
to request attendance verification documentation after the conference.</span><br />
<br />
-<em>Noelle Demas, 2015 Annual Conference Administrator</em>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14748731477640083038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-22307261222927996812013-10-29T07:30:00.000-04:002013-10-29T07:30:02.781-04:00Creative Readings Returns to the Annual ConferenceAMWA members are far more than just skilled medical writers and editors. Many of them use their considerable talent in more creative writing endeavors. For a number of years, they had an opportunity during the Annual Conference to share their creative efforts with fellow AMWA members at a Creative Readings open session. But because of low turnout over the past couple of years, it was not offered at last year’s conference. Thanks to attendees who said they missed it, the Creative Readings is coming back—on a new day and time. <br />
<br />
Traditionally, the Creative Readings session was held on the first night of the conference, following the Welcome Reception. The AC Committee wondered if perhaps this time slot for the event was a challenge, because members, tired from their travels, were anticipating an early morning wake-up call and the full day of workshops that lay ahead of them. So, the Committee decided to offer the Creative Readings session on Saturday afternoon (3:30 to 5:00 PM), as a perfect time for members to unwind after a busy 3 days of conference activities. <br />
<br />
This open forum provides an opportunity for conference attendees who “dabble” in creative writing to share their works with their colleagues. Over the years, members have read short stories, science fiction, excerpts from novels and plays, and creative nonfiction, both serious and humorous. Song parodies have been another popular offering. Several years ago, a member lamented about the life of a bench scientist to a tune from “The Pirates of Penzance.” More recently, a member played his guitar and sang about the <a href="http://amwaconference.blogspot.com/2009/10/if-her-typos-dont-kill-me.html">trials of being a copyeditor</a>. <br />
<br />
A past <a href="http://amwaconference.blogspot.com/search?q=creative ">Creative Readings session</a> also served as the impetus for gathering humorous observations about the lives of medical writers that were subsequently published in the book <i>More Than 101 Ways to Know You’re a Medical Writer</i>, which will be available for sale at the conference (at the Editorial Rx Press booth on the Exhibit Hall). <br />
<br />
The purpose of the Creative Readings open session is to share and appreciate—not evaluate or criticize—in a comfortable nonthreatening environment. And the event is not just for those who want to share their creative work. It is also for those who like to listen and appreciate the creative endeavors of others—and perhaps get ideas and encouragement to stretch their wings and try writing their own poem, short story, or humorous essay, or starting that novel they’ve been thinking about writing. <br />
No reservations are required to attend. However, we do ask those who want to present to please sign up ahead of time so that we can make sure everyone has an equal opportunity to share his or her work with an appreciative audience of peers.<br />
<br />
<b>If you would like to sign up to be a presenter, or would like more information about this special event, please send an e-mail to Creative Readings chair Donna Miceli at dmiceli@comcast.net</b>. <br />
<br />
<i>—Donna Miceli, 2013 Annual Conference Committee</i><br />
Lori Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10892229485007813966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-56742882452751137692013-10-28T07:30:00.000-04:002013-10-28T07:30:03.883-04:00AMWA’s Giving Back ProgramWe are gathering in Columbus to serve each other as educators and colleagues, and it is therefore fitting that we take the opportunity to serve the host community. This year, we have arranged for conference attendees to give back by donating nonperishable food or monetary donations to the <a href="http://www.midohiofoodbank.org">Mid-Ohio Foodbank</a>. <br />
<br />
The Mid-Ohio Foodbank has been serving central and eastern Ohio for more than 30 years and now distributes food to more than 550 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, after-school programs, and senior housing sites. The foodbank provides a vital resource to organizations that serve children, the elderly, the homeless, and the poor. It does so with a high level of accountability and at a low administration cost: it is a 4-star organization on <a href="http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=4094#.UmGS6kHqlyw">Charity Navigator</a>, with almost 95% of expenses going to programs, less than 4% to administration, and just over 1% to fundraising.<br />
<br />
The AMWA conference site is not near grocery stores, so please find space in your suitcase for a nonperishable food item. If you don’t have space (or forget), consider a monetary donation (cash or check). Food and money are both helpful, especially as the busy holiday season approaches. Every $1 you donate can buy a needy family, child, or individual $11 worth of groceries. <br />
<br />
Look for the Mid-Ohio Foodbank donation box in the AMWA registration area at the conference (Country Foyer) to leave your gift. And thank you for your help as we give back to the community that is so graciously hosting us!<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>—Tim Peoples, MA, ELS, CMPP </i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aMs4L0z9frI/UmVgovY9NpI/AAAAAAAAADY/PDg959kjsds/s1600/Food+Bank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aMs4L0z9frI/UmVgovY9NpI/AAAAAAAAADY/PDg959kjsds/s200/Food+Bank.jpg" /></a></div>Lori Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10892229485007813966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-80144510126326010422013-10-24T07:30:00.000-04:002013-10-24T07:30:02.153-04:00Making Things Clear: Tips and Hints for Working with Non-Western ClientsMost Western readers think it is the writer’s responsibility to make things clear for the reader. However, some non-Western cultures assume that it is the reader’s responsibility to figure out what the writer meant. This assumption can add to the difficulties experienced by non-Western authors as they write for publication and international regulatory approval. <br />
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Given that considerably more than half of the world's research is done by researchers whose native language is not English, the demand is growing for people who can assist in writing clear, understandable English in an international context. Of particular note, this “clear understandable English” is not necessarily the same as idiomatic “native English-speaker” English.<br />
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You can learn about the challenges and opportunities of writing for this emerging market at the AMWA Annual conference session “The West and the Rest: Working with Non-Native English Authors and Readers in Asia and Eastern Europe.” Panelists Lee Seaman of the Northwest Chapter; Mary (Mimi) Wessling of the Northern California chapter; and Mieko Onuki, an AMWA member residing in Japan, will share their experiences.<br />
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Here is a sneak peak at some of what that these panelists will be talking about. <br />
• The English that readers in Asia and Eastern Europe need.<br />
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• Principles for making your English easier to understand: The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine has <a href="http://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/resourcesforyou/animalhealthliteracy/ucm278272.htm ">PLAIN language principles</a> that can be applied to all types of writing. Japanese writers can also find advice for better <a href="http://www.ronbun.jp/">English medical writing</a>. <br />
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• When working through a writing/editing agency, which demands are reasonable and which not? How do you decide?<br />
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• How can you “upscale” your services to appeal to higher-end agencies and end-users?<br />
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Bookmark or schedule this session in the <a href="http://amwaconference.blogspot.com/2013/10/getting-around-at-amwa-annual-conference.html">AMWA Annual Conference app</a> and join us!<br />
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<i>--Noelle Demas, 2013 AMWA Annual Conference Committee</i><br />
Lori Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10892229485007813966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-77309462140460257072013-10-23T07:30:00.000-04:002013-10-23T07:30:01.080-04:00Think Outside the Pharmaceutical Industry Box at AMWA Annual ConferenceWhether you’re a veteran medical writer with extensive pharmaceutical and biotechnology experience, or a newcomer to the medical writing profession, this year’s AMWA Annual Conference program offers a number of opportunities to broaden your professional horizons with sessions focused on the medical device industry. <br />
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Terminology, FDA structure, regulatory requirements, standards for clinical trial design and product promotion, and key professional qualifications for medical writers can differ significantly between the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. A basic understanding of these differences can give medical writers an entrée into a potential new market for their services.<br />
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For an overall introduction to the field, there’s “Scope of Medical Communication,” where Scott Thompson, a writer in the medical device field, will provide an overview of the medical device setting; discuss career opportunities in the field; talk about the knowledge, skills, and attributes that increase the likelihood of success; and tell you what you can expect to earn. Open sessions featuring content related to medical devices include “Current Regulatory Challenges for Reporting Drug Safety Information for Approved Drugs, Biologics, and Devices,” presented by Mary Whitman, and “FDA’s Other Box: Medical Device Regulation for Pharmaceutical Writers,” featuring a panel of device-industry veterans. <br />
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“The ‘FDA's Other Box’ panel discussion should appeal to medical writers working in the device or pharmaceutical industries,” says Cynthia Carr, PhD, a senior medical writer at Ventana Medical Systems Inc. and one of the panelists at the session. “Working for a device manufacturer, I've seen a huge increase in the number of collaborations with pharmaceutical partners in recent years. Our clinical study managers have expressed repeatedly how beneficial it is to the collaborative effort when our pharmaceutical partners have some basic understanding of device regulations.”<br />
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Medical devices is also a topic in this year’s Alvarez Award Address, titled “Medical Devices: Policy, and Politics. ” Gregory D. Curfman, MD, executive editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, and the 2013 Alvarez Award winner, will also discuss policy issues currently affecting the industry.<br />
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The growing number and popularity of device-focused sessions at AMWA conferences had its genesis after the 2011 annual conference in Jacksonville, when a small group of device writers noticed that the industry was underrepresented at the AMWA conference. Many had been flying under the radar for a few years and thought it was time they shared their knowledge to help enhance their fellow AMWA members’ knowledge and career prospects.<br />
