Conversation with a younger me

It was my first day at Publicis Healthcare. The HR walked me around the office, introducing my new colleagues, " hey people, meet Rashmi, she's the new Medical Writer." I nodded nervously and was met with confused smiles and dilated pupils. Every table had the same question - "Medical Writer? What is that?" When I told them I'm a writer who understands scientific concepts and helps translate them into simple words, they looked at me like I was from another planet.

This was strange; I've worked for agencies that were fairly familiar with Medical Writers. I whispered to the HR asking why the team's so amused with me. She laughed and said that I was one of my kind; I was the first medical writer who ever joined them. That made sense!

It's been 6 months now and I keep bumping into new faces every now and then. Some friendly souls strike a conversation and ask me what I do. I tell them I'm a Medical Writer and see the same question mark appear. By now, I'm over the dilating pupils, but I still laugh (in my mind) when I'm told I am highly intellectual!

Being a Medical Writer does look sophisticated I suppose.

For newcomers thinking of Medical Writing as a career, here's my word on why you should follow your heart -

1. You can narrate interesting scientific stories to the rest of the world in a language they understand
2. You get to learn a lot about different therapeutic areas
3. You begin to understand the field of medicine more deeply than you ever had during your graduation
2. You can write your stories in any part of the planet, as long as you are connected to the Internet
3. You can travel to different countries and attend symposia and conferences
4. You get to meet celebrated speakers and scientists
5. Your stories may be played on TV or other media channels
6. Very often, people assume you have a rocket scientist's IQ
6. Your pay will be decent
7. Most of all, you will feel accomplished when your stories get published