Medical and Science Writing

March STC meeting

Looking for new ways to use your writing talent? Have you considered medical or science writing? There are multiple ways that you can use your writing talents and scientific interest.

Join a panel of local medical/science writers and hear the answers to the following questions:

• What type of work do you do?
• What is your education/work background?
• How did you get started in the field?
• What are your favorite things about the work?
• What education/work experience is necessary/helpful for your job?
• What ideas do you have for getting started in the field?

Ask your own questions about the medical/science writing field.

Panelists:

Kathy Hall started her career as a newspaper reporter and editor. Her coverage of environmental and medical stories won awards, but made her want a stronger science background. She enrolled in the University of Washington's Master of Communications program, specializing in environmental health reporting. She later earned a PhD in Communication from UW, focusing on pubic health policy. She has worked for the UW School of Public Health since 1999. She won Best of Show in STC's International Technical Publication competition for a Native American themed biennial report for the Department of Environmental Health. She is now managing editor of a peer-reviewed, plain-language journal, Northwest Public Health, which won a Distinguished award in this year's Puget Sound competition.

Rachel Tompa is a science writer with a doctorate in molecular biology. She is based in Seattle. Rachel is a technical editor at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and a graduate of the Science Communication Program at the University of California-Santa Cruz.

Sally James has written for print and web audiences ranging from worried parents to potential donors for medical research. She has described fibromyalgia, thoracic outlet syndrome, graft vs. host disease, as well as how parents can expect their teens to adjust to high school. Whether explaining emotions or the replication of DNA, she is comfortable describing what is complex, subtle or misunderstood. Her reporting always tries to include differences of opinion, and she's written for occupational injury insurers and lawyers where differences are counted in the millions of dollars. Sally is based in Seattle.

Space is limited, so registration is limited to the first 50 registrants!

SIN SIG Meeting

A SIN (Shy, Inactive, or New) SIG meeting will be held before the meeting. The SIN SIG is intended to make it easy for new members to get started and for anyone else (nonmembers, inactive, or even seasoned members) to find out more about how they can benefit from an STC membership. Everyone is welcome! For more...