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"I'm a medical device specialist, so I'm somewhat biased," says Christine Welniak, principal of Upside Communications and a long-time a champion for efforts to increase medical device educational content at the conference. "But I love that AMWA is expanding its educational offerings to include device-oriented sessions. In terms of unmet need, there's a dearth of people who specialize in devices. AMWA is a logical place for manufacturers and medical communication agencies to seek writers and editors. I hope attendees capitalize on the programming at this year's annual conference. They can quickly learn device nomenclature and unique considerations, such as patient selection or types of adverse events. That way, they'll be able to take advantage of the many and varied opportunities in the field."<br />
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Be sure to bookmark this session or add it to your schedule in the <a href="http://amwaconference.blogspot.com/2013/10/getting-around-at-amwa-annual-conference.html">AMWA Annual Conference app</a>. <br />
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<i>--Jeanne McAdara-Berkowitz, PhD</i><br />
Lori Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10892229485007813966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-28442161594783583292013-10-22T07:30:00.000-04:002013-10-22T07:30:01.597-04:00Are You Professionally Invisible?Do you feel like you have control over your career? Does your boss recognize the value you offer? If you answered no to either of these questions, you’ll want to learn to create visibility in your career. Enhancing your visibility can help get you noticed for new opportunities and may even help reduce the risk of losing your position during a “reorganization.” <br />
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You can learn how to get noticed in your work by attending the Intensive Seminar “Create Visibility and Influence to Fast Track Your Career,” held at the AMWA Annual Conference on Wednesday, November 6.<br />
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You want your boss and other senior people to regularly think about how they could get you involved in new and interesting initiatives, says John West Hadley, Career Search Counselor, <a href="http://www.JHACareers.com">John Hadley Associates, LLC</a>. “The key to making this happen is to consistently communicate value in everything you do, without appearing to brag. It’s about what you say (or write) and how you say (or write) it, and even about when you do it,” says Hadley.<br />
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“The vast majority of us fall down badly in this, assuming that our good work will speak for itself. It may, but only if it gets noticed, which often doesn’t go beyond your immediate superior.” <br />
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Hadley also notes that when we have a rare opportunity to have a conversation with a senior executive or other people in key positions in our companies, we don’t take advantage of the opportunity to make it an “influential conversation.” Medical writers have a natural mindset for providing information, he says. And the more we focus on pushing information on people, the less engagement and the lower the influence level of the conversation. In his seminar, he will describe the mindset necessary to consistently get into seriously influential conversations, and he will provide a “model” for how to conduct such a conversation successfully.<br />
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Hadley has given several popular seminars and talks, including one on networking at a 2012 <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs013/1105202522658/archive/1109339014877.html">AMWA Delaware Valley Chapter event</a>. He also participated in a <a href="http://amwa.podbean.com/2012/09/10/networking-101-with-john-hadley/">podcast</a> on networking for the <i>AMWA Journal</i>. In addition to his Wednesday seminar at this year’s AMWA Annual Conference, he is also leading a session on networking on Thursday. Don’t miss either chance for a face-to-face experience in learning strategies for taking charge of your career and marketing yourself better. <br />
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You must register separately for “Create Visibility and Influence to Fast Track Your Career.” If you have already registered for the AMWA Annual Conference, send an e-mail to annual_conference@amwa.org to ask about adding the seminar to your registration. If you have not registered yet (why not???), you can register for both the conference and the session onsite.<br />
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Lori Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10892229485007813966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-25658914362639397932013-10-21T12:52:00.002-04:002013-10-21T12:52:51.220-04:00Getting Around at the AMWA Annual ConferenceWe can count on many things being the same at the AMWA Annual Conference year after year: outstanding educational offerings, great networking opportunities, and the chance to see old friends and colleagues. But each AMWA Annual Conference is different too, especially with AMWA’s added emphasis on innovative programming. Making our way across the meeting space and around the host city is always new.<br />
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Thanks to modern technology, you can become more familiar with your conference surroundings from the comfort of your home (or, if you’re a procrastinator, as you travel to Columbus).<br />
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<b>There’s an App for That</b><br />
Yes, there’s an app for the AMWA Annual Conference—the most exciting thing to happen to the conference since…well, I’m not sure what. If you haven’t downloaded the app, do yourself a favor and download it before you leave for the conference so you have plenty of time to become familiar with it. You can download the conference app for free to your iPhone, iPad, or Android device. Just search for the app in the iTunes store or Google Play store with the search term “AMWA.”<br />
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First, make sure to create an account and profile after you download the app. You can make contact information public or private. One feature of the app allows you to download contact information for other attendees—great for networking! Attendees can download your contact information only if you make your information public, so be sure to consider this. <br />
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Want to see the conference schedule? With the app, you can review the schedule in a variety of different ways. First is the traditional by day. If you don’t want to think linearly, try looking at the schedule by track or by topic. Or, look up the schedule by speaker. If all else fails, you can search for a word or words.<br />
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Once you find sessions you want to attend, you can create your own personal schedule. And, you can even set a reminder for the sessions in your schedule. If you’re not sure about whether your schedule can accommodate a session, bookmark it. Later, you can look at your bookmarked sessions to see what you can get to.<br />
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The app includes the rooms of sessions, as well as maps of the meeting space at the Hyatt. No more waiting until you’re onsite to see where your sessions are and how far you have to run to get from one to the next. Map it out in advance! <br />
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Also become familiar with some of the things you’ll be able to do with the app during the conference…like take notes at sessions, connect through your social media accounts, rank sessions. We really hope the app enhances your conference experience from beginning to end!<br />
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If you really don’t have time to play with the app before the conference, staff will be on hand in the registration area to help you. And tips for using the app will be available at the Editorial Rx Press exhibit table, the sponsor of the app.<br />
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<b>Get Out!</b><br />
Yes, the AMWA Annual Conference is packed with opportunities to learn and to network. But be sure to get out at some point to enjoy this unbelievable city! Right around the corner from the convention center is the <a href="http://www.shortnorth.org/">Short North</a>, the culturally rich neighborhood known as the “art and soul” of Columbus. You’ll enjoy walking through this city gem. <br />
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Also just steps from the Hyatt is the <a href="http://www.northmarket.com/">North Market</a>, which describes itself as “…the fabulous foodies, persnickety purveyors, and artful artisans peddling the fresh, the tasty, the exotic, the beautiful, and the special.” As a bonus, a Farmer’s Market is featured every Saturday. Wouldn’t some nice fruit or fresh flowers look good on your hotel desk?<br />
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A little farther out is the <a href="http://germanvillage.com/">German Village</a>, a tiny neighborhood that is one of the premier historic districts in the country. It’s packed with fun places to eat and drink.<br />
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Learn more about what Columbus offers at <a href="http://www.experiencecolumbus.com/">My Columbus</a>. Also, members of the Ohio Valley Chapter will be available in the registration area (and by phone) to help answer your questions about the area and make suggestions. The AMWA Conference app also includes a list of some restaurants compiled by Ohio Valley Chapter members.<br />
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When you do venture farther away from the Hyatt, remember Columbus’ famous saying: “All you need is 4’s.” That’s the motto of <a href="http://www.yellowcabofcolumbus.com/">Yellow Cab of Columbus</a>, which has been operating since 1928. The background to the saying is the cab company’s phone number: 444-4444 (area code 614). And, to capitalize on the 4 theme, four people can ride for the price of one. Sounds like a good way to get around (and traveling in groups is always best). Besides the easy-to-remember phone number (you’ve memorized it, right?), Yellow Cab offers 4 ways to order a cab: phone, online, an app (available in the App Store), and even by text message (you send your pick-up address to 777222—hey, what happened to the 4s?). So, there’s no excuse for not exploring Columbus—or not getting back to the hotel on time.<br />
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I look forward to exploring Columbus with all of you!Lori Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10892229485007813966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-9603210807394775352013-10-18T07:30:00.000-04:002013-10-18T07:30:04.248-04:00Strategies to Build Education Content for Health ProfessionalsGiven that the past decade has witnessed a rapid expansion of biomedical knowledge, you’d think the case for continuing medical education (CME)/continuing education in the health professions (CEHP) is made. If you’re a health professional, there’s always something new to learn. However, according to several reports (notably <a href="http://www.ama-assn.org/resources/doc/cme/iom-report-cme.pdf"><i>Redesigning Continuing Education in the Health Professions</i></a>), learning something new isn’t enough anymore. <br />
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Today, health professionals need to not only accumulate facts (characteristic of the old CME paradigm) but also integrate new knowledge into practice and develop analytic and diagnostic thinking skills that support performance and quality improvement. These changes are needed to meet the demands of a complex, team-based, patient-centered health care system that is evolving to address persistent health disparities and deficits in patient safety and health care quality. As a result, CEHP needs to be up to the task of delivering what education leaders call performance-based, transformative, interprofessional learning. <br />
