Establishing Standards in Professional Medical Writing and Editing
One of the chief problems in hiring manuscript editors is that prospective employers and clients often have no formal criteria in order to assess the proficiency of the editors. However, some institutions are responding to this issue by setting up systems of standards and certifications for medical writing and editing that employers can refer to and use easily. For example, the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences (BELS), which was established in 1991, evaluates manuscript editors in the life sciences and awards certificates of proficiency to professional editors who have passed a BELS exam in scientific editing. By setting up a system of standards and qualifications, BELS aims to establish common benchmarks of proficiency in editing manuscripts in the life sciences. It thereby provides prospective employers a clear way to identify the best editors for the job.
Similarly, the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) also offers an Education Program for medical writers and communications professionals in scientific fields, which is considered an integral part of a career path in scientific communications and is required by many employers.
At Whipbird Communications, our medical writers have earned their Essential Skills Certificates from AMWA.