tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:59:44 +0000TorontoMy NewsNew mediaWriting TipsMontrealSocial mediaPharmaBooks and ToolsTechnical TipsFreelance TipsFinding InformationPowerPointFreelance LifeCourses and ProgramsEventsPAABAbout MedWritingNewsA blog by Amanda Strong about freelance medical writing and related topics from a Canadian perspectivehttp://medwriting.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Amanda)Blogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-8736399763066819541Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:56:00 +00002011-10-25T12:05:00.722-04:00Courses and ProgramsNewsEvents::Via the CSWA::CSWA and EurekAlert! Announce Competitive Travel Awards for Canadian Science JournalistsTogether with the Canadian Science Writers’ Association, EurekAlert!, the global science-news service for journalists, today announced a competitive travel awards program to help Canadian journalists participate in the 2012 AAAS Annual Meeting taking place in Vancouver from February 16 tohttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/DvSNbuqTK_k/travel-awards-for-canadian-science.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/DvSNbuqTK_k" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2011/10/travel-awards-for-canadian-science.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-1424067864000995460Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:38:00 +00002011-10-19T10:42:07.938-04:00Courses and ProgramsTorontoI saw this in the Canadian Journal of Diabetes. I'm not sure if this is open to anyone or just those attending the CDA/CESM Conference, but if you're interested, it can't hurt to contact them and ask.Writing WorkshopDavid C.W. Lau, Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Diabetes, will be leading a writing workshop that will take place during the 14th Annual CDA/CSEM Professional Conference http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/W36uDWo_2nw/manuscript-wiritng-workshop-in-toronto.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/W36uDWo_2nw" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2011/10/manuscript-wiritng-workshop-in-toronto.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-7893679443374269681Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:42:00 +00002011-09-14T12:09:23.048-04:00Courses and ProgramsEventsMy NewsMontrealI've been confirmed to teach the Medical Writing I: Manuscripts (CEJN 130) at Concordia's School of Extended Learning this semester. Classes are every Tuesday from 6pm to 8pm starting September 20th and running for 10 weeks.Description: Students will learn how to access, understand and evaluate information on medical topics, including primary research articles, review articles, practice http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/7ivGsCQX1bs/medical-writing-i-manuscripts-at.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/7ivGsCQX1bs" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2011/09/medical-writing-i-manuscripts-at.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-135880052034133234Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:30:00 +00002011-09-13T09:37:19.289-04:00Courses and ProgramsEventsMontrealMini-Med and Mini-Pharma at McGill have teamed up to offer weekly lectures on a great line-up of medical topics. They include, embryology, cardiology, obesity and diabetes, infectious disease, Alzheimer's disease, and neuroscience.If you're free Wednesday nights and you're looking to learn more about these topics, register soon. My past experience is that they fill up quickly. The lectures are athttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/FTw_rHEvqzs/mini-med-mini-pharma-at-mcgill.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/FTw_rHEvqzs" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2011/09/mini-med-mini-pharma-at-mcgill.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-2758651392839833509Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:47:00 +00002011-09-08T12:54:07.634-04:00Courses and ProgramsBooks and ToolsEventsAbout MedWritingPowerPointMy NewsMontrealLast June I was honoured to co-present a workshop on medical writing at the PWAC annual conference with fellow medical writer Giancarlo La Giorgia. In the presentation we discussed the scope of medical writing, what it takes to break into and succeed in the field, some basic tools of the trade, and some tips for finding work.Here are the slides from the presentation. We hope you find it http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/AKBleiUbnMw/intro-to-medical-writing-presentation.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/AKBleiUbnMw" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2011/09/intro-to-medical-writing-presentation.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-8957217092137445748Tue, 21 Jun 2011 03:07:00 +00002011-06-20T23:11:33.841-04:00PAABEventsMontrealThe next Montreal American Medical Writer’s Association (AMWA) networking meeting will take place on Wednesday, June 22nd at 7pm. It is entitled “Navigating Promotional Materials Through the PAAB Landscape: A Behind-the-Scenes Look”.The evening is being organized by Crystal Kaczkowski and the guest speaker will be Lara Holmes, an experienced medical writer/copywriter who has been working in http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/dOtuHn8z7Rw/navigating-promotional-material-through.