Medical Copywriting Course - Learn How To Be A Health Copywriter

Discover the art and science of effective health copywriting

Welcome to Principles Of Health & Medical Copywriting, a CPD-certified course teaching you the essential best-practices of high-quality healthcare copywriting.

Improve your writing skills
Get better results from your writing
Make a stronger first impression
Convert more readers and customers
Achieve industry standards
Create a professional look and feel
Write compliant, best-practice health content

Who should take this course?

Principles Of Health & Medical Copywriting is perfect for you if you’re:

A health professional, coach, PhD or physician – you’re interested in a career change, and you’re keen to explore copywriting opportunities in addition to (or instead of) your current work
A health blogger, business owner or an employee looking for skill development – you write health content in your day-to-day role, and you’d like to discover how effective copywriting can enhance your results
A health, medical or science communicator who is new to copywriting – you already have writing expertise and health knowledge, but you want to diversify your skill set and learn how to create persuasive, compelling copy
A freelance writer who’s keen to offer copywriting as a service – you want to gain the skills needed to write clear, compelling and results-driven health & medical copy for your clients

What will you learn?

Principles Of Health & Medical Copywriting is your ultimate guide to health & medical copywriting essentials, covering:

A comprehensive overview of the medical copywriting field
How to build a career in the industry
The many companies and clients who hire medical copywriters
The sheer variety of medical copywriting projects
How much money you can make as a medical copywriter
Pricing strategies that help you win copywriting jobs
What clients and employers are looking for in a professional copywriter
Essential skills, attributes, experience and qualifications
How to ensure your work is compliant and doesn’t mislead your readers

Evidence-based persuasive writing techniques
How to get from a blank page to a completed brief
Strategies for building trust and writing engaging copy
How to get comfortable and confident using the power of persuasion
How to write trustworthy content that inspires action
How to make even ‘serious’ medical copy sound engaging and inspiring
How to cite medical research and reference your work correctly
Legal, regulatory and ethical considerations all copywriters need to know
Copywriting format, design and layout best practices

How does it work?

Here’s what you can expect.

Principles Of Health & Medical Copywriting runs for four weeks, and every week we focus on a new lesson. You’ll complete the lesson in your own time during the week, and each lesson requires a time commitment of around 4-8 hours.

CPD Certified

Earn CPD points

Principles Of Health & Medical Copywriting is an approved Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course, independently accredited with the CPD Certification Service – one of the world’s leading independent CPD accreditation institutions.

As a CPD-accredited course, Principles Of Health & Medical Copywriting meets the required standard of CPD at a global level. The course’s learning value and structure conform to global CPD guidelines and principles, complementing the CPD policies of professional institutes and academic bodies.

If you are a health professional, you can use the certificate of completion to claim 24 hours of CPD.

What’s included?

Here’s what you get.

Audio lectures (podcasts) discussing the lessons and learning objectives
1 live video call where we’ll get together virtually and you can pick my brain
Podcast notes covering the lesson topics
Weekly copywriting exercises to help you put the learnings into practice
Dozens of handouts full of best-practice resources
Templates and guidelines to help you plan your content
Personalised feedback on every writing task you submit
Student-only Facebook group so you can chat with other course students
Certificate to put towards self-study or CPD
Unlimited email access to your teacher for the duration of the course
Health Writer Hub Alumni membership including free webinars
World-class learning platform for a seamless learning experience – new for November 2018!

Student stories

Feedback and Alumni success.

Anne Watkins is a UK-based freelance writer with over 25 years’ experience working in the fields of healthcare, stress management and neuro-linguistic programming communication skills. She’s worked as a practising midwife, a critical care nurse, a nurse teacher and clinical educationalist. She currently continues to lecture in communication skills and medical hypnosis at a leading UK University and offer training for multidisciplinary medical teams in NLP communication skills.

Anne says, “For years copywriting seemed like a dark art to me but thanks to Michelle’s course I discovered that the niche of technical copywriting fits my skill set perfectly. I now have much more confidence in applying for jobs and in calling myself a medical copywriter. I still refer back to the course materials from time to time, and each time I find myself learning something new. The links to additional learning at the end of each section are also very helpful and a fabulous way of reinforcing the key messages of each unit. This is a course that is going to stay bookmarked in my favourites folder for a long time to come.”