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The good news is that CEHP continues to be an important area of content development for an expanding range of learning platforms (e.g., point of care, online, simulations). The bad news is…actually, if you’re a writer, there is no bad news, because, as Johanna Lackner Marx notes in her <a href="http://www.amwa.org/Files/Publications/cme_rising.pdf">CME Rising</a> column in the AMWA Journal, where there is content, there is a need for writers, especially writers skilled in developing interactive content that addresses the kinds of real-world clinical, organizational, and system challenges faced by health professionals in their daily practice. <br />
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If you create education content for health professionals, your own education can get a bolus shot at the 2013 American Medical Writers Association <a href="http://www.amwa.org/events_annual_conference#Registration">(AMWA) Annual Conference</a> in Columbus, Ohio. The AMWA annual conference is well-recognized for the value of its educational offerings; a recent survey demonstrated that the conference is the primary source of continuing education for 76% of AMWA members.<br />
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At least a dozen annual conference sessions focus specifically on creating content for practitioner education, in print, online, and multimedia formats. <br />
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<b>Audience Analysis</b><br />
If you want to refine your audience analysis skills, and align audience needs with the medium you are writing for, consider “Target Audience: Preventing Tragedies on a Train.” This hands-on session will prepare you to identify target audiences—arguably the single most important skill in medical writing, especially when writing for members of interdisciplinary health care teams—and tailor your content accordingly. <br />
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Medium Matters<br />
Of course, in writing, medium matters as much as audience. If you write education content specifically for online/multimedia formats, consider “Medical Writing for Instructionally Sound Engaging e-Learning” or “Evidence-Based Instructional Design: Practical Tips for the Occasional Educator.” Online/multimedia education is a <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20222035">growing segment in CEHP</a>, as online learning offers ease of access and convenience to busy, time-strapped health professionals. If you are a new, or moderately experienced, writer who is new to e-learning, this session will introduce you to the works of leading educational researchers and help you expand your ability to write instructionally sound content for e-learning educational and training courses—without having to become a software expert. <br />
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And if that’s not enough for you, “Writing for Video” will get you simultaneously using the left and right sides of your brain. Writing for video/CD-ROM requires more than words, calling for both verbal and visual communication to hold viewers’ attention. Stuck on how to achieve both? This session with show you how to create effective presentations through conceptual development, scriptwriting style, production commands, and the interactive features of CD-ROMs. <br />
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<b>The Case Rests</b><br />
In fact, interaction is increasingly the name of the education game. Case-based learning is the new normal in adult education in general, and in CEHP in particular. Although Harvard Business School is often credited with inventing the case method, Steve Sturdy, my old colleague at the University of Edinburgh, argues that University of Edinburgh pathology professor James Lorrain Smith actually invented the ‘<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18084106">case method of teaching pathology</a>’ in 1912. You can explore case development at the AMWA Annual Conference in “Stating Your Case (Study).” In this seminar, you’ll learn the nuts and bolts of creating robust case studies. Eve Wilson, one of the presenters in that session, says that developing questions to incorporate within case studies that challenge clinician learners and allow educators to assess learning is key to case creation. The seminar will provide an overview of the steps in developing appropriate knowledge- and competence-based questions within case studies to enhance learner interaction. <br />
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If you want to dig deeper, “Learning in the Health Professions: Practical Strategies for Developing Continuing Education Cases” is a foundational workshop that offers even more hands-on practice in case development, including how to optimize adult learning principles to enhance learning. A client recently commented to me that it’s hard to get writers who can handle cases and develop an activity that incorporates a case, multiple choice questions, and evidence-based feedback. After these sessions, you’ll be able to do all three. <br />
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<b>Need to Know</b><br />
For a review of the current regulatory environment in CEHP (and who doesn’t need this review?), there is “Where Does the Sun Shine? The Regulatory Environment, Education, and Promotions.” Led by continuing education experts Marissa Seligman, PharmD, FACEHP, CCMEP, and Pamela Ostreicher, PhD, this seminar also focuses on changes in states laws, trends in institutional regulations, and do’s and don’ts for medical writers who provide services for both CME and non-CME projects. <br />
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<b>Publish</b><br />
If you want to publish about your development of continuing education projects, you can hear what Dr. Seligman, who is the Editor of the <i>ACHEP Almanac</i>, looks for in manuscripts at “Getting Published: A Discussion with Editors of Medical Communication Publications.” This panel discussion is led by Vicki White, editor of the <i>AMWA Journal</i>, who will also discuss how to get your manuscript noted for our organization’s peer-reviewed journal.<br />
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<b>Register</b><br />
<a href="http://www.amwa.org/calendar_day.asp?date=11/6/2013&event=1481">Register now</a> for the AMWA Annual Conference to enhance your skills in developing educational content. You can find the days and times for sessions in the <a href="http://www.amwa.org/files/Events/2013ConferenceBrochure.pdf ">registration brochure</a>. <b>Act fast—early registration ends today, Friday, October 18</b>. You can register on-site at the conference, but you’ll pay a higher registration fee. Save money and register now!<br />
<i>--Alexandra Howson, PhD, 2013 Annual Conference Committee</i><br />
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Lori Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10892229485007813966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-38891667970250004172013-10-17T17:19:00.000-04:002013-10-17T17:19:02.626-04:00AMWA Is Not Just for WritersOne of my biggest challenges as an editor is demonstrating my knowledge, ability, and worth. Medical writers have writing samples, but how do medical editors make themselves stand out? The American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) has been my toolbox for several years, giving me what I need to become a better editor and help me stand out among others. It’s true…AMWA is not just for writers, and this year’s AMWA Annual Conference offers a wide variety of sessions designed to help you be a better medical editor. <br />
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In “Leveraging the Talent in the Editorial Freelancers Association: What Editorial Professionals Can Do for You,” expert editors will focus on levels of editing, differences between editing and proofreading, and other editorial tasks. You’ll come away armed with tools and websites to help you improve and streamline your editing and proofreading.<br />
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Are you a medical journal editor? Learn about podcasts in “Scientific Podcasts: Why, When, What, Everywhere?” This seminar is an encore presentation by two managing editors who discussed this topic at the Council of Science Editors (CSE) annual meeting earlier this year. In another session, “The Rising Tide of Plagiarism in Medical Writing,” you can learn about plagiarism from an editor’s perspective and about how to use plagiarism detection software and evaluate and share the subsequent results. <br />
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Are you one of the many editors and content planners who are afraid of or confused by new media? Then you need “Tweeting, Blogging, SEO, and Strategy: Online Content Planning for Medical Editors.” You will learn how to integrate online content planning and social media marketing into the editorial process to promote content in search engines, improve quality, and increase user engagement.<br />
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Another panel presentation, “Holistic Strategies for the Biomedical Manuscript: Collaboration of Art, Editing, and Journalism,” provides an overview of an approach to translate biomedical manuscripts into news releases and subsequent media coverage.<br />
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You can also hone your skills in using technology for your editing projects. Take advantage of Hands-on Demonstration sessions in using Adobe X, EndNote, and Word. <br />
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Bring your biggest editing questions to the conference, where you can get help from an experienced editor. This year’s new “What’s Your Problem? Problem-Solving Discussions” is designed to help you answer that nagging editing-related question (as well as writing, freelancing, and regulatory writing). Jennifer Maybin, a leader in the EFA and AMWA, will help you face your biggest editing challenge! (Other problem-solving discussions are led by experts in writing, freelancing, and regulatory writing).<br />
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And if all this is not enough, the 2013 AMWA conference gives a special shout-out to medical editors. This year’s Alvarez Award winner is Gregory D. Curfman, MD, executive editor of the New England Journal of Medicine. In a recent survey of AMWA members, 85% of respondents said they used NEJM as a regular resource, so it is a particularly relevant honor to have Dr. Curfman address the AMWA membership. He will deliver his keynote address on the first day of the conference.<br />
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So what are you waiting for? <a href="http://www.amwa.org/calendar_day.asp?date=11/6/2013&event=1481">Register now</a> for the AMWA Annual Conference. <b>And be quick: Advance registration ends on Friday, October 18.</b> After that, you’ll need to register on-site, which is more expensive. You can get more details on conference sessions in the <a href="http://www.amwa.org/events_annual_conference#Registration">registration brochure</a>.<br />
<i>—Keightley Amen, BA, ELS, AMWA Annual Conference Committee<br />
</i>Lori Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10892229485007813966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-58485410124225971702013-10-16T17:19:00.002-04:002013-10-16T18:03:45.286-04:00Field of Opportunities in Medical WritingHave you thought about being a medical writer but don’t know how to break into the business? Are you already a medical writer but in a job that bores you? If you have a dream of a new career path in medical writing, bring that dream to the 2013 American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) Annual Conference and make it a reality! With the theme of Expand Your Horizons, the conference is designed to help new and experienced medical writers learn more about the field of opportunities in medical writing. <br />