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/dOtuHn8z7Rw" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2011/06/navigating-promotional-material-through.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-2038078082098159291Tue, 07 Jun 2011 14:51:00 +00002011-06-07T11:07:34.253-04:00Courses and ProgramsEventsMy NewsMontrealI'm really pleased to announce that I will be co-presenting an introduction to medical writing at the Professional Writers' Association of Canada (PWAC) national conference on June 18th, 2011 in Montreal.Medical Writing 101Are you curious about medical writing but not sure exactly what it is, what qualifications you need, or what kind of writing work is out there? Join Amanda Strong and Giancarlohttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/LmwAfijieDU/medical-writing-101-on-june-18th-2011.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/LmwAfijieDU" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2011/06/medical-writing-101-on-june-18th-2011.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-5855553306587967605Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:55:00 +00002010-10-07T12:31:32.027-04:00PharmaCourses and ProgramsWriting TipsMy NewsI have been getting a lot of requests for in-person workshops recently. Here are some workshops that I've offered previously or have ready-to-go.I strongly believe that students get the most out of workshops if they have to do some work before heading into the classroom, and then the classroom learnings are followed up with post-course assignments. All participants in my workshops gets some sort http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/xMN-SM50_zk/current-workshop-offerings.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/xMN-SM50_zk" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2010/10/current-workshop-offerings.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-5373172684105717428Mon, 20 Sep 2010 14:18:00 +00002010-09-20T10:30:26.245-04:00EventsMontrealHow to ensure your website never makes you any money as a freelancerAmerican Medical Writer’s Association meeting, Wednesday, Oct 6th, 2010Location : La Milsa Poisson, 1431 Bishop, Montreal (just North of St. Catherines.)The American Medical Writer’s Association (AMWA) invites you to our next networking meeting on Wednesday, Oct 6th at 6:45 pm entitled “How to ensure your web site never makes http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/KrdBlFprFxE/upcoming-amwa-workshop-in-montreal.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/KrdBlFprFxE" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2010/09/upcoming-amwa-workshop-in-montreal.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-7803872715601959490Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:32:00 +00002010-01-20T09:37:32.200-05:00EventsSocial mediaMontrealThe Montreal members of AMWA-Canada are planning an informal open roundtable discussion on the Professional Uses of Social Media at Stash Café, Old Montreal, on January 28th. I'm sure there will be some gem of information for everyone, whether you're new to social media or already using some of the tools. Here is there announcement:AMWA Open Roundtable: Professional Uses of Social MediaHow many http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/Xjg3MK0Gapo/amwa-dinner-professional-uses-of-social.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/Xjg3MK0Gapo" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2010/01/amwa-dinner-professional-uses-of-social.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-2857007748783831763Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:45:00 +00002010-01-14T10:23:08.039-05:00Books and ToolsFinding InformationI can't count the number of times I refer to Health Canada's Drug Product Database when I'm researching a project. It's a wonderful source of information. Here is the description from the Website:The DPD contains product specific information on drugs approved for use in Canada. The database is managed by Health Canada and includes human pharmaceutical and biological drugs, veterinary drugs and http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/3xWi0dzIdXw/two-health-canada-tools-worth.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda Strong)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/3xWi0dzIdXw" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2009/12/two-health-canada-tools-worth.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-6993094964915565165Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:40:00 +00002009-12-03T13:43:54.791-05:00Courses and ProgramsMy NewsMontrealConcordia University in Montreal is once again offering a medical writing course this winter. The course is online and starts the week of January 11th and runs for ten weeks. You have until Monday December 7th to fax or mail in your registration (Maddeningly, registration via the Internet is not yet available.), after which you'll have to drop it off in person downtown. The course only runs if http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/y4PsMRVDNpw/medical-writing-course-at-concordia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda Strong)4<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/y4PsMRVDNpw" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2009/12/medical-writing-course-at-concordia.