Medical editor job description

This post includes 3 parts: duties list, job qualification and job description writing tips for Medical editor in details. A complete job description concludes Medical editor key duties/responsibilities, Medical editor job qualifications (knowledge, education, skills, abilities, experience…KSA model) and other ones such as daily tasks, key activities, key/core competencies, job functions/purpose…

I. List of Medical editor duties:

1. Responsible for copy editing and proofreading direct to consumer/direct to professional pharmaceutical advertising material
2. Reviews copy at various stages to ensure medical accuracy as well as adherence to FDA regulations, AMA style, and specific account style
3. Reviews sources and bibliography for accuracy; fact checking
4. Ensures that all materials and products released from the creative department, such as manuscripts, layouts, mechanicals, and proofs, have correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, typography, and aesthetic appearance
5. Maintains style guides for assigned products/clients
6. Other duties as needed and assigned

II. List of Medical editor qualifications

1. At least 5 years’ previous medical editing experience (agency experience preferred)
2. Familiarity with FDA regulations
3. Extensive knowledge of AMA Manual of Style (both the 9th and 10th editions)
4. Strong evaluative (in regards to medical content) and decision-making skills
5. Superb grammar, spelling, and punctuation
6. Comfort working on a Mac
7. Comfortable editing in MS Word and Adobe Acrobat Pro
8. Familiarity with medical terminology and proofreading/editing markups
9. Ability to quickly master specifics of assigned accounts and product categories
10. Bachelor degree required (English or Journalism preferred but not required)

III. Tips to write job description

1. Too-long job description:

Looking at a too-long job description can frighten the candidates off and drive the away. A job description, no matter how important the job is, should not be included in more than 3 pages. If one focuses on too many things at a time, he shall definitely lose focus on the main items and get overwhelmed by the remaining; So, keep it concisely.

2. Too-short job description:

While too-long can be a problem, too-short is more a problem. It will ruin the meaning of the job description. A too-short one means it lacks necessary details and therefore, the candidate will not be able to understand while reading it.

3. Listing unnecessary functions or job duties:

Just classifying these into the “others” category will save you a lot of effort and space. On the other hand, the job description will become more dilute and easy to be neglected.

4. Key functions

Not listing key functions as required for the job can be a fatal mistake to a job description.

5. Grammar and spelling

Poor grammar and having spelling errors can ruin the job description, too. Never think that as you are the employer, you may have the right to make grammar or spelling errors while requires other not to. A job description with such errors is easily to be mistaken as a fake or ghost ads; as a result, the candidate will turn away from it.

6. Not specific enough:

Be specific and concise; if you don’t address the specific, then what the job description is for. It is for the candidate to understand just exactly what he needs to do or needs to have. Lacking details can confuse the candidates very well.

7. Not having the job description reviewed by others:

This is also a common mistake. One may be subject to bias, but more than one, especially with the help of those external advisor, the job description can be more perfect.

8. Using buzzwords or abbreviations:

In fact, it is not necessary at all to use such in a job description.

9. Using slang or legal words:

Just use common wording to communicate with others and don’t do anything extraordinarily.

10. Not updating the job description:

The same job may require different duties and responsibilities in different times, so, you cannot use the same job description for 2 different times.