All aspiring medical writers do need at least a bachelor’s degree. However, there is no one universal degree program intended specifically for medical writers. People come to this career field with a variety of backgrounds and academic qualifications.
You may indeed decide to pursue a medical science degree. This would give you a thorough grounding in the types of topics you’ll be writing about. However, you might instead decide to earn a bachelor’s degree in biology.
A biology degree would also give you the firm foundation of scientific knowledge and research skills you will need as a medical writer. Even better, consider choosing a biology degree intended for future educators, as medical writers are somewhat like educators. A typical biology degree program will also cover topics such as chemistry, anatomy, physiology and cellular biology—all important competencies for aspiring medical writers.
Another possibility to consider is a communications degree. Medical writers do need a thorough understanding of scientific topics, but they also need to be effective communicators. A communications degree would help you become a skilled researcher and writer.
Still another option to consider is to choose a hybrid approach. You might decide to major in biology and minor in communications, for instance. Or, if you’re feeling particularly ambitious, you could declare a double major in both subject areas.
When deciding which type of degree to earn, it’s helpful to consider which type of medical writer you’d like to be. If you’d like to be a medical writer in the strictest definition of the term, then you’ll need a life sciences degree. On the other hand, if you would prefer to be a health writer who writes for an audience of patients, then a communications degree may be the right choice for you; you could then pair this major with a minor in life sciences.
Whichever undergraduate degree you choose, you can look beyond the classroom to further improve your knowledge and skills. Talk to your student services department about local internship opportunities in healthcare and publishing settings. You can also likely find on-campus activities that would help bolster your resume, such as writing for the campus newspaper.