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-9143426439954913238Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +00002009-10-13T07:00:00.639-04:00Writing TipsPowerPointI think most of us have heard the expression "death by PowerPoint," yet despite our awareness of how excruciatingly painful a bad PowerPoint presentation can be, many of us still make them. Whether it's CME presentations, rep training programs, or marketing strategy pitches, we've all seen the eye-glazers.A lot has been written on how to create a good PowerPoint presentation. Here are my top fivehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/qp39dMS8aMA/five-golden-rules-of-powerpoint.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/qp39dMS8aMA" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2009/10/five-golden-rules-of-powerpoint.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-7275531575854467126Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +00002009-10-07T09:08:47.082-04:00Freelance TipsWriting TipsI'm a big advocate of spending a little bit of time up front on a project before starting in on the 'real work.' This involves making sure that my understanding of a project accurately reflects the vision and needs of the client, as well as ensuring that I have everything I need to get rolling once I sit down to the task. There are few things worse than getting my head into a project only to http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/NN04Mw-l1MA/unravelling-project-details.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/NN04Mw-l1MA" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2009/10/unravelling-project-details.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-3172183319409765848Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:19:00 +00002009-10-01T11:54:35.399-04:00PharmaPAABSocial mediaNew mediaEarlier this week, the PAAB gave a panel discussion and learning event around the use of social media in pharmaceutical marketing in Canada. It was excellent workshop and a fabulous example of collaboration. At the start of the day, participants were promised that by the end of it they'd be able to define social media and its applications, as well as to better identify what is acceptable under http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/EBjbY_Qaw_s/paab-delivers-on-social-media-training.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/EBjbY_Qaw_s" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2009/09/paab-delivers-on-social-media-training.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-5329435676272159727Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:49:00 +00002009-09-24T08:59:05.110-04:00EventsMontrealIt seems my recent blog posts are all about promoting local seminars and events. I'll have to remedy that soon. In the meantime, here is an announcement about an event co-sponsored by many different writers' and editors' professional associations in Montreal. The format combines PWAC's traditional 'boot camp' with a freelance-employer 'mixer' that has become an annual tradition in Montreal. It http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/yjF93REDDpM/mediaville-freelance-extravaganza.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/yjF93REDDpM" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2009/09/mediaville-freelance-extravaganza.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-2747572818361071479Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:20:00 +00002009-09-15T16:26:12.848-04:00EventsNew mediaMontrealIf you're in Montreal and work in multimedia, especially websites, you won't want to miss this. The Editor's Association of Canada (EAC) is offering a full-day seminar on editing for the web.The workshop will be held next Thursday at Hotel Ruby Foo's and costs $220 ($160 for EAC members). It's a hands-on workshop. The organizers are asking participants to submit case studies and come prepared to http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/RMJuB1CKk2k/paper-to-pixel-editing-for-web.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/RMJuB1CKk2k" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2009/09/paper-to-pixel-editing-for-web.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-4210288335090654326Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:57:00 +00002009-07-31T12:02:55.514-04:00EventsMontrealLast year, the Montreal members of the Canadian AMWA chapter organized a mixer to help freelancers connect with potential employers in the area, and vice versa. The event was really succesful. The event is repeating again next week. It's also open to non-AMWA members. Bring plenty of business cards!American Medical Writers Association – Canada (Montreal area) Chapter presents:2nd ANNUAL http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/zi8FHMP5XWQ/amwa-freelancer-employer-mixer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/zi8FHMP5XWQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2009/07/amwa-freelancer-employer-mixer.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-6880929250038538102Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:47:00 +00002009-07-20T11:00:25.678-04:00PharmaPAABNewsEventsAbout MedWritingMontrealI was very pleased to see that the PAAB is offering a panel discussion and learning event around the use of social media in pharmaceutical advertising in Canada. Pharmaceutical companies are already using it, so the session is sorely needed.The panel will consist of representatives from PAAB, Health Canada and marketers. According to the announcement on the LinkedIn group for the PAAB, by the endhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/0kY1OPQ1QYI/paab-answers-questions-about-social.