American Medical Writers Association
Encyclopedia
The American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) is the world's leading professional association for medical communicators. AMWA has more than 5,600 members in the United States, Canada, and 26 other countries. AMWA is governed by a board of directors
composed of a 14-member executive committee
and representatives from its 19 US and Canadian chapters. The association was founded in 1940 by physicians interested in improving the quality of medical writing
and editing. The current president is Thomas Gegeny, MS, ELS.
AMWA includes a variety of medical communicators, including administrators, advertisers, authors' editors, college and university professors, journal editors, pharmaceutical writers (and those involved in pharmaceutical publication planning
), public relations
specialists, publishers, reporters, researchers, statisticians, and translators. Many members are freelance writers and editor
s. Membership in AMWA is open to anyone interested in any aspect of medical communication.
AMWA's headquarters are located in Rockville, Maryland
, United States.
The MVMEA was absorbed by the new AMWA, which was formed at Springfield, Ill., September 29, 1948, during the meeting of the Mississippi Valley Medical Society in that city. At this time The Mississippi Valley Medical Journal was made the official publication of AMWA. During the 1948 meeting, Morris Fishbein
, M.D., then editor of The Journal of the American Medical Association, gave a two-hour course on medical writing at the meeting. Dr. Fishbein was president of AMWA, 1958–1959.
Up until 1951, the constitution of AMWA was written so that only physicians could be members. The constitution adopted for 1951–1956 allowed, besides physicians, "medical librarians and health educators," and, importantly, "personnel of hospitals, foundations, technical companies and allied organizations, educational institutions, publishing and who are concerned with medical writing or publishing ..."
In 1976 the first president was elected who did not have a doctoral degree (Gerald McKee); in 1977 the first woman president, Virginia T. Eicholtz, was elected.
program for professionals in the medical and allied scientific communication fields. More than 90 educational sessions are offered during AMWA's annual conference, including curriculum workshops that can be applied toward AMWA's certificate programs. Earning an AMWA certificate
is considered part of a career path in the field. The certificate workshops were established in 1979. Currently, AMWA offers three certificate programs: core, advanced, and the newest certificate program, science fundamentals.
The AMWA Core Certificate is earned in one or more of five specialty areas: Editing/Writing, Educators, Freelance, Pharmaceutical, and Public Relations/Advertising/Marketing.
AMWA's Advanced Certificate requires the completion of eight advanced workshops.
To earn the Science Fundamentals Certificate, a participant must complete four general science workshops and four additional workshops from specialty areas such as body systems or diseases.
is the official publication of AMWA. A quarterly publication, it "aims to be an authoritative, comprehensive source of information about the knowledge, skills, and opportunities in the field of medical communication worldwide."
AMWA publishes its Freelance Directory, a listing of AMWA members who make services available on a freelance basis and have paid to be listed.
AMWA also publishes, in two volumes, desktop references for biomedical communicators. Titled Essays for Biomedical Communicators, the collections are designed to complement the information and skills gained from AMWA core and advanced courses.
Self-study workshops are also available and include a workbook with examples and exercises, as well as a CD-ROM featuring an interactive PDF of the workbook.
AMWA holds its conference each year. The 2009 conference was held October 22–24 in Dallas, Texas. The 2010 conference will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. AMWA's annual conference is open to medical communicators, regardless of membership.
s, particularly when pharmaceutical companies fund the research. Critics charge that the use of biomedical communicators encourages commercial bias. Advocates claim that professional
biomedical communicators provide a valuable service that improves the quality and timeliness of publication of research. The debate centers around how to define authorship.
In 2003, AMWA published a position statement on the contributions of medical writers to scientific publications in the AMWA Journal
. This article also explained the work of the AMWA 2002 Task Force on the Contributions of Medical Writers to Scientific Publications as it prepared, adopted, and presented the position statement.
In 2005, the World Association of Medical Editors
tightened its policy on ghost writing of medical research papers after a US journal highlighted allegedly illegitimate ghostwriting practices.