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From students who want to explore a career in medical writing or editing to scientists who are considering a switch to writing to experienced writers who are thinking about a different type of writing, all can get the kick-start they need at the AMWA Annual Conference. Medical writing is a diverse profession offering a variety of settings and work products, with new opportunities emerging every day.<br />
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<b>Discover the Field</b><br />
Starting a career in medical writing is not always easy. In a recent survey of AMWA members, nearly one-quarter of respondents listed “breaking into the field” as a top challenge. AMWA has created conference programming to address this need. The most important first step you can take to learn about a career in medical writing is the AMWA Annual Conference session, “Scope of Medical Communication,” which covers a range of unique practice settings, including regulatory writing, medical editing, medical communications agency, public relations, medical device writing, and freelancing. Experienced medical communicators from these settings will outline the knowledge, education, and attributes that lead to success in each setting, along with how to advance and what you can expect to earn. This year, “Scope of Medical Communication” is offered on Saturday, as a convenience to students and full-time workers. <br />
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<b>Explore New Opportunities</b><br />
The “Scope” session is also a great place for experienced medical writers to learn about other traditional career paths. Medical writers already in the field can learn about new career paths in “New Opportunities for Medical Writers,” where a panel of experts will describe two emerging areas of medical writing: health technology assessments and consensus manuscripts. In “FDA’s Other Box: Medical Device Regulation for Pharmaceutical Writers,” panelists will inspire regulatory writers to think outside the pharmaceutical industry box and learn more about writing for the medical device industry. <br />
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<b>Get the Inside Track</b><br />
Find out what employers look for in medical writers at “What Employers Are Interested In: How to Progress Your Career.” The speakers in this session include a hiring manager and a recruiter who will give tips on how to structure a resume, discuss common interview questions, and describe what makes a good candidate for a medical writing position. For broader career help, consider the expanded seminar “Create Visibility and Influence to Fast Track Your Career.” Here, John West Hadley, a well-known <a href="www.jhacareers.com/index.htm ">career search counselor</a>, will show you how to recognize when it’s time to leave a job, how to best search for a new job, and how to make the most of your potential. <br />
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<b>Learn to Market Yourself</b><br />
Two informal small-group discussions can help students and others new to the field, regardless of your educational background, learn how to best present themselves to potential employers. For those who studied English, Communications, or Writing, there’s “Marketing Your Liberal Arts Background to Employers and Clients” and for scientists looking to move to medical writing, there’s “Transitioning from the Benchtop to Medical Writing: Rethinking the Format of Your CV.”<br />
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The AMWA Annual Conference offers even more than these outstanding programs. Look through the <a href="http://www.amwa.org/events_annual_conference#Registration ">registration brochure</a> and make the decision to attend the conference—even if only for a day. If you’re a student and concerned about the cost, learn why the conference is a great <a href="http://www.amwa.org/files/Events/Justification_for_students.pdf">investment in your future</a>. <b>You need to act fast, though, early registration closes on Friday, October 18.</b> After that, you can register on-site, but it will cost you more. Save by registering now!<br />
Lori Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10892229485007813966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-85304078418821705272013-10-15T15:12:00.000-04:002013-10-15T15:12:12.102-04:00Freelances: The P.A.T.H. Is ClearFor those of us who freelance, there are many benefits—not having to go into an office, being able to work in sweats, and having a semblance of control over our schedules (sometimes!). But on the flip side, we also are subject to client whims, can be given unrealistic deadlines, and may not be truly compensated for the value that we bring to projects. That’s why I’m excited for a special seminar that will be offered at this year’s annual AMWA conference: “The P.A.T.H. from Writer to Consultant.” And for those of you who are editors, the principles also apply to you. <br />
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In this seminar, Jason Berkowitz, Vice President-Client Services at Seven Step RPO, will share his insight into how freelances can position themselves as consultants rather than project-for-hire contractors. The difference can be significant. A consultant is viewed as an expert who evaluates problems and proposes solutions, which can be translated into higher fees, greater respect, and stronger client loyalty. If you’ve ever grappled with how you can raise your rates, this session is a must-attend for you!<br />
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I had the opportunity to get a brief glimpse of Jason’s presentation. He gives a step-by-step approach on how to be a consultant, not “just” a writer or editor. What I love: He provides examples of phrases to use in difficult situations. Do you cringe at pushing back on an overly ambitious deadline? Has one of your clients underestimated the amount of time it will take to complete a project? Jason will tell you how to address these common problems professionally and effectively. <br />
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Beyond these very useful tips, Jason will teach you how to shift your approach to client interaction in two key ways: becoming more courageous and learning when (and how) to personalize the client-consultant relationship. Many freelances don’t feel empowered in their client interactions, and some miss opportunities to build client loyalty. If either resonates with you, P.A.T.H. could set you on a course to develop a base of devoted clients that pay you well. (The “A” in P.A.T.H. stands for audacity and the “H” represents heart; learn about the “P” and the “T” in the seminar!) <br />
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“The P.A.T.H. from Writer to Consultant” is scheduled for Thursday, November 7, 9:00-11:45 AM. It’s one of three Intensive Seminars being offered for the first time at this year’s AMWA Annual Conference. This new session type is designed to provide an enhanced educational experience through an expanded session time, a limited attendance, and a focus on practical application. The cost for an Intensive Seminar is $40. My thought: If you get just one take-away from the seminar that helps you increase your rates or negotiate more realistic deadlines, $40 is well worth it. <br />
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If you haven’t <a href="http://www.amwa.org/calendar_day.asp?date=11/6/2013&event=1481">registered</a> for the AMWA Annual Conference yet (what are you waiting for??), be sure to sign up for this Intensive Seminar. If you have already registered for the conference, you can send an e-mail to annual_conference@amwa.org to ask that the seminar be added to your registration; you will receive an electronic invoice that you can pay online with a credit card. Registration closes on Friday, October 18, so be sure to register now, before higher on-site fees kick in. Embrace P.A.T.H. immediately and reserve a spot in what I believe is a unique program on how freelances can transform themselves and their businesses. Hope to see you there!<br />
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<i>—Christine Welniak, 2013 AMWA Annual Conference Committee<br />
</i>Lori Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10892229485007813966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-5794110389229730402013-09-25T12:56:00.001-04:002013-09-25T13:05:04.289-04:00Have a Conversation with Your ReadersAs writers and editors, we’re taught to write content geared to our reader audiences. Janice (Ginny) Redish, PhD, of <a href="http://www.redish.net/">Redish & Associates, Inc.</a>, in Bethesda, MD, suggests taking the next step: think of your content as a conversation with your readers.<br />
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“Everything we write is part of a conversation. To have successful conversations (in e-mail, websites, apps, and more), we must understand what we are trying to achieve (our purposes), who we are conversing with (personas), and what they want and need to know (their conversations),” says Redish. <br />
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Redish understands that medical writing is always functional. Our readers have concerns, needs, or questions. We want them to do something. Therefore, we must go beyond thinking of our purposes as “to inform” or “to educate.” Better writing comes from stating our purposes more explicitly, whether it be helping a patient’s family, presenting new data to practicing physicians, or thoroughly describing clinical trials information to FDA officials. <br />
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Redish is a linguist by training, and her conversational writing approach is based on research in linguistics and cognitive psychology. She is a renowned specialist in plain language, writing for the web, and user experience research and design and has earned many distinctions around the world. She has served on the Board of Directors of both the <a href="http://www.stc.org">Society for Technical Communication</a> (STC) and the <a href="http://www.usabilityprofessionals.org">Usability Professionals’ Association</a> and is currently vice chair of the <a href="http://www.centerforplainlanguage.org">Center for Plain Language</a>.<br />
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A dynamic speaker, Redish is among the most sought-after speakers for training and keynote addresses in the field of communication. She will share her expertise in two sessions at the AMWA Annual Conference: “Purposes, Personas, Conversations: Practical Techniques for Everything You Write.” Redish’s unique conversational approach to all types of writing will help attendees of this session create content that is the most useful to their audiences. Session attendees can expect a lively conversation with many health and medical examples, rather than a lecture. To prepare for the session, you’re invited to download two free chapters from her book, <i><a href="http://redish.net/books/letting-go-of-the-words">Letting Go of the Words – Writing Web Content that Works</a></i>, which she will refer to in her talk.<br />
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Redish’s presentation is an encore from this year’s STC Summit. The session features a second encore by another leading STC member, Ann Rockley, of <a href="http://rockley.com/">The Rockley Group</a> in Toronto, whose talk is titled “Structured Writing: Today’s Best Practice for Medical Content.” <br />
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Redish will also speak in the session “Putting Plain Language into Practice: Training, Tools, and Trends.” Here, Redish will discuss how to apply plain language to create online resources and describe a new training program for plain language practitioners. She will be joined by Diane Moyer, MS, RN, Associate Director, Health System Patient Education, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, who will discuss the use of plain language in <a href="https://patienteducation.osumc.edu/Pages/Home.aspx">patient education</a> materials destined for translation. Moyer’s department of patient education is a member of the <a href="http://medicine.osu.edu/orgs/ahec/chcp/collaborative/pages/index.aspx">Ohio Collaborative for Clear Health Communication</a>. <br />
