Behind every successful health communication campaign is clear, compelling writing—and medical copywriters are often the ones making that happen. This type of medical writing offers diverse opportunities to influence awareness, behavior, and decision-making in health care.
So what exactly do medical copywriters do? And where do they work? This blog post breaks down the role of the medical copywriter for those new to the field, the settings they work in, and key skills for this career pathway.
What Is a Medical Copywriter?
Medical copywriters create persuasive health and science content designed to inform, influence, or motivate specific actions. Copywriting falls under the broader category of promotional writing or marketing writing and is a results‑driven type of communication. Whether you're a copywriter for a pharmaceutical company or a medical school, you create content with a specific goal in mind.
Depending on the stage of the marketing funnel (from awareness to action), that goal may be to raise awareness, educate or empower an audience, or inspire readers to take action—such as getting a yearly mammogram, stopping smoking, or joining an organization as a member or donor.
Common Backgrounds of Medical Copywriters
What does it take to become a medical copywriter? Here are some common backgrounds that medical copywriters have:
- An interest in and an affinity for science, writing, and general marketing.
- A clear understanding of basic medical concepts and marketing terminology, such as the marketing funnel, buyer personas, and ROI (return on investment).
- An advanced degree or experience working in scientific settings. That may be a medical or science degree (eg, PhD, PharmD, MD), an MFA or a PhD in communications or English, or an advanced degree in business or marketing. Relevant experience may come from academic environments or work as a bench scientist, pharmacist, physician, or other health care professional.
Who Can Be a Health Care Copywriter?
Anyone interested in becoming a medical writer can pursue medical copywriting. Medical writers come from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds. Because the role blends science, communication, and strategy, people enter medical copywriting from many different career paths.
Maybe you're an academic scientist ready for a career change. Perhaps you're a graduate student interested in a career with flexible hours or path to advancement. Maybe you're a marketing professional with a scientific background or an interest in health and medicine.
While a professional background or credentials are helpful, anyone with a deep interest in science and a commitment to results‑driven writing has the potential to be a medical copywriter.
Where Do Medical Copywriters Work?
Medical copywriters work in a wide variety of settings, from biotechnology companies to hospitals. Here are just a few types of employers that hire medical copywriters:
- Associations and professional health care societies
- Communications, marketing, or advertising agencies
- Health care organizations or providers
- Medical device companies
- Medical schools or universities
- Pharmaceutical companies
Of course, many medical copywriters are independent contractors or freelancers. These writers work from a home office or co‑working space or take on short‑term contracts to work onsite at various companies.
Types of Content Medical Copywriters Create
Medical copywriters produce a wide range of audience-specific content, including website copy, email campaigns, blog posts, digital ads, video scripts, and social media content. Depending on the employer and audience, they may also develop content for health care professionals, such as product messaging, conference materials, or sales support tools.
Skills Every Medical Copywriter Should Build
Successful medical copywriters combine strong scientific literacy with clear, persuasive writing skills. Core competencies include
- Audience analysis
- Messaging strategy, including for social media
- Marketing and branding knowledge
- Strong writing and storytelling
- Awareness of health care ethics and regulatory requirements like HIPAA
- Collaboration with subject-matter experts
- Ability to translate complex medical and scientific information into accurate, engaging content that supports defined communication goals
Together, these skills enable medical copywriters to deliver compliant, audience-focused messaging that drives understanding, trust, and action across health care audiences.
Resources for Aspiring Medical Copywriters
The path to medical copywriting varies depending on your professional and educational background. If you already have experience in the medical communication field, consider the Medical Writer Certified (MWC®) credential. If you're just starting your career in medical writing, you may want to explore the Essential Skills Certificate Program.
There is no single path to becoming a medical copywriter, but successful writers build skills over time through training, experience, and professional development.
AMWA acknowledges the contributions of Kecia Brown, MPH, ELS, RAC, for peer review in the development of this AMWA resource.
