Judging a taught programme from what it publishes
A taught programme can be considered through the work its courses prepare students to do, the assignments they practise and the demands of its delivery format. A writer's existing experience and intended work provide a basis for judging the fit.
Curriculum and intended work
By 2008, one writer had chosen the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia's biomedical-writing master's because its courses in clinical study reports, information strategies and statistics could support her current and intended work. She had considered programmes in clinical research, medical journalism and scientific or technical writing. After 12 years in computer-industry technical writing, she had already moved into medical writing, earned an AMWA core certificate and studied pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, statistics, clinical research, regulations and protocol design. Her work had mainly involved clinical-trial manuscripts, reviews and abstracts, while the degree let her practise writing regulatory documents, including narratives and clinical study reports.
The programme's required courses in 2008 were as follows.
- Professional Writing in Science
- Stylistics and Editing
- Information Strategies for Biomedical Writers
- Regulatory Documentation Process
- Biostatistics for Biomedical Writers
- Ethical and Legal Issues in Biomedical Communication
- Regulatory Writing: New Drug Applications
- Research in Biomedical Communication
- Graduate Research Project I
- Graduate Research Project II
At least six elective credits were required from these courses.
- Regulatory Writing: Medical Device Submissions
- Promotion of Biomedical Products: Regulatory Considerations
- Regulatory Writing: GxP Documentation
- Regulatory Writing: Biologics
- Regulatory Writing: Dietary Supplements
- Anatomy and Physiology Documentation
- Cardiovascular Disease Documentation
- Health Articles Seminar
- Continuing Medical Education
- Entrepreneurship in Biomedical Communication
- Social History of Therapeutics
- Special Topics in Biomedical Communication
- Independent Study in Biomedical Communication
- Globalization and International Health
Delivery and workload
Online study required independence, self-motivation and enthusiasm for writing assignments, which formed most of the assessment rather than quizzes and examinations. Assignments ranged from 250-word abstracts to papers and presentations. For the writer working full time in 2008, prior online-study experience suggested that evening and weekend coursework fitted her schedule, learning style and preference for independent projects.
The programme used email, discussion boards and webinars with slides and teleconferencing for contact with instructors and classmates. Instructors came from academia and industry, and classmates ranged from pharmaceutical employees to people seeking their first writing job, with backgrounds in science, nursing, journalism and marketing.
The writer also chose to attend face-to-face workshops to present to a live audience and meet instructors, the programme director and classmates. Information Strategies had required four half-day practical workshops during a semester, although these were also being offered remotely by 2008. Taking two courses each semester, including summers, she expected to complete the degree in two years and graduate in August 2008.
Assignments
The writer's assignments included a heart-failure slide presentation for an educated non-scientific audience, an impetigo patient brochure, an ethnographic assessment of a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a scientific article on malarial parasites, and a clinical study report template used to create a report shell from a protocol.