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Expand your horizons and learn from these outstanding experts speak at the <a href="http://www.amwa.org/events_annual_conference">AMWA Annual Conference</a>.<br />
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--<i>Joanne M. McAndrews, PhD, 2013 AMWA Annual Conference Committee</i><br />
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Lori Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10892229485007813966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-67255794675232136242013-09-17T22:16:00.000-04:002013-09-17T22:16:19.770-04:00It’s the 21st Century and I am Still Using Scissors and Tape Instead of Copy and PasteSeriously, I know there a lot of tools for writers out there but you know what I don’t seem to have? The time to explore them. Time. It is already a commodity in precious shortage so why should I use it learning to do something a different way when I already have a way that works. Who doesn’t think that is a philosophy for failure, yet what can we do about it?<br />
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I get so focused on meeting my immediate goals and deadlines I haven’t been able to even explore the tools I know are out there to make me more efficient. Is it the same for you? I expect it is because the 2013 AMWA Needs Assessment Survey shows that 34% of my AMWA colleagues are finding the work/life balance to be their biggest challenge. I wonder how much of that overlaps with the 18% who cite keeping up with technology and another 17% who state that keeping current with information as their challenges. There is relief out there and I am determined to use our <a href="http://www.amwa.org/events_annual_conference">AMWA 2013 Conference</a> this year to help me find it. I am on a mission.<br />
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This year’s conference features a new session format Hands-on Demonstrations, and six of these sessions are offered. Hands-on Demonstrations are short (30 to 60 minutes), so you can easily fit them into your schedule, which is an advantage when you have tough choices to make. And, you bring your laptop or WiFi-enabled device to the session so you can learn as you go. That’s a time-saver right there.<br />
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As I look through the conference brochure, I see a Hands-on Demonstration on Word 2010 (as well as a session on advanced Microsoft Word), and another Hands-on Demonstration called “The ABCs of PDFS: Introduction to Adobe Acrobat X/XI.” I will choose one of these to brush up and enhance some existing skills. But I am looking for new tools. I will not be dissuaded. It is time for me to enter the 21st century. I’ve embraced social media with the same total enthusiasm I did the mosh pit back in the 90s (that’s a story for another day) so I have no intention of allowing technology to halt my progress now.<br />
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Finally, I found just what I’ve wanted to explore. Since a good portion of my writing these days is for educational courses and public health programs, an enormous amount of research and documentation is involved. I have been interested in learning about tools to catalog resources as well as keep those citations and bibliographies accurate and manageable. I am constantly collecting resources, many of which I’ll use repeatedly, and it would greatly improve my work/life balance if I could find an easier way to sort through that vast collection of archived material. A couple of the tools I had been hearing other writers banter about recently were <a href="http://www.zotero.org">Zotero</a> and <a href="http://www.literatureandlatte.com/">Scrivener</a>. <br />
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How useful is Zotero? “Oh, I think it probably saved my life and my marriage,” says Judy Stone, MD, who is leading the Hands-on Demonstration “Beyond Index Cards: Using Scrivener and Zotero.” Dr. Stone, who writes the blog <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/molecules-to-medicine/">Molecules to Medicine</a> on the <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/">Scientific American Blog Network</a>, has used Zotero for organizing factoids for her book as well as for tracking references throughout her blog series about <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/molecules-to-medicine/2013/03/26/a-clinical-trial-and-suicide-leave-many-questions-part-6-the-run-around-or-why-i-now-call-for-an-independent-investigation-of-university-of-minnesota/">Dan Markingson and the University of Minnesota</a> that explores the ethical lapses behind a patient death in a clinical trial. She will tell this story while she demonstrates how Zotero and Scrivener helped keep all her documentation accurate as well as preserved for future use. As Dr. Stone says, “When you are blogging about sensitive topics it is especially important to keep your documentation accessible as well as accurate.”<br />
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And Scrivener? When I heard about how Dr. Stone uses this versatile tool to organize her writing I couldn’t help but be embarrassed for myself as I was staring at my feet. Yes, my feet, because they were at that moment surrounded by pieces of 24 pages of course content that I had in desperation cut out with scissors and lined up with tape on the floor. This was my low-tech solution to reorganize them because my word processing program just was not flexible enough to quickly give me the vision I needed to reorganize my content without stopping to print it. With Scrivner, Dr. Stone outlines her thoughts on virtual index cards that she can shuffle and move about on the screen. Yes, I think Dr. Stone’s session is just the venue I need to examine these tools. It is past time to put my scissors away.<br />
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If you plan on learning about these tools at the AMWA Annual Conference, download the programs in advance so you’ll be able to follow along as Dr. Stone demonstrates their use. Zotero is an open-source reference management software that can be <a href="http://www.zotero.org">downloaded</a> free. www.zotero.org One important point: Zotero does not work with Internet Explorer; you must have Firefox, Netscape 9.0, or the Flock browser. Find more information about Zotero on its website or the <a href="http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eli7041.pdf">Educause</a> site. Scrivener requires purchasing, but you can <a href="http://www.literatureandlatte.com/">download</a> a free 30-day trial. You can learn more about the virtues of Scrivener for all types of writing http://michaelhyatt.com/switched-to-scrivener.html and for novels in particular http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2012/07/writing-a-novel-in-scrivener-e.html. Dr. Stone will present two articles on the Markingson case and demonstrate how she imported these two articles into Scrivener. Download <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/molecules-to-medicine/2013/03/12/a-clinical-trial-and-suicide-leave-many-questions-part-5-the-case-of-the-mysteriously-appearing-documents/">“A Clinical Trial and Suicide Leave Many Unanswered Questions”</a> and <a href="http://www.thehastingscenter.org/Bioethicsforum/Post.aspx?id=5147&blogid=140">“How the FDA Got The Markingson Case Wrong,”</a> and you can walk through the process with her.<br />
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Other Hands-on Demonstrations at this year’s AMWA Annual Conference focus on EndNote, open-source website builders, and e-mail domains. And the National Library of Medicine is featured in two sessions, one of which offers a comprehensive approach in an extended format (2.5 hours). <br />
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So, what do you say? Time to learn about tools to make you more efficient? Look no further than the 2013 AMWA Annual Conference.<br />
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<i>--Larry Lynam, 2013 Annual Conference Committee</i> <br />
Lori Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10892229485007813966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-72385489839540737102013-09-13T16:07:00.000-04:002013-09-13T16:24:57.357-04:00The Art of NetworkingDo you consider networking to be an essential part of your professional growth? According to Career Search Counselor <a href="http://www.jhacareers.com/">John Hadley</a>, the greatest value you can get networking at a conference will come from the conversations you have and the connections you build with colleagues at networking events and between sessions. To make the most of the opportunities you’ll have to meet people face to face, Hadley advises coming to a conference ready to put some effort into doing effective networking. Hadley recommends setting a goal, such as building a connection with three people you don’t know. Such a goal is attainable enough that you won’t feel overwhelmed, yet it will keep you focused. Hadley will show you how to flex your networking muscles at the 2013 AMWA Annual Conference in the Thursday morning session “Networking to Great Career Opportunities.” You can preview some of Hadley’s networking tips by tuning into his <i>AMWA Journal</i> <a href="http://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail?pid=148777">podcast</a>. <br />
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Do you think networking is only for extroverts or people new to medical writing? Not so, according to Tracy Bunting-Early, PhD. “Anyone can learn to network (and enjoy it), even scientists and introverts,” says Bunting-Early, of the Delaware Valley Chapter. “Networking can enrich and stimulate your professional growth by helping to identify sources of collaboration, ways to work more efficiently, or connections that can benefit another contact.” Bunting-Early will teach you how to do just that in the Friday lunch roundtable discussion “What Really Is Networking? And How Seasoned Medical Writers Can Benefit from It.”<br />
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In yet another session, Kerri Hebard-Massey, PhD, will take a systematic approach to networking and give participants a chance to practice their skills and provide feedback to each other. Hebard-Massey’s interactive how-to session will be held on Friday afternoon.<br />
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If you’re looking for a chance to get acquainted with colleagues but in a more structured way, then you won’t want to miss “Speed Networking” on Thursday afternoon with Faith Reidenbach of the Northwest Chapter and Helen Rowse of the Southwest Chapter. Speed Networking is an event, not a presentation. You’ll sit with another person at a small table and have 5 minutes to share your professional and personal interests. Then one of you will quickly move to the next table. According to Reidenbach, “Introverts typically leave tired but pleased with themselves, and extroverts will be revved up for the networking session in the evening!”<br />
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With the greatest offering of sessions devoted to teaching you how to network, the conference also features the greatest number of networking events where you can practice what you learn. Five networking events with food are included with your registration fee. What a bargain! To get the most networking value from the cost of your registration, here are a few more tips. <br />
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<b>Before the Conference</b><br />
• Several weeks before the meeting, contact colleagues you would like to meet with and schedule a meal, drinks, or even afternoon tea or coffee. Schedules fill up quickly, so don’t wait until you’re at the actual conference to reach out to them. <br />
