‘Why I am passionate about medical writing’

A medical writer in the life science industry, Oladimeji Ewumi has revealed why he is passionate about translating complex science into clear, accessible communication. Speaking in an interview, Ewumi said the writing industry is a multi-billion-dollar field with vast opportunities spread across several niches.

‘I had my first stint with writing during my undergraduate program as a research assistant under the supervision of an associate professor at the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, but I never really considered it a viable career option. My RA role entailed writing, editing, and supporting research as well as gathering multiple research papers in the areas of fetal and maternal health.

Upon graduation, I was drawn to data science and artificial intelligence due to recommendations from a friend and the buzz surrounding AI job roles at that time. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I came across a free 1-week writing boot camp featuring professional writers from various industries worldwide, which intensified my passion.

During the training, I learned that the writing industry is a multi-billion-dollar field with vast opportunities spread across several niches.

It was exciting to know that within a single niche, there are several types of deliverables in demand. You could also work remotely as an independent contractor or communications specialist from anywhere in the world. I was able to niche down to healthcare and AI due to my passion and prior experience. I enrolled in a second bootcamp with The Writer’s Den that equipped me with all the necessary tools and information I needed to set up a scalable freelance writing business.Starting in the last quarter of 2020, I began guest-posting thought leadership articles on AI in the healthcare and life sciences as well as core health articles. I secured my first major client just seven months later, and the rest is history. He disclosed.

On how he anticipates the medical writing landscape evolving in the next five to 10 years,   Ewumi said “over the next five to 10 years, the medical writing landscape is likely to become even more dynamic due to the emergence of new technologies. As a result, entry-level roles may become nonexistent, and mid-level roles will face higher entry barriers. As regulatory requirements evolve and new therapies emerge, writers will need to be adaptable, digitally fluent, and comfortable working with diverse teams across multiple time zones.

“Let me state that great medical writing will continue to depend on something no algorithm can replace—the human touch. While the influx of technology is undeniable, these are exciting times for medical writers.”

Ewumi’s most extensive projects are in the areas of endocrinology, nephrology, and cardiology. Others are primary care, oncology, public health, psychiatry, dermatology, neurology, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, pediatrics, gene editing, and surgery. However, he finds every therapeutic area he has worked on exciting and fulfilling.

He avoids restricting himself to a particular therapeutic area because the fun in medical writing is in the diversity. “Just like the proverbial “thief in the night,” you usually never know what area of specialty your next project will be, and again, some projects stretch across multiple therapeutic areas. For example, I wrote a coverage article on the American Heart Association’s metabolic syndrome initiative to educate physicians on its potential impact and discuss strategies for integrating new ideas into kidney care. While this syndrome affects the heart and kidneys, two distinct organs, it has an endocrine undertone.

“Because this was an interview-heavy piece that required me to interview the initiative lead, an associate professor of cardiology at Johns Hopkins, and two other associate professors of nephrology from Harvard and the University of Cincinnati, I had to read extensively on these therapeutic areas. As a medical writer, you may never have a favorite therapeutic area due to the multidisciplinary nature of some topics,” He revealed.

To ensure scientific accuracy, Ewumi, relies on credible and up-to-date primary sources, including PubMed, Frontiers, the CDC, NIH, and leading journals such as JAMA. “I prioritize studies published within the last five years and summarize findings clearly and objectively to reflect what the evidence truly shows. Another effective way to achieve scientific accuracy is to obtain expert insight and perspectives from a specialist physician in the therapeutic area I’m working on through interviews. The need for this varies by publication and has led to interviews with medical faculty from Harvard, the University of Illinois at Chicago, New York University Langone Health, Yale, RUSH, Baylor, the University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University, to name a few.’ He stated.”