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/0kY1OPQ1QYI" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2009/07/paab-answers-questions-about-social.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-3814695584241587233Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:00:00 +00002009-07-07T11:53:34.016-04:00Books and ToolsMy NewsFreelance LifeMost of the time, I work in my office with my laptop hooked up to a docking station and a second monitor. However, I have been known to pack up and head to a cafe to work, and in the summer I like to sit outside. So what kind of screen is best? While the glossy screen options like TrueBrite or UltraSharp look great indoors and for multimedia, I'm told that they can be very difficult to see http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/abWV4N_8K3c/upgrading-my-laptop-part-2-displays.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/abWV4N_8K3c" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2009/07/upgrading-my-laptop-part-2-displays.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-4322161780021797368Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:52:00 +00002009-07-07T11:52:47.740-04:00Books and ToolsMy NewsFreelance LifeI'm in the process of buying a replacement laptop. I like to buy things that will last and serve me well; and I'm willing to invest a bit more upfront, both in time and cost, to make sure I get a product that fits my needs. I am not a 'tech-geek' by any stretch of the imagination, so navigating the cyber-scape of laptops features is quite intimidating.In my next few posts, I'm going to share my http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/Z_lgUiA6RSM/im-in-process-of-buying-replacement.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/Z_lgUiA6RSM" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2009/07/im-in-process-of-buying-replacement.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-2007561147687838859Fri, 09 May 2008 16:06:00 +00002008-05-09T12:34:50.847-04:00Writing TipsPeriods and italics are often a topic of discussion with my clients. Outside of their use at the end of sentences, traditionally periods have been used to denote abbreviations. Italics have traditionally been used to indicate a foreign language word. However, in recent years, various style guides have started to eschew periods and italics in these contexts.According to the most recent American http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/SLZkUiClLXU/to-period-or-not-to-period.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda Strong)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/SLZkUiClLXU" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2008/05/to-period-or-not-to-period.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-1425317832341585564Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:22:00 +00002008-04-17T14:50:17.138-04:00PAABFor those of us who write materials that get submitted to the Pharmaceutical Advertising and Advisory Board (PAAB) for approval, navigating the PAAB code is a daily facet of life. Learning the PAAB code and how it applies to each individual piece is an on-going process; and remembering how the code applies in specific circumstances can be a constant mnemonic challenge.Fortunately, the http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/QKIetNm85a0/from-horses-mouth.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda Strong)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/QKIetNm85a0" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2008/04/from-horses-mouth.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-8552831640625457927Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:48:00 +00002008-04-09T15:12:46.125-04:00Finding InformationOne of the tricks of researching information on topic is to start with a very recent review paper and then to follow the references in the text backward to the original articles. You can then look at the abstracts to see if the article may be useful before purchasing it. Finding the abstract for an article when you have the citation is easy with the Single Citation Matcher on PubMed. You don't http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/0iE8tW8d4dY/looking-it-up.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda Strong)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/0iE8tW8d4dY" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2008/04/looking-it-up.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3696521952875627939.post-839029718807881060Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:11:00 +00002008-04-07T10:18:21.021-04:00Technical TipsAs a freelancer, I'm often asked to pick up projects that other writers have started. I'm always shocked when I come across documents where the writer has obviously not been trained in even the most basic word processor functions.As professional writers, the word processor is our tool of the trade, our instrument, in much the same way that an extended ruler is a tool of the carpenter, or the http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MedWriting/~3/kCWRB57_9WY/basic-word-processing-skills.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda Strong)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MedWriting/~4/kCWRB57_9WY" height="1" width="1"/>http://medwriting.blogspot.com/2008/04/basic-word-processing-skills.html