Karen Farrar is a cardiac physiologist and sonographer turned writer from Melbourne who believes her background in health care turned out to be an ideal training ground for writing, editing, communications and strategy.

Karen says, “Coming from a health professional background, I was used to writing in a more academic and report-based style for other professionals. The Principles Of Health & Medical Copywriting course helped me develop a writing style for a broader audience, and taught me how content can be written to create trust and encourage action. I have used these principles to write a range of content for health professionals including web copy, professional profiles and social media posts. I now also apply them to copywriting in other sectors. This course also has important information for writers from non-health backgrounds, particularly on legal and regulatory issues of writing about health products and practitioners.”

Jackie Rogers is a freelance content writer and blogger based in Denver, Colorado. She took Principles Of Health & Medical Copywriting because she, like most students, wanted best-practice resources to help her learn how to be a persuasive health copywriter.

Jackie says, “My goal in life is to create resources which encourage people to live their healthiest lives and be the best version of themselves. I want to help healthcare providers who want to help others by showcasing their expertise and helping them build trust with their audience. I took this class almost a year ago, and I still have all of the resources saved! The information about creating avatars was extremely helpful in my case to narrow down what I was trying to convey. This is a great class for someone who wants to break into the field! Completing this course gave me the confidence I needed to go further with my career.”

Nancy Linford, PhD, is an experienced biomedical writer and editor with an MS degree in Biology and a PhD in Pharmacology. An American living in Reykjavík, Iceland, Nancy believes that great science and great medicine need great communication.

Nancy says, “This course gave me the confidence and skills that were necessary to expand my freelance medical writing business into health copywriting. I especially appreciated Michelle’s detailed advice on how to create intriguing copy while maintaining the highest standards of professional integrity.”

Writing task feedback

Personal coaching to improve your writing skills.

The course includes personalised feedback on your writing tasks. You’ll receive a detailed critique of each task with action points and tips for improvement. This feedback is just between us and is extremely beneficial if you’re looking for personalised, practical tips to help you improve your writing skills.

Course outline

Your curriculum guide.

Lesson 1: An introduction to health & medical copywriting

We begin with a comprehensive overview of the health & medical copywriting industry.

Discover the many forms of health & medical copywriting – learn about ads, sales copy, email marketing, blogging, website copywriting, product information, patient education, SEO and more
Explore the vast employment opportunities – see who you can work for as both a freelance and employed copywriter, and gain an understanding of how much money you can expect to make
Discover what clients and employers are looking for in a copywriter for hire – be taught about essential skills, experience, qualifications, attributes, CVs and your portfolio
Find out how to transition to the health & medical copywriting field – I’ll give you my top strategies to help you plan your entry into the industry

Lesson 2: Mindset, research, voice and drafting

You’ve got a brief. Now what? Believe it or not, background work is just as – if not MORE – important than the words you put on the page. That’s why our second lesson focuses on the essential preparation needed to write compelling health & medical copy.

Develop a copywriting mindset – learn what this mindset entails and why you need it before you start writing
Find out how to research your customer needs – get strategies to ensure your copywriting is highly targeted and extremely effective
Understand your project’s key requirements – discover the crucial questions to ask before you start working so you will save you time and enhance the quality of your work
Learn how to start writing when presented with a blank page – get templates to help if you’re struggling to get started

Lesson 3: Persuasion, trust, engagement and action

In copywriting, persuasion is the name of the game. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to weave persuasive writing techniques into your health & medical copywriting.

Get comfortable and confident with persuasion – learn about compelling offers, power words, persuasion psychology and more
Discover how to build trust with your readers – be taught what does (and doesn’t) establish consumer trust and loyalty
Grasp the essential best practices for writing engaging health & medical copy – get strategies to help you generate leads, clicks and sales, even when you’re writing serious ‘medical’ copy
Action, action, action – learn about call-to-actions and be taught strategies for creating clear, actionable copy

Lesson 4: Essential information for health & medical copywriters

The fourth and final lesson of your copywriting course covers the key, industry-specific topics that all professional health & medical copywriters need to know.