The New York Times
reported on a study released by editors of The Journal of the American Medical Association that found a significant number of articles in top medical journals published in 2008 were written by ghostwriters. Cindy Hamilton (AMWA president at the time) replied to this article in a letter to the editor by stating, in part:
Reuters has reported that some medical journal editors are resorting to computer forensics
to help reveal ghost writers on manuscripts.
Despite conflicting viewpoints on ghostwriting and guest authorship in medical communications, common ground can be found. This viewpoint was neatly summed up in the September 2009 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings
:
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
composed of a 14-member executive committee
Executive Committee
Executive Committee may refer to:* The Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland, a government body in the United Kingdom 1921–1972* The Northern Ireland Executive, a government body in the United Kingdom...
and representatives from its 19 US and Canadian chapters. The association was founded in 1940 by physicians interested in improving the quality of medical writing
Medical writing
Medical writing is the activity of producing scientific documentation by a specialized writer. The medical writer typically is not one of the scientists or doctors who performed the research....
and editing. The current president is Thomas Gegeny, MS, ELS.
AMWA includes a variety of medical communicators, including administrators, advertisers, authors' editors, college and university professors, journal editors, pharmaceutical writers (and those involved in pharmaceutical publication planning
Pharmaceutical publication planning
Pharmaceutical publication planning is the activity of planning the dissemination of scientific and clinical data on a drug to healthcare professionals at scientific congresses and medical society meetings and in peer reviewed medical journals...
), public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
specialists, publishers, reporters, researchers, statisticians, and translators. Many members are freelance writers and editor
Copy editing
Copy editing is the work that an editor does to improve the formatting, style, and accuracy of text. Unlike general editing, copy editing might not involve changing the substance of the text. Copy refers to written or typewritten text for typesetting, printing, or publication...
s. Membership in AMWA is open to anyone interested in any aspect of medical communication.
AMWA's headquarters are located in Rockville, Maryland
Rockville, Maryland
Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...
, United States.
History
On the evening of September 25, 1940, in the Mississippi River town of Rock Island, Illinois, Drs. Harold Swanberg, George B. Lake, N. C. Barwasser, Norman Zolla, Florence Johnson, and James Dunn organized the Mississippi Valley Medical Editors’ Association (MVMEA).The MVMEA was absorbed by the new AMWA, which was formed at Springfield, Ill., September 29, 1948, during the meeting of the Mississippi Valley Medical Society in that city. At this time The Mississippi Valley Medical Journal was made the official publication of AMWA. During the 1948 meeting, Morris Fishbein
Morris Fishbein
Morris Fishbein M.D. was a physician and the editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association from 1924 to 1950. In 1961 he became the founding Editor of Medical World News, a magazine for doctors. In 1970 he endowed the Morris Fishbein Center...
, M.D., then editor of The Journal of the American Medical Association, gave a two-hour course on medical writing at the meeting. Dr. Fishbein was president of AMWA, 1958–1959.
Up until 1951, the constitution of AMWA was written so that only physicians could be members. The constitution adopted for 1951–1956 allowed, besides physicians, "medical librarians and health educators," and, importantly, "personnel of hospitals, foundations, technical companies and allied organizations, educational institutions, publishing and who are concerned with medical writing or publishing ..."
In 1976 the first president was elected who did not have a doctoral degree (Gerald McKee); in 1977 the first woman president, Virginia T. Eicholtz, was elected.
Code of ethics
The AMWA Code of Ethics sets forth the principles that "take into account the important role of medical communicators in writing, editing, and developing materials in various media and the potential of the products of their efforts to inform, educate, and influence audiences." The original Code of Ethics was published by Eric W. Martin, Ph.D., in 1973. The third revision was published in June 2008.Education program and certificates
AMWA offers an extensive continuing educationContinuing education
Continuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
program for professionals in the medical and allied scientific communication fields. More than 90 educational sessions are offered during AMWA's annual conference, including curriculum workshops that can be applied toward AMWA's certificate programs. Earning an AMWA certificate
Professional certification
Professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation, often called simply certification or qualification, is a designation earned by a person to assure qualification to perform a job or task...
is considered part of a career path in the field. The certificate workshops were established in 1979. Currently, AMWA offers three certificate programs: core, advanced, and the newest certificate program, science fundamentals.