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• Buy and read <i>Never Eat Alone</i> by Keith Ferrazzi. (Remember to help out AMWA by ordering the book through <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/wwwamwaorg-20">AMWA’s Amazon page</a>.) He’s a master at expanding your connections and building relationships. One of his tips: Don't schmooze. He asserts that at a 1-hour networking event it’s better to spend more time with fewer people, and have one or two meaningful conversations, than it is to flit from person to person. Check out Ferrazzi’s <a href="http://www.cio.com/article/164300/How_to_Network_12_Tips_for_Shy_People">12 networking tips for shy people</a>.<br />
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• Stock up on business cards. You’ll want to hand them out at every opportunity. <br />
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• Polish your elevator speech. You’ll be meeting lots of new people (hopefully) who will ask you what you do. This is when that a 1-minute elevator speech comes in handy. At least you won’t have to answer that all-too-common question “What is a medical writer?” Harvard Business School offers a <a href="http://www.alumni.hbs.edu/careers/pitch/">tool</a> to help you build your elevator speech.<br />
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• Prepare your clients and colleagues for your absence so you can make networking a priority. There’s nothing worse than having to do work while attending the AMWA Annual Conference because it limits the time you have to network and socialize. <br />
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<b>At the Conference</b><br />
• Talk to complete strangers. A professional meeting is one of the few places where it’s acceptable—and expected—to talk to strangers without anyone labeling you as a stalker. So get out there and strike up a conversation with the person seated next to you at the keynote address, the person standing alone at the welcome reception, or the thought leader whose session you attended and who is eating lunch all alone. (She mustn’t have read Ferrazzi’s book!)<br />
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• Does the previous bullet scare the pants off you? Keep in mind that people like to talk about themselves so ask them. Here are some simple conversation starters: What brings you to the meeting? Is this your first AMWA Annual Conference? Which session have you enjoyed the most? <br />
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• Put away the electronic devices when you can. Although it’s unrealistic to unplug altogether, keep in mind that when you are checking your e-mails or sending texts during breaks or while waiting for a session to start, you’re creating a barrier between you and everyone else. So put the phone in your pocket and start talking to the people around you. <br />
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<b>After the Conference</b><br />
• Don’t file those business cards you collected in a drawer. Once you return home, personally follow up with the connections you’ve made. A short “I enjoyed meeting you” email is a nice touch. If you met someone new whom you would like to get to know better, schedule a future phone call or live meeting.<br />
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• Sit back and assess the outcomes you achieved. What worked? What didn’t? Did you manage to come out of your comfort zone? If not, then plan to implement at least one new strategy at your next AMWA conference.<br />
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Learn more about the networking sessions in the <a href="http://www.amwa.org/events_annual_conference">registration brochure</a>. Expand your networking skills while expanding your horizons at the AMWA Annual Conference in Columbus.<br />
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<i>--Cyndy Kryder, 2013 AMWA Annual Conference Committee</i>Lori Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10892229485007813966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-29939935945417880562013-08-15T13:43:00.000-04:002013-09-11T09:33:02.504-04:00Freelance Business Sense<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Did you know that attending the AMWA Annual Conference can generate thousands of dollars in revenue? That’s what happened for Christine Welniak, of the Empire State-New York Chapter, who made a point of meeting an online colleague for coffee at one annual conference. Six months later, the colleague referred her to a new client that generated $32,000 in billables in the first year. This same experience could happen to any of us (but, sadly, probably not all of us). Even if you don’t gain thousands in revenue, attending the AMWA Annual Conference will be your <a href="http://www.amwa.org/files/Events/Freelance%20Justification%20for%20Conference.pdf">best business decision</a> all year. <br>
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“Attending the AMWA annual conference is my most important marketing expense each year,” says Welniak. She adds that planning for revenue-generating expenses eases the pain of cash outlay. “I started putting money aside in my business savings account in July to pay for the hotel at the AMWA conference. That way, it’s just a little each month, and I won’t have to come up with a large sum all at once,” she says. <br>
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Welniak and Jeanne McAdara-Berkowitz, PhD, of the Rocky Mountain Chapter, who she met at another AMWA annual conference, will discuss their ecosystem approach to building relationships and generating referrals in their conference seminar “Cultivating Your Ecosystem to Build Your Business and Brand.” In this seminar, you will learn how to build and leverage a thriving ecosystem that markets your business for you. <br>
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</div><a href="http://amwaconference.blogspot.com/2013/08/freelance-business-sense.html#more">Post continues here >></a>Lori Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10892229485007813966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-6326552836119876282013-08-08T18:50:00.000-04:002013-09-11T09:35:04.577-04:00Have You Registered Yet?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b></b>About 15% to 20% of AMWA members attend the Annual Conference each year. And 45% have never been to an AMWA Annual Conference. Never been!! Never taken advantage of this outstanding educational opportunity. Never networked with more medical communicators than ever gather anywhere else. As a member who attends every year, it’s hard to believe that a practicing medical communicator would miss out on this valuable experience. If you write or edit any type of document in the medical or health field, you can do your job better or more efficiently with what you learn at the AMWA Annual Conference. So why haven’t more of you registered?<br />
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According to those who do attend the conference, the number-one reason for attending is AMWA workshops. This year, more than 80 workshops are being offered, and they’re already filling up. People enrolled in <a href="http://www.amwa.org/amwa_wks_certs">AMWA’s certificate program</a> recognize the value of workshops; 46% say they take workshops to enhance their professional credibility, and 42% say they take workshops to develop skills and expertise to improve their career or business prospects. These reasons apply even if you’re not enrolled in a certificate program—AMWA workshops are valuable individually, whether or not you take them to earn a certificate. <br />
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The popularity of AMWA workshops is reflected in early data on registration. Only a small fraction of our membership has registered so far, but already 10 workshops are nearly full. If any of the following workshops look good to you, you should register as soon as possible to make sure that you can participate. <br />
• Advanced Data Presentation: Tables, Graphs, and Charts (Fri.)<br />
• Clinical Study Report Writing: Tables, Listings, and Graphs to Text (Fri.)<br />
• Current Trends in Drug Regulation (Fri.)<br />
• Effective Paragraphing (Wed.)<br />
• Essential Ethics for Medical Communicators (Fri.)<br />
• Macroediting (Fri.)<br />
• Proofreading (Wed.)<br />
• Punctuation for Clarity and Style (Fri.)<br />
• Statistics for Medical Writers and Editors (Thurs.)<br />
• Writing the Final Report of a Clinical Trial (Wed.)<br />
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The Intensive Seminars are also filling up quickly. These new sessions are not part of AMWA’s workshops, but with a guest expert as the leader, limited attendance, and a longer-than-usual duration (2.75 hours), they offer an enhanced educational experience. You can select from “Create Visibility and Influence to Fast Track Your Career” (Wednesday), “The P.A.T.H. from Writer to Consultant” (Thursday), and “Seek and Find: NLM PubMed Is Only the Beginning” (Friday). Actually, we scheduled them on different days so you can take all three if you want! Learn more about these seminars in the <a href="http://www.amwa.org/events_annual_conference">registration brochure</a>. <br />
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Roundtable discussions always fill quickly because of limited seating. More than 60 roundtable discussions will be held over breakfast (Thursday) or lunch (Friday). Check out the list of roundtables on pages 17-21 and 41-45 of the <a href="http://www.amwa.org/events_annual_conference">registration brochure</a>. Surely at least one discussion interests you.<br />
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So, reserve your seat(s) now! Visit the AMWA website for easy <a href="http://www.amwa.org/calendar_day.asp?date=11/6/2013&event=1481">online registration</a>. Become part of the 20%. Maybe together, we can turn the tide and make a majority of members who attend.<br />
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We want to see you in Columbus. Expand your horizons and join us!</div>
Lori Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10892229485007813966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-1886557956914000442013-07-10T14:30:00.000-04:002013-09-11T09:27:57.980-04:00The Day You’ve Been Waiting For: Registration Is Open!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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If you’re like most AMWA members, you’ve already pored over the 2013 AMWA Annual Conference <a href="http://www.amwa.org/events_annual_conference">registration brochure</a> and carefully planned what you want to take. This workshop, that roundtable. It’s fun thinking about how much you can fit into 3.5 days, isn’t it? Now it’s time to take that next step and <a href="http://www.amwa.org/events_annual_conference">register</a>—registration opens today, July 10, at 3 PM (ET)! <br>
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If you haven’t looked at the registration brochure, what are you waiting for? The AMWA Annual Conference is <b>the</b> educational event for medical communicators everywhere. Whether you write for the pharmaceutical or medical device industry, lay audiences, or health care professionals, you will enhance your knowledge and practical skills at the AMWA annual conference. And talk about networking! You will be able to attend five—yes, five—networking events with food—all included in the price of registration. Not confident in your networking abilities? Four sessions on networking are offered on Thursday and Friday to help you improve your networking skills. Each session is a different format, so you can pick the one that best fits your needs. Or go to all of them and be a master networker by Saturday!<br>