Explore legal and regulatory laws – I’ll show you how to ensure your copywriting is compliant and not misleading
Discover how to write high-quality health & medical copy – learn about ethical considerations, social responsibility, meaningful messages, citing medical research and referencing your work correctly
Get strategies to make your copywriting look beautiful – be taught essential layout, formatting and readability best practices
Learn tips and tricks to make your copywriting even more powerful – discover the secret copywriting tactics used by the most successful copywriters

Join a supportive group of like-minded copywriters

When you join Principles Of Health & Medical Copywriting, you become a member of the Health Writer Hub Alumni – a smart, diverse and friendly community of health writers from around the world. Alumni benefits include:

FREE monthly webinars focused on specific health writing topics – topics in 2018 include quoting for jobs, finding clients and ethical/legal considerations
Loyalty discounts – 30% off any other Health Writer Hub course
Global networking – connect with health writers from around the world
A supportive network of health writers – ask questions, and share advice
Opportunities to pitch for freelance work – when work is referred in the group
Immediate access – join the group as soon as you sign up

Your teacher

Who I am, and why I want to help you succeed.

Hi – I’m Michelle Guillemard, creator of Health Writer Hub (you can read more about me here).

When I launched Health Writer Hub in 2014, my aim was to create a best-practice resource to empower health writers to develop their skills, grow their careers and improve the quality of health content on the web.

Health & medical copywriting is about inspiring action. As a copywriter, your job is to encourage the intended response with credible, compliant and responsible content. Ultimately, conversion is the skill – and power – of effective copywriting. But, conversion isn’t just about sales – it’s about education, inspiration, empowerment and behaviour change.

As a health writer, you’re a public health advocate. Your words have the power to inspire positive action in your readers. Your content can help people improve their health literacy skills – so they can make informed choices about their health.

If you want to be an authentic, responsible and creative health copywriter, then Principles Of Health & Medical Copywriting is the course for you.

I have not looked back … Michelle’s advice and support are fabulous

“Michelle is friendly and approachable and her advice and support are fabulous for guiding me through the early phases of business set-up and delivery. Michelle shares her business insights openly, understands my needs well and is readily available to talk whenever I need further advice. I highly recommend Michelle to anyone seeking a confident entry into the medical and health writing field.”

Kara Gilbert | KMG Communications

Frequently asked questions

What you need to know.

How much time do I need to set aside?

I recommend that each week, you allow around 4-8 hours for listening to the podcasts and reviewing all of the course materials. The amount of time you spend completing your writing task is a personal decision – most students spend several hours on each task, while others can complete their task in just a couple of hours – or need more time. As all students are at different stages with their writing and have different skill sets, there is no one way to go about it.

Why should I take your medical copywriting course?

It’s true you can find a lot of free writing advice online (and on my blog in particular). But here’s the difference. When you take one of my writing courses, you have my full support. You have a teacher. And, that’s because I don’t feel I can teach you how to improve your writing skills unless you get feedback. I believe the three most important steps to take to improve your writing are reading, practice and feedback. You can (and should) do the first two on your own, but the third? That’s where I come in. And, that’s why ALL my courses include my feedback and support. I don’t just send you the materials. When you take one of my courses, I spend a lot of time reading your tasks and giving you practical steps to help you become the best health & medical copywriter you can be.

How do I know if medical copywriting is for me?

You hate the notion of selling something. You have a problem with the idea of working in marketing. Is copywriting really for you? If you are keen to learn how to write creatively to achieve outcomes and are a results-driven writer who thrives on inventing exciting offers that help to change lives, then medical copywriting is for you. Remember, there are different skill sets within medical copywriting. It’s not JUST about selling. Nor do you have to be an abstract creative who spends their days working on complicated, smart advertising concepts. Blogging and even article writing are forms of copywriting. Feel free to email me if you’re still unsure, and we can have a chat about it.

