American Corner Innsbruck
Lecture by Prof. Micheal Nogler
Master of Science in Medical Writing -
Find a New Profession in Medical Writing and Publishing
June 23, 2010, 7.00 p.m., SR 50105/ Seminarraum 2 (Bruno-Sander-Haus, 1st floor)
Introducing the audience to the course “Master of Science in Medical Writing,” Prof. Michael Nogler (Department of Experimental Orthopedics at the Medical University of Innsbruck) seemed to unite two seemingly disparate fields of the academic world, medicine and writing. Yet if one considers the pervasive transdisciplinary “publish or perish” maxim, the two are more closely linked than one would expect at first glance. Prof. Nogler explained that he got the idea for this new course when considering the publishing plight many doctors find themselves in upon graduation, since, irrespective of their further career, medical alumni/alumnae who happen to commence working at university hospitals are required to do research and publish their findings. As they are accustomed to absorbing copious amounts of information, but not to producing scientific texts of their own, this part of their professional lives is likely to be very challenging due to a lack of expertise in this particular field. Thus, medical writers with the know-how to reel in prestigious grants, or to accompany a scientific project from beginning to end and provide it with the final structural polish are in great demand according to Prof. Nogler, who, inspired by the American approach to medical writing (already a part of academic curricula in the U.S.), intends to introduce this concept to the Medical University of Innsbruck. Premiering in October 2010 the course, which charges a fee of 15,000 €, spans two years in which a maximum of 25 participants are trained to become medical writers. The extra-professional program, weighing in at a total 94 ECTS points, is supposed to offer students a comprehensive insight into medical terminology, grant writing, and the most important scientific tools used for the creation and interpretation of research data and concludes with a ready-to-publish thesis on a currently significant medical issue.
As Prof. Nogler made clear on numerous occasions, the Master’s level training program is not exclusively aimed at alumni/alumnae of medical studies looking for a way to enhance their research skills, but also at graduates (bachelor’s degree or higher) of various other fields (e.g. literary studies, translation, history, political science, physics, etc.). A working knowledge of English is a must, though, as it is the course’s language of instruction and also the lingua franca of the academic publishing world.
(text: Andreas Leisner)
Abstract
Scientific medical texts are used in several areas of our life. Types and forms of these texts vary widely. They range from general medical information to articles in scientific journals – from texts with a strong regulatory and legal background to proposals for scientific grant programs.
The ability to write competitively and successfully is essential for all medical researchers and constitutes a profession of its own for those who are part of a research team as professional medical writers.
The Master Course in Medical Writing can be taken by any person who wishes to publish scientific medical texts. You already have a university-level education in language, literature or the humanities, are fluent in the English language, and wish to make medical writing your new profession.
Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Michael Nogler, MAS, M.Sc.
Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Nogler is professor at the Department of Experimental Orthopedics and Vice Chairman at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the Medical University of Innsbruck. Since 2006 he has also been Director of the Bioskills Education “Homer Stryker Center” in Mahwah, NJ, USA and the Head of the Ph.D. study course “Musculosceletal Sciences.” He has lectured and taught educational courses on navigated knee prosthetics, navigated hip arthroplasty and minimally invasive hip arthroplasty in Japan, USA, Australia, Germany, Italy, and Singapore. Furthermore, he teaches surgery courses on minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty to approximately 200 participants in Innsbruck each year.