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Another special feature of the conference is the line-up of invited speakers, most notably, the recipients of the AMWA Alvarez and McGovern awards: Gregory D. Curfman, MD, Executive Editor of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), and Cynthia Baur, PhD, Senior Advisor for Health Literacy, Office of the Associate Director for Communication, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). You can learn more about these two leading authorities in the registration brochure. And there’s nothing to keep you from hearing their award lectures-—no programming competes with the lecture sessions, and again, they’re free! <br>
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The outstanding educational program, networking events, and award-winning speakers make the AMWA Annual Conference an exceptional value. If you don’t believe me, check out the materials on the AMWA website that highlight the value of the conference. If you’re a freelance, learn how the annual conference is the best business decision you’ll make this year. If you don’t work for yourself, you can customize a memo to your boss to help gain financial support to attend. Just visit the <a href="http://www.amwa.org/events_annual_conference">annual conference page</a> on the AMWA website and click on “Committing to the AMWA Annual Conference.”<br>
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If you missed news about the conference in the June issue of the <a href="http://www.amwa.org/issues_online"><i>AMWA Journal</i></a>, this year’s Annual Conference offers a variety of new features as well as the return of some popular events. For example, among the new session formats is the Hands-on Demonstration, where you learn as you follow along on your own laptop or mobile device.<br>
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</div><a href="http://amwaconference.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-day-youve-been-waiting-for.html#more">Post continues here >></a>Lori Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10892229485007813966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-88147877844317510982013-02-25T12:55:00.000-05:002013-09-10T22:47:34.316-04:00The Quality of the AMWA Annual Conference Depends on You!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This year, AMWA brought the development of the annual conference to you, and you have just a few days remaining to make it yours. For the first time, this year AMWA solicited its members—and beyond—<b>for all types of conference sessions</b>. This means that the quality of the programming at the 2013 Annual Conference depends on you and the proposals you submit!<br>
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Whether it’s an open session, a how-to session, a roundtable discussion, a poster, or a new type of session, it’s offered only if you propose it. Whether it’s a session you’ve presented at AMWA before or it’s a new idea, you must propose it. Detecting a theme to this message?<br>
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The theme of the 2013 conference is Expanding Your Horizons, to reflect the professional growth you’ll gain from attending the conference. Presenting at the conference will enhance your professional growth, and there’s a program format for everyone.<br>
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✭ Are you a seasoned medical communicator with a wide network? Then contact some colleagues and propose a panel discussion on a topic within your specialty area.<br>
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✭ Do you have an efficient way of accomplishing a task or process? Why not share your practical advice in a how-to session?<br>
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✭ Are you just starting out as a presenter? Leading a roundtable discussion is a great first step.<br>
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✭ Do you and a colleague find yourself on different sides of an issue? Get together to present a pro/con debate.<br>
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✭ Are you skilled in computer software or applications? Share your skills in a hands-on demonstration.<br>
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✭ Have you done research in medical communication? Present it in a poster. (This option is good if you really don’t want to speak in front of a group of people.)<br>
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As you know, AMWA represents medical writers and editors in a wide range of work settings. To meet all those needs, we’re looking for a variety of topics. We’re particularly interested in a few topics, such as<br>
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Technology (social media, e-learning, mobile apps)<br>
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Communication theory (comprehension, usability)<br>
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Writing for lay audiences<br>
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Health care reform<br>
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Work relationships (collaboration, team building)<br>
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Business aspects of freelancing<br>
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</div><a href="http://amwaconference.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-quality-of-amwa-annual-conference.html#more">Post continues here >></a>Lori Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10892229485007813966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-19393410355669703352012-10-22T10:32:00.001-04:002013-09-10T22:50:47.972-04:00So You Want to Write A Book (Open Session 1)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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By Amy Karon<br>
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At AMWA's recent national conference, attendees chuckled and scribbled notes while authors and former journalists Alisa Bowman and Debra Gordon dispelled myths and offered practical tips on breaking into the book business.<br>
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The two know the market. Bowman spent several years as an editor at Runner’s World magazine before her husband negotiated her first book contract during a magazine gala at FAO Schwartz.<br>
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“I loved my job at Runners World,” said Bowman, who has since ghostwritten* and co-authored seven New York Times bestsellers. “But it was apparent to me that I could make much more money working for myself.”<br>
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Gordon’s titles include <i>When Sex Hurts</i> and <i>The Idiot’s Guide to Type 2 Diabetes,</i> and, with her husband, a fellow enthusiast, <i>Wine on Tuesdays.</i> “We managed to do it with our marriage intact,” she grinned.<br>
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Read on for Bowman and Gordon’s advice on taking nonfiction health and medical books from inspiration to publication.<br>
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<b>Tip: Books published under your own name often pay little. </b><br>
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In traditional publishing, Gordon said, authors receive only about 15 percent of book sales, and that first goes to repay the publishing company’s advance. “The vast majority of authors never receive royalties,” she added. “Write a book because you want the experience and exposure.”<br>
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But self-publishing and e-books have gained popularity as potentially lucrative alternatives. Authors pay a self-publishing company for services they choose, such as copy editing and printing, Bowman said. Because no agent or publisher are involved, the author earns 100 percent of the sale price of every book and can still sell it on Amazon.com.<br>
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Another way to make money by writing books is to ghostwrite or co-author with someone else, an accepted practice in the publishing world.<br>
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“Most of the bestsellers out there are written by people like Alisa and me,” said Gordon, adding that she just signed a $70,000 contract for a book on mobile health.<br>
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To break in, tell clinicians and academics you can help them write books for consumer audiences. If you see a study you think can make a book, contact the authors and pitch the idea.<br>
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</div><a href="http://amwaconference.blogspot.com/2012/10/so-you-want-to-write-book-open-session-1.html#more">Post continues here >></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-57116198612973998852012-10-11T08:32:00.003-04:002012-10-11T09:05:26.956-04:00Workshops at the AMWA Annual Meeting vs. Home Study<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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by Mark Bowlby<br />
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As a newbie to AMWA, but as an experienced scientific meeting attendee, I’ve been curious as to how AMWA workshops at the annual meeting would compare to the home study courses. I’ve attended several of the essential skills workshops at this year’s annual meeting in Sacramento, and they’ve been a great experience—not just for the instructor’s knowledge that is on display, but also for the experience and skills that the audience brings.<br />
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Workshops combine the experience of home study, in the form of homework to be completed prior to the meeting, with a classroom setting which combines lecture, class discussion and group exercises. The workshop venue encompasses a mixture of new and experienced students, led by a passionate and expert workshop leader. The high quality of the leaders has not been a surprise; however, the knowledge and interest that the students all bring to the table has been a bonus. Indeed, the breadth of experience and diverse job functions that are brought together for this brief time is part of the key to this learning experience.<br />
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So how do the workshops compare to home study, of which I’ve taken 3 courses? They are similar in nature, but different in form. Home study allows a slower pace of learning, shorter bursts of learning, but also a very in-depth level of study. Workshops, however, are an intense 3 hour block with information coming at you quickly. Home study allows one to try out solutions on the side, look for resources that enhance learning, and they always have that motivator of the “scary” exam at the end. Workshops lack this latter motivator, but the engagement of the class and instructor keeps everyone involved and engaged. Last, of course, home study is an endeavor solely taken to master the course material and apply it to one’s work and passion. Workshops, however, are embedded in a larger AMWA meeting, and thus the networking, personal interactions, and other open sessions all combine to enhance the experience and build enthusiasm for being a better, more effective, writer.<br />
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Now which method of learning is better? That, of course, depends on how one learns best, your budget (dollars and time), and many other factors. Perhaps the best answer is to do both. Take a few home study courses first, then attend a local or national AMWA chapter meeting and try a few workshops. They’ll enhance your knowledge, broaden your thinking, and open you to new possibilities and ideas. What more can you ask for as a writer?<br />
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<b>Links:</b><br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/AMWA_education" target="_blank">AMWA education program</a><br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/AMWA_workshop_descriptions" target="_blank">AMWA workshop descriptions</a><br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/AMWA_selfstudy" target="_blank">AMWA self-study workshops</a><br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/AMWA_Chapter_Conferences" target="_blank">AMWA chapter conference schedule</a><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-5674217186828528062012-10-09T21:31:00.002-04:002013-01-27T14:30:06.930-05:00Dial 911: Emergencies in Medical Writing (Open Session 21)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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by Amy Karon<br />