Does this course teach me how to set up a medical copywriting business, too?

This course is primarily designed to teach you about the medical copywriting field and techniques. While we discuss aspects of running a freelance business, it’s not a freelance copywriting course. If you’re interested in learning how to set up a freelance writing business, take a look at How To Become A Freelance Health Writer.

Why aren't the lessons live?

People from all over the world take Health Writer Hub’s courses, so it’s very hard to find a time that suits everyone involved. The materials are ready for you to view at a time that suits you – enabling you to get the most out of your learning experience. We also have a student-only forum where you can post questions and answers and interact with the other students taking the course at the time. And, of course, you have unlimited email access to me for the duration of the course – and for as long as you like afterwards.

What is your guarantee/refund policy?

It’s critical to me that everyone who signs up for Principles Of Health & Medical Copywriting gets the most out of their course. I want you to be satisfied that the course content is exactly as described on this page, and I very much care about providing a high-quality, valuable course for all students. If you are not happy with the course content after you receive the first lesson, I encourage you to let me know so we can discuss your concerns together. If we can’t come to an agreement, you may be eligible for a refund (less $80 administration fee). This guarantee is valid for 5 days after your course commencement date and all refunds are discretionary as determined by me. (Please note: refunds do not apply if you simply change your mind.)

Can I start the course before or after the official start date?

Many of my students have schedules which can make it difficult to commit – and, that’s why I’m very flexible with all my courses. You can absolutely start earlier, or later, as a lot of the learning is self-directed. If you would like to register and have early access to the course, please email me.

How do I access the course?

This course is conducted online, so all you need is a PC or phone and an internet connection. You can download the course materials to your desktop to read them offline at a later date.

How long will I have access for?

You can access all course materials for as long as you need to. If you still need access after the 4-week course period, you will be able to continue to use the materials.

Do I only have one week to review the weekly lessons?

You have as long as you like. Many students like to take their time with the materials. The choice is yours, and rest assured I’m not going anywhere – once you sign up for the course, you will have my support whenever you need it.

How is this course different to other copywriting courses?

Principles Of Health & Medical Copywriting is designed for writers who are specifically interested in health & medical copywriting as opposed to copywriting in general. All of the information in the course is designed for writers who intend to write about healthcare and medical topics, and it’s applicable to the medical writing industry.

How often is the course material updated?

The course material is reviewed and updated throughout the year. All students are surveyed after they have completed the course and their suggestions are incorporated. Additionally, I am constantly keeping up to date with new industry trends and looking for the latest advice to include – helping to ensure the content is always as relevant and current as possible.

What do people say about Health Writer Hub?

It’s very important to me that all students get the most out of their learning experiences. To read past student reviews, click here.

Can I still take the course if I’m American/ English/ Australian/ European?

I often get students contacting me and asking this question! I have designed the course to be relevant for any English-speaking writer, anywhere. I don’t believe that your location should limit your freelance health writing opportunities, and everything that is taught in this course is applicable at a global level. We’ve had students from Australia, America, New Zealand, Asia, Europe and the UK take this and other Health Writer Hub courses.

Do you offer loyalty discounts?

I do indeed! All students who take one of my courses will receive a voucher for 30% off any of my other courses. You can get in touch with me if you have any questions about this.

What’s the difference between health copywriting and medical copywriting?

For the purposes of this course, nothing! Generally speaking, for some people there is no difference between the terms ‘health’ and medical’ while others tend to equate ‘health’ writing with consumer writing and ‘medical’ writing with academic and scientific writing. My course is relevant for all styles of copywriting within the healthcare niche.

What feedback do I get?

The course includes personalised feedback on your writing tasks. You’ll receive a detailed critique of each task with actionable tips for improvement. This feedback is just between us. You’ll get a list of techniques to work on based on any issues or areas for improvement I identify while marking your tasks. The feedback is extremely beneficial if you’re looking for practical tips to help you improve your writing skills.

I have a question – how can I contact you?

I welcome questions and am happy to hear from you. Please contact me via the contact form here.

Principles Of Health & Medical Copywriting Course