Drafts, Laughs, and Lasting Lessons: Inside a Unique Medical Writing Experience

Key Takeaways

The University of Connecticut's Medical Writing Certificate program emphasizes hands-on learning, offering personalized feedback and real publication opportunities.
Participants learn the importance of audience understanding, grammar rules, and active voice for clear, compelling writing.
Constructive feedback is a key component, helping participants refine their writing and appreciate the process of creating effective communication.
Graduates benefit from a professional portfolio, career advancement opportunities, and increased confidence in their writing abilities.

The University of Connecticut's Medical Writing Certificate program transforms aspiring writers into confident communicators through hands-on training and real-world experience.

We have all experienced it: reading medical writing so dry and convoluted that we forget what we have just read or slogging through confusing sentences that seem to go nowhere. Sometimes, we reach the end of a piece and wonder if there was even a point. The lack of clarity and purpose leaves us frustrated and lost.

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In today’s rapidly evolving health care landscape, communicating complex medical information clearly and accurately is more crucial than ever. Medical writing programs have emerged as training grounds for professionals to understand and develop the necessary medical writing skills.

Established in 2019, the University of Connecticut Medical Writing Certificate program provides comprehensive medical writing training. When we enrolled, we expected to learn how to write about medicine. We did not expect how much we would laugh, collaborate, and grow—not just as writers, but as communicators.

The Program: More Than Just Theory

What sets this program apart is its hands-on, practice-based approach. From day 1, participants are not just reading about writing; they are writing. And rewriting. And sometimes, rewriting again (with less caffeine and much more humility). Key features of the program include:

Ongoing, personalized feedback on every assignment: The program’s mentor, Jeannette Wick, RPh, MBA, FASCP, pulls no punches, challenging participants to improve their writing. Her tough lessons come with genuine respect and unwavering support.
Opportunities to publish short pieces: Yes, real publications, not just “practice” articles.
A final project that simulates the real work of a medical writer, from research to revision
Resume-building support: Each publication and project adds a tangible line to your CV

What We Learned (Besides How to Use a Comma Properly)

Writing is a skill, not a superpower: We used to think good writers were born, not made. Writing is more like learning to ride a bike: wobbly at first, but with enough practice (and the occasional scraped knee), you get there.
Ignorance is not bliss: Though dozens of grammar rules may appear trivial on their own, together they shape writing that is clear and compelling. Active voice and short, punchy sentences help maintain the reader’s attention and enhance comprehension.
Audience matters: Understanding your audience ensures the presentation of information at the appropriate level of complexity. Using proper terminology and addressing specific audience needs enhances the clarity, comprehension, and impact of the writing.
Publishing is powerful: Seeing your first article published is surreal. It was not just a confidence boost but a tangible achievement that encouraged us to continue writing and growing. And the feeling doesn’t go away; every published work is a tiny dopamine hit.
Feedback is a gift (even when it stings): Frequent, thoughtful feedback is a hallmark of the program. An early submission (believed to be pretty good) received the response: “Great start, but have you considered that your audience might not know what costovertebral angle tenderness is?” This sparked laughter (and more than a few quick Google searches). Through constructive criticism, participants learn to appreciate the process that shapes clear, effective writing.

Moments That Made Us Laugh

During a peer review session, Jeannette commented, “This sentence is so long, I got lost and had to send a search party.” We all cracked up and promptly learned the value of short, clear sentences. A review of an atrial fibrillation continuing education course prompted the comment, “Don’t go into afib over this.” Sometimes, the best lessons come wrapped in humor.

Lasting Program Benefits

A professional portfolio showcasing skills and real-world experience
Career advancement with published pieces that help secure interviews and freelance work.
Academic success, because producing sharper, clearer, and more persuasive writing translates into better grant applications and research summaries.
Confidence, because the blank page is no longer intimidating. This practice-based program emphasizes the value of trusting the process.

Conclusion

About the Authors

Jennifer Salvon, RPh, is a clinical pharmacist at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Brian L. Gaul, PharmD, RPh, is a freelance medical writer based in Tomah, Wisconsin.

If you are considering a leap into medical writing, whether from academia or another field, this program offers a unique, practice-based path. You will gain skills, confidence, and maybe even a few stories to make you laugh. And when you see your name in print for the first time, you will know you are not just a participant. You are a medical writer. And the program just hit a milestone: over 100 participants, with 29 graduates already out in the wild, many thriving in new careers.

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