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Nearly every seasoned medical writer can recall clients and contracts that evolved into the stuff of nightmares. Maybe endless requests for revisions are eating into your sleep time. Or perhaps you realize a high-profile faculty member is self-plagiarizing.<br />
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Stay in the profession long enough and scenarios like these are bound to make you hold your head at times. But there’s help. At the 2012 AMWA conference, Scott Kober, MBA, CCMEP, and Anne Jacobson, MPH, CCMEP, reprised their popular open session on emergencies in medical writing.<br />
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Using digital keypads, attendees anonymously chose how they would handle a variety of problems. Lively discussion followed. Here we summarize those debates and dilemmas.<br />
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<b>Scenario 1:</b> Your work from long-term clients is drying up after more than 20 years of freelancing. Do you really need a web presence?<br />
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You do need a consistent and varied online presence, said Kober and Jacobson. But there are two ways to go about it—by dipping your toes, or going all out.<br />
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More cautious medical writers might start by creating their own simple website and LinkedIn profile. Others might hire a marketing and social media consultant to help develop a brand, website, detailed LinkedIn page, and professional Twitter account.<br />
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Whichever way you go, your website should include a resume and some sample writing or editing projects. If you’re under a nondisclosure agreement, keep that in mind. Some writers create pieces specifically for their online portfolios.<br />
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<b>Scenario 2: </b>Your last client burned you. How do you vet a new one to prevent this from happening again?<br />
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“My first-line approach is to e-mail people whom I trust,” Jacobson said. “Luckily, I know a lot of freelance medical writers whom I can vet clients through." She said she tends to avoid asking for feedback from members of AMWA's online discussion groups.<br />
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Kober and Jacobson also suggested crafting a checklist of the kinds of clients and projects you want. This will help you develop a broader perspective on whether prospective clients fit your business goals.<br />
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<b>Scenario 3: </b>You discover an author whose review article you’re editing is recycling chunks of text from a previous article. Whom do you tell, and how?<br />
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Make your client aware of this taboo practice and consider proposing a solution, said Jacobson and Kober. But don’t approach the faculty member yourself. Let the client handle it.<br />
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Be aware that copyright infractions can come back to haunt writers, they added. “Some faculty don’t even realize that self-plagiarism is a problem,” said Jacobson. “When this has happened to me, usually the remedy is just to rewrite (a piece) because it obviously can’t go out as it is.”<br />
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If a client tries to say self-plagiarizing is all right, rewrite the piece anyway and then don’t take any more work from the client, Kober said. Participants also suggested ensuring clients know that journals use software to detect plagiarism and copyright infringements and that such infractions can result in their being blacklisted.<br />
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As for red flags for plagiarism, watch out if a manuscript’s first draft is clean, with perfect punctuation, Kober said: “Plug it into Google and see what comes up.”<br />
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<b>Scenario 4:</b> You have a major deadline in three days and your father has been rushed to the emergency department. His physician thinks he’ll be okay, but has to run some more tests.<br />
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Do you go and bring your work? Tell your client you can’t make the deadline?<br />
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“Mild emergencies come up all the time and you find yourself schlepping your work all sorts of places,” said Jacobson. “The real question is whether to alert your client that there could be a problem. It depends on the client and the relationship.”<br />
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But from a client’s perspective, Kober said, “I would want to know as soon as possible. There is nothing worse than hearing on the day of the deadline, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, my dad has been in the hospital for a week and a half.’ I’m sympathetic, but I also wonder why you didn’t tell me before.”<br />
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Others recommended giving clients the names of three people they trust to get the work done. Communication is critical, they agreed – let the hiring manager or the client know right away that you are working at a hospital. Most will appreciate the heads up and adjust their expectations accordingly.<br />
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<b>Scenario 5:</b> A client asks you to cover the cost of purchasing full-text references, which is not the norm. Do you renegotiate your contract?<br />
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Kober retrieves needed references for freelancers, but encourages them to get what they can on their own. “Ideally, from a client’s perspective, it would be great if we didn’t have to dig up references for you and find them.”<br />
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Said Jacobson, “When a client is nickel and diming you about project costs, they are unlikely to be willing to renegotiate a project fee.” She suggested searching on PubMed and restricting access to free, full-text articles. “Open access sources are now pretty good,” she added. “Every once in a while, I spring at the last minute for a $30 reference for a big project.”<br />
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Participants noted that AMWA membership includes access to MD Consult. Alumni organizations also sometimes offer limited journal access, and entering the full title of the article in quotes in online search engines also sometimes yields a PDF.<br />
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DeepDyve also offers lets you “rent” full-text articles for small amounts of money, members added, although you can’t print or save them to your computer.<br />
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Be careful about downloading PDFs and giving to clients, participants added; that can be seen as illegally selling them.<br />
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<b>Scenario 6:</b> A client is asking for many more revisions than expected. You are being paid for the extra time, but you’ve taken on other scheduled projects and this one is now keeping you up nights and weekends.<br />
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Think about how much you want to keep this client, Kober and Jacobson advised. If you don’t want to work with him or her again, consider politely extracting yourself by explaining that your contract does not include project management. You can also try to renegotiate for more money per hour.<br />
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Another approach: Say that you have taken on other projects because the plan did not include this much extra time.<br />
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Attendees also suggested building milestone payments into bigger projects so that at the end of 6 months, you’re not crossing your fingers hoping the client doesn’t refuse to pay (because you finally drew the line at further revisions) or goes bankrupt.<br />
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<b>Scenario 7: </b>You are writing multiple needs assessments for the same client on the same topic. Can you reuse your work?<br />
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“If you’re not willing to turn a blind eye to a faculty self-plagiarizing his own work, how are you willing to turn a blind eye to yourself?” Kober said.<br />
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Added Jacobson, “Once you have already done the mental work of understanding the same disease states, it is easier to crank it out. You do have an obligation to submit original material.”<br />
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But try for a bit of wiggle room when working with the same client on certain projects, Jacobson suggested. For example, agree to write updated needs assessments for the same client, rather than reinventing the wheel each time.<br />
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<b>Scenario 8:</b> After 5 years of full-time freelancing, you’ve decided to take a job. You just interviewed for what seemed like a terrific position, but half the interviewers did not show and no one explained why or followed up. Do you give the company the benefit of the doubt?<br />
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Jacobson said she is working on noticing red flags and steering clear of clients and companies who raise them. <br />
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“There are far too many employers who think they are doing an employee a favor by giving them the time to talk to them,” added Kober. “It’s a slap in the face. It’s rude and disrespectful.”<br />
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One option: Write a courteous letter to human resources explaining what happened and your disappointment. HR departments often appreciate hearing this, participants said. But don’t address your letter to the people who didn’t show up to the interview!<br />
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<b>Scenario 9:</b> You (in a client’s role) hire a freelance who checks out and has great references and clips, but turns in awful work. What do you say?<br />
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Attendees said they definitely want to hear feedback. Kober said he makes it a personal rule to give it. Jacobson recommends asking for an edited version of a document. If a client is constantly changing a certain word, for example, you can modify your writing style for that client accordingly.<br />
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When hiring and applying for work, require and send raw copy, suggested participant Debra Gordon. She added that she plans to send clients an anonymous SurveyMonkey questionnaire so they can provide honest feedback on her work without worrying about jeopardizing their business relationship.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910505567723384389.post-17004504874299262062012-10-08T15:45:00.001-04:002012-10-08T15:45:42.537-04:00The Passing of the Gavel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Outgoing AMWA President Barbara Snyder passes the gavel to incoming President Douglas Haneline at the organization's annual business meeting, then tries to grab it back!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dylZ8dFUTc7MXBoAy7QqRqAf2gQEVLc1sFCBura7SpfFixnRMgA67XNtb70Q1BeBzh8VU1V1h1DIpdUiA5zaw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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(Video by Mark Bowlby)</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0