The AMWA Core Certificate is earned in one or more of five specialty areas: Editing/Writing, Educators, Freelance, Pharmaceutical, and Public Relations/Advertising/Marketing.
AMWA's Advanced Certificate requires the completion of eight advanced workshops.
To earn the Science Fundamentals Certificate, a participant must complete four general science workshops and four additional workshops from specialty areas such as body systems or diseases.
Publications
The AMWA JournalAMWA Journal
The AMWA Journal is the official publication of the American Medical Writers Association . Delivered quarterly in online or print editions to AMWA members and subscribers, the AMWA Journal aims to be an authoritative, comprehensive source of information about the knowledge, skills, and...
is the official publication of AMWA. A quarterly publication, it "aims to be an authoritative, comprehensive source of information about the knowledge, skills, and opportunities in the field of medical communication worldwide."
AMWA publishes its Freelance Directory, a listing of AMWA members who make services available on a freelance basis and have paid to be listed.
AMWA also publishes, in two volumes, desktop references for biomedical communicators. Titled Essays for Biomedical Communicators, the collections are designed to complement the information and skills gained from AMWA core and advanced courses.
Self-study workshops are also available and include a workbook with examples and exercises, as well as a CD-ROM featuring an interactive PDF of the workbook.
Awards
AMWA has two award categories: competitive and honorary. Competitive awards are the Eric W. Martin award (presented in honor of Eric W. Martin, PhD, 1971 AMWA president and author of AMWA's Code of Ethics); the AMWA Medical Book award; the Annual Conference Student Scholarship; the Best Published Research Award; and the Student Research Award. Honorary awards are the John P. McGovern Award (presented to a member or nonmember of AMWA to honor a preeminent contribution to any of the various modes of medical communication); the Walter C. Alvarez Award (presented to a member or nonmember of AMWA to honor excellence in communicating health care developments and concepts to the public); the Harold Swanberg Distinguished Service Award (presented to any active member of AMWA who has made distinguished contributions to medical communication or rendered unusual and distinguished services to the medical profession); the President's Award (given by the AMWA president to a member of AMWA for distinctive contributions to the association at the chapter or national level); the Golden Apple Award (awarded to workshop leaders who have demonstrated excellence in teaching in the AMWA education program); and Fellowships.Annual conference, networking and job opportunities
As the world's largest professional association of medical communicators, AMWA offers unique educational and networking opportunities for students, those new to the profession, and long-time members. Jobs Online is an online service for announcing employment or freelance opportunities to medical communicators interested in finding new employers or clients.AMWA holds its conference each year. The 2009 conference was held October 22–24 in Dallas, Texas. The 2010 conference will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. AMWA's annual conference is open to medical communicators, regardless of membership.
Controversy surrounding use of medical writers
Controversy has surrounded the field of medical writing because of guest authorship and the use of medical ghostwriterMedical ghostwriter
The American Medical Writers Association speaks to the topic as follows:With medical ghostwriting, professional writers and other parties are paid — commonly by pharmaceuticals and medical devices manufacturers — to produce manuscripts for conference presentations, scientific publications,...
s, particularly when pharmaceutical companies fund the research. Critics charge that the use of biomedical communicators encourages commercial bias. Advocates claim that professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
biomedical communicators provide a valuable service that improves the quality and timeliness of publication of research. The debate centers around how to define authorship.
In 2003, AMWA published a position statement on the contributions of medical writers to scientific publications in the AMWA Journal
AMWA Journal
The AMWA Journal is the official publication of the American Medical Writers Association . Delivered quarterly in online or print editions to AMWA members and subscribers, the AMWA Journal aims to be an authoritative, comprehensive source of information about the knowledge, skills, and...
. This article also explained the work of the AMWA 2002 Task Force on the Contributions of Medical Writers to Scientific Publications as it prepared, adopted, and presented the position statement.
