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Medical Writing

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About the Medical Writing Program

Courses

Delivery Method
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  • Live Online
  • In-Person
  • Online
  • Hybrid
  • Number of courses: 4 required courses (10 units) and 6 units of electives
  • Total units: 16

Medical Terminology: An Anatomy and Physiology ApproachFPM-40632

Units: 1.50

$345

Using an anatomy and physiology systems approach, this course reviews common terms associated with medical practice, research, and different healthcare settings. The goal: to better prepare individual...

Upcoming Start Dates:
Typically Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

Grammar LabWCWP-40234

Units: 3.00

$675

Grammar Lab (WCWP-40234)10 Weeks | OnlineThis ten-week online Grammar Lab course is skillfully designed to meet the needs of all students. It is beneficial for those with little grammar experience and...

Typically Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

Clinical Trials and Regulatory Writing PrimerFPM-40672

Units: 1.00

$395

This course introduces the components of effective clinical trial design, and the basic phases, and purposes of pharmacological and clinical development. Gain foundational knowledge of the overall cl...

Upcoming Start Dates:
Typically Offered: Winter, Summer

CT: Practical Clinical Statistics for the Non-StatisticianFPM-40233

Units: 2.00

$525

This course presents the statistics essentials for the non-statistician involved in clinical trials. Topics include study designs, hypothesis testing, sample size calculations, assumptions, controls, ...

Upcoming Start Dates:
Typically Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

Introduction to Medical Writing and EditingFPM-40696

Units: 3.00

$695

Introduction to Medical Writing and Editing is intended for people who are considering a career in medical communication and is designed to introduce students to the profession of medical writing and ...

Upcoming Start Dates:
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

Applied Medical Writing and EditingFPM-40652

Units: 3.00

$695

This course builds on the knowledge gained in the Introduction to Medical Writing and Editing course and introduces the student to some of the more complex topics in writing and editing scientific and...

Upcoming Start Dates:
Typically Offered: Winter, Summer

Ethics for Medical WritersFPM-40609

Units: 2.00

$595

This course covers the current tools and resources that should be used by medical writers who desire to practice their craft in an ethical manner. Students will be made aware of professional ethical c...

Upcoming Start Dates:
Typically Offered: Winter, Summer

Designing Figures, Tables, & GraphsFPM-40608

Units: 2.00

$595

This course focuses on how to construct effective, accurate and attractive figures, tables and graphs. Course content includes basic statistics, principles of the visual display of quantitative inform...

Upcoming Start Dates:
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

Communicating Real World Evidence; Medical Writer Professional DevelopmentFPM-40658

Units: 2.00

$595

This course examines real world evidence (RWE), and the role of the professional medical writer in this rapidly expanding area of evidence generation. Learn the basics of RWE, and how and why these s...

Upcoming Start Dates:
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

Citations and Reference Methods for Medical WritingFPM-40660

Units: 1.00

$395

This course covers the current tools and resources that should be used by medical writers to properly cite courses. Medical writers must be able to cite their work and correct the citations of others....

Upcoming Start Dates:
Typically Offered: Winter, Summer

CT: Documents in Drug Development: Writing Protocols, Reports, Summaries, Submissions, and DisclosuresFPM-40685

Units: 3.00

$645

No clinical trial can begin until a protocol has been written, and no clinical trial is complete until the final report is assembled, signed, and submitted to the FDA. Good documentation for clinical ...

Upcoming Start Dates:
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer

Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR)FPM-40659

Units: 3.00

$695

This course covers the foundations Health Economics Outcomes Research (HEOR) and demonstrates why this growing field provides important information for making healthcare coverage and access decisions....

Upcoming Start Dates:
Typically Offered: Fall

Capstone: Journal Article and Publication DevelopmentFPM-40630

Units: 4.00

$995

This course will benefit students who are seeking to write and publish an article in a peer-reviewed journal. Using knowledge acquired throughout the medical writing program, students in this capston...

Upcoming Start Dates:
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

Capstone: Medical Education MaterialsFPM-40627

Units: 4.00

$995

Medical writers play a vital role in creating continuing medical education (CME) materials that help physicians and other health care providers remain current in the knowledge and skills needed to pro...

Upcoming Start Dates:
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

Capstone: Regulatory WritingFPM-40628

Units: 4.00

$995

Regulatory Writing is as much about knowing the regulations and guidance that govern regulatory submissions as it is about the building the intelligence, knowledge, relationships, and know-how in beco...

Upcoming Start Dates:
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
Download PDF

Medical Writing Certificate Information Session

Watch an information session on earning a professional certificate in Medical Writing with program faculty at UC San Diego Extended Studies.

Conditions for Admission

Successful applicants must have relevant educational background, and native-level fluency in English with the demonstrated ability to write clear, logical, and grammatically correct sentences as evidenced by the application, official transcripts and writing samples. Accepted applicants will have degrees in biomedical or life sciences, such as biology, chemistry, pharmacy, nursing, nutrition, or public health. It is anticipated that many will have advanced degrees, including PhDs. Candidates with PhDs are particularly competitive for medical writing positions in the commercial sector and academic settings.


 

Certificate Guidelines

All students must either take the following prerequisites or have taken appropriate equivalents within the past five years, earning a grade of B- or better:

  • Medical Terminology FPM-40172, 1 unit online
  • Practical Clinical Statistics for the Non-Statistician FPM-40233, 2 units online
  • ​​Grammar Lab WCWP-40234, 3 units online
  • Clinical Trials and Regulatory Writing Primer, FPM-40672, 1 unit online

​Prerequisites can be waived for individuals whose work experience demonstrates foundational knowledge of these subjects. Applicants seeking this waiver should email their CV to Jessica Bradford, Program Manager, at unexhealthcare@ucsd.edu for determination in advance of their application.

Next Steps Experience

Connect your classroom education with real-world experiences through a Next Step Experience course. These specially designed classes allow students to gain hands-on experience by working closely with instructors and/or peers on real-world projects. In the Capstone course, students will apply all previously learned concepts to work through one or more projects in one of the four pre-identified Medical Writing areas.

The purpose of the Capstone is to:

  • Gain hands on experience of researching information, and analyzing, interpreting, and communicating data as would be expected of a Medical Writer. The final project(s) will be submitted for critical review by the advising faculty leader
  • Have a clear sense of the critical behaviors and practical work practices that make the student a better Medical Writer.
  • Identify areas of continued improvement moving forward to hone knowledge and skill in the evolving Medical Writing profession.

To be eligible to take this course, you must have completed all of the other courses in the Medical Writing program with a B-/80% or higher. You must select from one of the four areas of specialization to fulfill this final required component of the certificate.

Capstone: Journal Article and Publication Development (FPM-40630)

Capstone: Medical Education Materials (FPM-40627)

Capstone: Regulatory Writing (FPM-40628)

Capstone: Scientific Grants (FPM-40629)

Advisory Board

Michelle Beauclair

Medical writer and copywriter

MB Medical Writer

Tim Collinson, BSc (hons), ISMPP CMPP

Director, Global Publications

Santen Inc.

Noelle Demas

Medical Writer

Panorama MedWriters Group, Inc.

Thomas Gegeny, MS, ELS, MWC, CMPP

Director, Scientific Strategy & Partnerships

Prime Global Medical Communications Ltd.

Timothy Mackey, MAS, PhD

Assistant Professor

UC San Diego School of Medicine

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This certificate requires an application before taking any courses. There will be a $25 fee to apply to this program. Students will also be required to pay a $95 certificate fee upon enrollment into the program after acceptance. View the complete Certificate Registration and Candidacy Guidelines.