Non-Credit Certificate Program in Medical Writing and Editing Training
Master the fundamentals and best practices of crisp, clear, and sophisticated medical communications.
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At a Glance
- Enrollment:
- Part-time
- Length:
- ~9 months total
- Format:
- Online
- Continuing Education Credits:
- Autumn 2025
- Investment:
-
$1,490 /core course$1,640 /writing course$9,090 /certificate
Write the Future of Healthcare
The demand for skilled medical communicators continues to grow. Training with leading experts at UChicago and obtaining a rigorous education in the essential principles of medical communication drives career advancement and fosters lasting job satisfaction. This multi-pronged program allows for a level of flexibility to advance at one’s own pace and as the field evolves.
Elevate medical communications
This essential discipline helps bridge the gap between complex medical research and its practical application, ensuring that important information reaches healthcare professionals, patients, and policymakers in clear formatted context. From developing scientific manuscripts and regulatory documents to creating patient education materials and health campaigns, medical writers and editors facilitate the flow of medical knowledge and contribute to improved outcomes across the healthcare field.
Designed For
Designed for both professionals with a background in science who want to acquire writing skills and those with a background in writing or an English degree who want to understand medical terminology.
A High-Demand Career Within a Flexible Job Landscape
UChicago’s comprehensive and specialized Medical Writing and Editing Training Certificate program equips you with the core principles of medical communications, best practices in writing and editing, and the ethical grounding needed to produce clear, accurate, and sophisticated medical content in a rapidly evolving field. The program emphasizes mastery of the AMA Manual of Style and hands-on work with manuscripts, publications, and data, all taught by expert medical publishing professionals.
Fast facts:
- A comprehensive certificate program with writing concentrations that suit your interests.
- Build a portfolio of work during the program.
- Three writing concentration options.
- Courses are taught by industry experts.
- Gain more advanced knowledge on relevant topics through standalone courses outside the certificate program.
- Certificate courses start on a Monday with self-paced activities.
- Self-paced learning leads to one synchronous session per week.
- Certificates do not need to be paid upfront; instead, our programs allow you to pay for tuition at the time of each course registration.
- Current members of certain professional associations are eligible for 10% off tuition.
Stand Out with a Personalized UChicago Certificate
This premier program allows you to gain essential skills in this f ield and obtain the necessary quality standards knowledge to be successful. You dive deeper by choosing a writing concentration that takes you above and beyond expected training, and also have the opportunity to obtain a microcertificate in Regulatory Writing. Choose from standalone courses outside the certificate program itself to learn more about specific areas of medical communications. While you receive this comprehensive knowledge, you will benefit from outstanding networking with credentialed peers, accomplished instructors, and industry partners at an elite research university.

Discover the Possibilities of Medical Communications.
Enroll TodayPreparing for the Medical Writing and Editing Profession
Medical writers and editors are able to present an accurate interpretation of data and technical details in an understandable and informative manner to their target audience. By mastering the core principles and best practices of this profession, you will be prepared to excel in diverse settings—ranging from corporate and agency environments to your own freelance services. This rewarding, multifaceted field is looking for skilled professionals.
Train with experts in the rewarding field of healthcare communications
UChicago’s Medical Writing certificate covers the fundamentals and best practices of crisp, clear, and sophisticated medical communications. Courses are taught by active industry experts. The comprehensive curriculum ensures training in the industry-standard of the AMA Manual of Style. Courses use realworld medical manuscripts and publications to teach you the skills needed to enter the profession and to succeed as a skilled medical communicator.
Program perks:
- Onboarding and advising services.
- Career services.
- Instructors are experts in their field.
- Community building with extracurricular activities, events, and webinars.
- Networking opportunities.
- Direct learning, practice, and feedback.
- Applicable content and quick skill building.
- Access to UChicago resources.
- Monthly job posting notices.
- Support of the Professional Development Programs Student Advisory Board.
- Alumni Scholarship program.
Earn a Credential in Medical Writing
Participants who successfully complete the entire online program are awarded credentials in Medical Writing and Editing certified by the University of Chicago. Upon meeting all certificate requirements, students receive a certificate of completion, and a digital course badge is awarded at the successful completion of each individual course.
Unite Your Love of Writing and Science
Choose a Career in Medical Writing
A career in medical writing and editing offers a unique opportunity to combine a passion for science with the art of communication. As a medical writer, you'll play a critical role in translating complex medical research into clear, accessible content that can impact patient care, advance scientific knowledge, and support healthcare innovation. With a growing demand for professionals who can effectively communicate medical information across diverse platforms—from scientific journals to patient education materials—this field provides a dynamic and rewarding career path with significant opportunities for growth and specialization.
Build core competencies and your expertise in a growing field
For those drawn to the fusion of science and communication, our program offers a skill boost to excel in this thriving field. In as little as nine months of part-time study, you can gain the essential skills needed to thrive in medical communications. The program’s interactive curriculum, led by industry experts like Barbara Gastel—the 2024 recipient of the American Medical Writers Association President’s Award—covers technical writing, editing, data reporting, and analysis, while also providing networking opportunities and career support.
Open Doors to Exciting Career Paths
Program completers from the Medical Writing certificate are well positioned for various roles within the medical and scientific community. This online certificate opens doors to career opportunities such as:
- Medical Writer: Work with pharmaceutical companies, clinical research organizations (CROs), or healthcare agencies to produce high-quality, regulatory-compliant documents.
- Scientific Writer or Editor: Collaborate with researchers to publish journal articles, white papers, and other scientific literature.
- Regulatory Affairs Specialist: Focus on the development of regulatory documents required for drug approvals and clinical trials.
- Medical Communications Specialist: Create educational content for healthcare providers, patients, and the public.
- Freelance Medical Writer: Build a flexible, independent career providing medical writing services to a range of clients in the healthcare sector.
According to Glassdoor, the salaries of both medical writers and editors start around $136,000. Explore career opportunities in medical writing.

Advance Your Skills in This Rewarding Field
Enroll Today
Flexible Format, Competitive Cost
Enroll in competitively priced, part-time, online courses in medical writing designed to fit seamlessly into your schedule.
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By Professionals, for Professionals
Our instructors are active practitioners in their fields who have an average of fifteen years of industry experience.
Meet Your InstructorsFine-Tune Your Focus
One of the overriding factors is that it’s a helping profession. Although you’re not directly treating patients, if you’re writing for the public, you’re helping people maintain or increase their health; if you’re writing for biomedical scientists or healthcare providers, you’re helping them to provide good healthcare or to advance medical knowledge.
Barbara Gastel, MD, MPH, instructor