In 2005, the World Association of Medical Editors
World Association of Medical Editors
The World Association of Medical Editors or WAME is a nonprofit voluntary association of editors of peer-reviewed medical journals from countries throughout the world, established in 1995...
tightened its policy on ghost writing of medical research papers after a US journal highlighted allegedly illegitimate ghostwriting practices.
The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reported on a study released by editors of The Journal of the American Medical Association that found a significant number of articles in top medical journals published in 2008 were written by ghostwriters. Cindy Hamilton (AMWA president at the time) replied to this article in a letter to the editor by stating, in part:
Reuters has reported that some medical journal editors are resorting to computer forensics
Computer forensics
Computer forensics is a branch of digital forensic science pertaining to legal evidence found in computers and digital storage media...
to help reveal ghost writers on manuscripts.
Despite conflicting viewpoints on ghostwriting and guest authorship in medical communications, common ground can be found. This viewpoint was neatly summed up in the September 2009 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings
Mayo Clinic Proceedings
Mayo Clinic Proceedings is an American peer-reviewed journal published by Dowden Health Media and sponsored by the Mayo Clinic. It covers the field of medicine and was established in 1926 as the Proceedings of the Staff Meetings of the Mayo Clinic. It obtained its current name in 1964...
:
Chapters
AMWA is organized into 19 chapters covering all of the United States and Canada. Chapters organize local meetings and conferences in their region.- New England Chapter
- Empire State-Metropolitan New York Chapter
- Delaware Valley Chapter
- Mid-Atlantic Chapter
- Carolinas Chapter
- Southeast Chapter
- Florida Chapter
- Michigan Chapter
- Ohio Valley Chapter
- Greater Chicago Area Chapter
- North Central Chapter
- Indiana Chapter
- Southwest Chapter
- Mid-America Chapter
- Pacific Southwest Chapter
- Northern California Chapter
- Rocky Mountain Chapter
- Northwest Chapter
- Canada Chapter
Membership
Membership is open to anyone interested in medical communications. Student memberships are available.See also
- American Association for the Advancement of ScienceAmerican Association for the Advancement of ScienceThe American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
- Board of Editors in the Life Sciences (BELS)
- Council of Science EditorsCouncil of Science EditorsThe Council of Science Editors is a nonprofit professional membership organization. CSE's mission is to serve editorial professionals in the sciences by creating a supportive network for career development, providing educational opportunities, and developing resources for identifying and...
- Drug Information AssociationDrug Information AssociationThe Drug Information Association is a nonprofit, worldwide association that aims to foster innovation, improve public health globally and provide a forum for knowledge exchange...
- Editors' Association of CanadaEditors' Association of CanadaThe Editors' Association of Canada/Association canadienne des réviseurs promotes professional editing as key in producing effective communication...
- European Association of Science EditorsEuropean Association of Science EditorsThe ' is a non-profit membership organisation for people interested in science communication and editing. Founded in 1982, in France, EASE now has an international membership from diverse backgrounds and professional experience....
- European Medical Writers AssociationEuropean Medical Writers AssociationThe European Medical Writers Association was founded in 1989 as a professional organisation for European medical writers, whether working freelance or in-house at pharmaceutical companies or medical communications companies...
- International Society for Medical Publication Professionals
- Society for Technical CommunicationSociety for Technical CommunicationThe Society for Technical Communication is a professional society for the advancement of the theory and practice of technical communication.-Overview:...
- Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical JournalsUniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical JournalsThe Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals is a set of guidelines produced by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, for standardising the ethics, preparation and formatting of manuscripts submitted for publication by biomedical journals...
- World Association of Medical EditorsWorld Association of Medical EditorsThe World Association of Medical Editors or WAME is a nonprofit voluntary association of editors of peer-reviewed medical journals from countries throughout the world, established in 1995...
External links
- American Medical Writers Association
- Association of British Science Writers
- Australasian Medical Writers Association
- European Medical Writers Association
- Indian Medical Writers Association
- Medical Writing Network
- National Association of Science Writers
- Society for Technical Communication
- Toolkit for New Medical Writers
- Exploring a Career in Medical Communication: A Collection of Articles from the AMWA Journal