Seriously, 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?
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 AMWA 2013 Conference this year to help me find it. I am on a mission.
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.
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.
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 Zotero and Scrivener.
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 Molecules to Medicine on the Scientific American Blog Network, has used Zotero for organizing factoids for her book as well as for tracking references throughout her blog series about Dan Markingson and the University of Minnesota 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.”
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.
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 downloaded 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 Educause site. Scrivener requires purchasing, but you can download 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 Clinical Trial and Suicide Leave Many Unanswered Questions” and “How the FDA Got The Markingson Case Wrong,” and you can walk through the process with her.
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).
So, what do you say? Time to learn about tools to make you more efficient? Look no further than the 2013 AMWA Annual Conference.
--Larry Lynam, 2013 Annual Conference Committee
This blog is devoted to news about the AMWA Annual Conference.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Friday, September 13, 2013
The Art of Networking
Do you consider networking to be an essential part of your professional growth? According to Career Search Counselor John Hadley, 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 AMWA Journal podcast.
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.”
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.
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!”
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.
Before the Conference
• 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.
• Buy and read Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi. (Remember to help out AMWA by ordering the book through AMWA’s Amazon page.) 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 12 networking tips for shy people.
• Stock up on business cards. You’ll want to hand them out at every opportunity.
• 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 tool to help you build your elevator speech.
• 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.
At the Conference
• 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!)
• 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?
• 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.
After the Conference
• 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.
• 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.
Learn more about the networking sessions in the registration brochure. Expand your networking skills while expanding your horizons at the AMWA Annual Conference in Columbus.
--Cyndy Kryder, 2013 AMWA Annual Conference Committee
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.”
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.
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!”
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.
Before the Conference
• 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.
• Buy and read Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi. (Remember to help out AMWA by ordering the book through AMWA’s Amazon page.) 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 12 networking tips for shy people.
• Stock up on business cards. You’ll want to hand them out at every opportunity.
• 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 tool to help you build your elevator speech.
• 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.
At the Conference
• 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!)
• 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?
• 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.
After the Conference
• 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.
• 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.
Learn more about the networking sessions in the registration brochure. Expand your networking skills while expanding your horizons at the AMWA Annual Conference in Columbus.
--Cyndy Kryder, 2013 AMWA Annual Conference Committee
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Freelance Business Sense
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 best business decision all year.
“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.
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.
“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.
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.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Have You Registered Yet?
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?
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 AMWA’s certificate program 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.
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.
• Advanced Data Presentation: Tables, Graphs, and Charts (Fri.)
• Clinical Study Report Writing: Tables, Listings, and Graphs to Text (Fri.)
• Current Trends in Drug Regulation (Fri.)
• Effective Paragraphing (Wed.)
• Essential Ethics for Medical Communicators (Fri.)
• Macroediting (Fri.)
• Proofreading (Wed.)
• Punctuation for Clarity and Style (Fri.)
• Statistics for Medical Writers and Editors (Thurs.)
• Writing the Final Report of a Clinical Trial (Wed.)
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 registration brochure.
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 registration brochure. Surely at least one discussion interests you.
So, reserve your seat(s) now! Visit the AMWA website for easy online registration. Become part of the 20%. Maybe together, we can turn the tide and make a majority of members who attend.
We want to see you in Columbus. Expand your horizons and join us!
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 AMWA’s certificate program 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.
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.
• Advanced Data Presentation: Tables, Graphs, and Charts (Fri.)
• Clinical Study Report Writing: Tables, Listings, and Graphs to Text (Fri.)
• Current Trends in Drug Regulation (Fri.)
• Effective Paragraphing (Wed.)
• Essential Ethics for Medical Communicators (Fri.)
• Macroediting (Fri.)
• Proofreading (Wed.)
• Punctuation for Clarity and Style (Fri.)
• Statistics for Medical Writers and Editors (Thurs.)
• Writing the Final Report of a Clinical Trial (Wed.)
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 registration brochure.
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 registration brochure. Surely at least one discussion interests you.
So, reserve your seat(s) now! Visit the AMWA website for easy online registration. Become part of the 20%. Maybe together, we can turn the tide and make a majority of members who attend.
We want to see you in Columbus. Expand your horizons and join us!
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
The Day You’ve Been Waiting For: Registration Is Open!
If you’re like most AMWA members, you’ve already pored over the 2013 AMWA Annual Conference registration brochure 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 register—registration opens today, July 10, at 3 PM (ET)!
If you haven’t looked at the registration brochure, what are you waiting for? The AMWA Annual Conference is the 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!
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!
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 annual conference page on the AMWA website and click on “Committing to the AMWA Annual Conference.”
If you missed news about the conference in the June issue of the AMWA Journal, 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.
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