Medical writing is a quintessential form of scientific writing where the scientific information of the research performed by the scientists/researchers is documented and presented for the understanding of a set of audience. Medical writing is a very specialized and technical process and therefore requires a thorough understanding of the medical and scientific terminology. The target audience may be healthcare professionals such as physicians, pharmacists, nurses, etc., researchers, pharmaceutical organizations, regulatory authorities and even the patients or general public. The flow of information is the primary requirement from researchers to the regulatory authorities and from pharmaceutical companies to physicians or other healthcare professional or to the patients. Medical writing acts as a major mode of communication for the on-going pharmaceutical research, the recent advancements and the regulatory guidelines. The contents of medical writing are in the form of articles for publications, documents for medical journals and health related magazines, research and regulatory documents, information brochures for patient education, etc.
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The medical writers must be able to present the scientific data as per the need of the respective audience, i.e. as highly technical writing for a scientist or as a simple and lucid consumer educational writing for the general public. The first step in medical writing is literature search and review of information, it is essential that the information must be from reliable sources. The next step is to mould the available information as per the understanding of the audience. The contents must be well-organized, effectively illustrated, and well-correlated so that a constant flow of information is maintained through the document.
Drafting of an unambiguous, clear and precise set of information is the basic requisition. After the drafting has been completed the document undergoes several review processes to make it more effective, concise and well communicative.
Medical writing can be categorized as regulatory medical writing and educational medical writing. The Regulatory writing involves drug approval documents for New Drug Approval(NDA), Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA), Protocols for Clinical trials, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Investigational Brochures, Clinical Study Reports, Patient Consent Forms, Periodic Safety Update Reports (PSUR), Annual Safety Reports (ASRs), as well as other documents that are collected in the course of drug development process. The Educational writing involves the documents that are meant for the medical professionals (E.g. Prescribing Information, medical journal articles/ manuscripts (research articles, review articles, case reports) posters and presentations for medical conferences, promotional literature of newly launched medicinal products) or for the patients and general public (E.g. Patient information leaflets, patient education material, etc.).
Medical writing has been established as an integral part of the pharmaceutical industry. With the increasing demand of medical writers, the pharmaceutical companies and other health care organizations are also looking for Key opinion leaders, who are creative and have expertise in the development of new therapies as they have thorough understanding of medical science. KOLs work with medical writers to provide important information on disease condition and patient regimen to help the pharma industries in exploring, launching and promoting new pharmaceuticals and medical devices. As a result, medical writers together with KOLs contribute to the growth of the industry.
For a textbook example of a diploma mill, examine the case of Dixie and Steven Randock. For $1,277, the Randocks provided a purported Syrian national with undergraduate and advanced degrees in chemistry and environmental engineering. Between 1999 and 2005, the Randocks' scheme netted $7 million--and it's just the tip of the iceberg.
Dr. George Gollin, board member on the Council for Higher Education, estimates that fraudulent universities provide between 100,000 and 200,000 degrees annually, granting bogus graduates access to high-powered jobs. A 2004 Report by the Government Accountability Office found 463 government employees qualified for employment using fake diplomas. Of that number, more than half worked for the Defense Department.
How to Spot a Diploma Mill
If you're looking for legitimate continuing education, you may encounter an offer from a diploma mill. Here are ten red flags to look for:
1. No Classes Necessary. Legitimate colleges entail real coursework, either in a brick-and-mortar classroom, or online. If you discover an advertisement promising degrees based on "life experience," you're looking at a pitch from a diploma mill.
2. Free Transcript with Purchase. Many diploma mills provide fraudulent transcripts along with bogus degrees. If an institution offers to provide you with class transcripts, even though you've never been to class, steer clear.
3. Earn a Degree in 5 Days. If a college promises you a degree in days, be suspicious. Full-time college students earning an associate's degree usually take eighteen months to two years to finish a program. If you're earning a bachelor's degree, you typically need to invest two to three years in study.
4. Bogus Accreditation. Diploma mills often cite a list of accrediting institutions. Don't be fooled! Legitimate universities are accredited by federally recognized agencies. Consult the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education for lists of legitimate accrediting agencies.
5. Flat Fee for a Degree. Real universities charge by the semester, the credit hour, or the course. Fraudulent universities may charge by the degree, even offering discounts for ordering multiple degrees.
6. What's in a Name? Diploma mills choose names that invoke prestigious real universities. The Randocks' roster of diploma mills included "St. Regis University" and "James Monroe University."
7. Remit Check to PO Box. While online colleges traditionally don't offer brick-and-mortar classrooms, most should have a physical address. The same goes for traditional universities. Diploma mills often work out of post office boxes, which can make it easy to move shop when the law closes in.
8. Foreign Accreditation. Diploma mills often make false claims of foreign accreditation without the knowledge of the host country (the charges against the Randocks included bribing Liberian government officials to obtain foreign accreditation for St. Regis University).
9. Custom Order Your GPA. Diploma mills may allow you to pick your own GPA. Real colleges never do.
10. No Professor, No Problem. No school is complete without a faculty. If a school promises to connect you with "advisors," but no teachers, it's not a real school.
The most important thing to look for in a college is accreditation. Federally recognized accreditation institutions ensure that colleges provide quality education to students. Remember, bachelor management information systems don't ask: "Is this institution accredited?" but: "Is the accreditation federally recognized?"
In the case of the Randocks, their phony accreditation earned them jail time. That Syrian national shopping for a degree was a secret service agent who had been tailing the Randocks for three years. Thanks to his efforts, the Randocks were sentenced to 36 months in federal prison, three years of probation, and the forfeiture of over $500,000 in ill-gotten gains.