Medical writing is woven into nearly every corner of modern healthcare even as its role still goes largely unnamed. Every clinical trial summary, patient information sheet, medical app interface, and evidence-based marketing campaign depends on specialists who can translate complex data into language that’s clear and accurate.
Medical writers tie narratives to real-world evidence and draft the plain-language summaries now required by regulatory bodies. They also develop promotional materials in line with changing scientific, legal, and ethical standards.
The medical communications field has always been data driven and grounded in evidence-based information, but it’s now expanding its regulatory guidelines and overall digital presence, and that calls for a broader skill set than has traditionally been required of medical writers.
Yacob Abadi, Program Manager, Professional Development Programs
Meanwhile, AI tools are beginning to play an increasingly important role, not as replacements for medical writers—in fact, job demand in the field is projected to more than double over the next decade—but as productivity enhancers that allow writers to focus on the work AI can’t do.
“The medical communications field has always been data driven and grounded in evidence-based information, but it’s now expanding its regulatory guidelines and overall digital presence, and that calls for a broader skill set than has traditionally been required of medical writers,” explains Yacob Abdi, who manages the Medical Writing and Editing Training Certificate program at the University of Chicago. “New roles now blend writing, editing, analytics, and digital media. It’s a convergence that’s driven by technology and regulatory demands, as well as faster publishing cycles.”
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For educators, the question couldn’t be clearer: How do you train people for a field evolving so quickly?
The University of Chicago’s approach is to continually update programs to meet the evolving needs of careers and industries. The newly restructured certificate program consolidates what were previously three separate medical communications programs into a single comprehensive credential with multiple pathways. While the core curriculum remains unchanged, students now have the option to choose a writing concentration course instead of a general elective. This update responds to market research showing strong demand for specialized writing training—particularly from experienced professionals seeking career-focused expertise and continuing education opportunities. It mirrors the field itself, which is today moving toward integrated skill sets that transcend traditional boundaries.
Building a more flexible framework
“Our students are goal-oriented and approach professional development with clear intention and preparation,” says Karine Bravais, who manages the portfolio of non-credit professional certificate programs at UChicago Professional. “While their time to engage with us is limited, they seek meaningful, high-value, and multifaceted learning experiences. That’s why it was important to build strong professional services around our offerings.”
The redesigned program has a foundation of five core courses covering medical copyediting, substantive editing and publication ethics, writing and research ethics, visual communication through tables and figures, and biostatistics interpretation. Taken together, they build proficiency in the core competencies that medical communicators need today: AMA style, ethical and editorial standards, data presentation, and statistical interpretation.
From here, students choose one writing concentration from three areas: Writing for Patient Education, Writing for Healthcare Advertising, or Introduction to Regulatory Writing. Only one writing course is required for the certificate, but students can take as many as they need to meet their career goals. With each of the required courses lasting between five and seven weeks, students can complete the certificate in under a year.
Those interested in deeper regulatory writing expertise can add Regulatory Intelligence to their Regulatory Writing concentration to earn a specialized microcertificate. There are also standalone courses offered outside the certificate requirements, such as MEDLINE and Beyond: Medical Research Databases and Freelancing in Medical Writing and Editing, that extend the ecosystem further and provide additional options for professionals seeking targeted skills.
“Bringing everything into a single framework clarifies the programmatic structure and newly available professional pathways for learners and employers alike,” Bravais notes. “Students gain training in the principles and core competencies, but in addition to that, there’s a tailored component where they can specialize in a writing concentration that aligns with their goals.”
Meeting professionals where they are
Abdi sees three kinds of students entering the program. The first are upskilling professionals who already work in the field but lack formal training. A larger second group is reskilling from other careers. A third consists of experienced professionals filling in gaps in their knowledge, such as biostatistics interpretation or preparing to freelance.
Those needing comprehensive training complete the full certificate while those looking for specific competencies can earn microcredentials or take standalone courses. Importantly, “program completers have the option to return later and stack new credentials on top of what they have already earned,” Abdi explains. “Many of our students return for additional coursework as they continue to evolve within their industries and professional roles.”
This modularity reflects how the medical communications field works today. Professionals don’t stay in neat boxes and skills spill out across specialties. A regulatory writer may transition to patient education materials. Similarly, someone focused on healthcare advertising draws on the same ethical frameworks that govern clinical publications.
The curriculum’s progression from foundational to advanced topics supports this approach by minimizing the potential for overlap as students progress with each step. It also makes it easier to plug in new elements, which matters more than ever at a time when AI and emerging technologies are reshaping the field. Today’s medical writers need blended skill sets that combine traditional writing ability with domain expertise and technical literacy. As AI tools become standard, medical writers need to know when to use them, how to prompt effectively, and—perhaps most importantly—when human insight remains nonnegotiable.
“Having it in this modular design allows for quick updates when new tools or standards or industry trends emerge,” Abdi says. “We can easily introduce another microcertificate that can fit into it, or a standalone course to address an emerging area.”
While employers want professionals who can edit, interpret data, be fluent in ethics and compliance, and adapt their voice across audiences and channels, increasingly, they’re also expecting portfolios or microcredentials that provide skill verification. They want to be sure the writer can step into specialized roles on day one.
Karine Bravais, Director of Professional Development Programs
A complete professional ecosystem
Equally important is how the program is taught. Courses are led by industry experts and experienced medical publishing professionals who bring current practice, real manuscripts, and real documentation challenges into the virtual classroom. Students build portfolios of edited texts, figures, tables, and writing samples that they can then show to employers. They also earn digital badges and AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
Bravais elaborates on the importance of the latter: “While employers want professionals who can edit, interpret data, be fluent in ethics and compliance, and adapt their voice across audiences and channels, increasingly, they’re also expecting portfolios or microcredentials that provide skill verification. They want to be sure the writer can step into specialized roles on day one.”
At the same time, the program is more than just what happens in the virtual classroom. Surrounding the curriculum is an infrastructure of advising, career resources, job postings, networking opportunities, alumni engagement, and access to UChicago’s broader intellectual community.
These are elements Bravais emphasizes as central to UChicago’s responsibility: “Our goal is to deliver exceptional educational experiences with high ROI,” she says. “That matters for working adults who need rigorous professional development but can’t commit to full graduate programs.”
Standing apart
When developing the redesigned program, the team focused on four key differentiators:
blending medical writing, editing, and communication in a way few programs do;
combining academic rigor, industry alignment, and flexibility for working professionals;
allowing students to tailor studies through concentrations while building portfolios; and
offering a modular, stackable design and UChicago brand credibility that distinguishes it from narrower alternatives.
“Professional education is a complex act of service and precision, and it’s evolving faster than ever,” Bravais says. “At UChicago, our strong brand recognition reinforces the trust that students place in us to deliver exceptional educational experiences. Our students carry our name into the field, and they stand among the most capable professionals in their disciplines.”
The redesigned Medical Writing and Editing Training Certificate program is a response to changes in how medical communications practice is evolving within today’s professional landscape. These changes require professionals to combine foundational knowledge with the ability to specialize strategically, while also adapting and integrating the latest technologies. Having flexibility and modularity built into its core design, this comprehensive program positions both itself and its students to evolve alongside a field that shows no signs of slowing down.
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