Discover how to write clearly about complex medical topics
Do you feel like your writing is often too technical or jargon-filled? Do you have trouble explaining medical concepts to non-medical professionals?
This Medical Writing in Plain English course will teach you the essential plain English writing skills needed to communicate effectively about any health topic.
- Learn the essential rules of plain English medical writing
- Avoid common mistakes and correct errors
- Check for accuracy and consistency
- Format your work for publication
- Incorporate essential best practices of high-quality medical writing
- Uncover essential information about the future of medical writing and artificial intelligence
Here’s what you’ll get
- Expert instruction from a seasoned medical writer with 15 years of experience
- Comprehensive curriculum covering the fundamentals of plain English medical content creation
- Practical homework exercises to help you learn by doing
- Ongoing access to the course materials so you can learn at your own pace
TRUSTED
2500+ students in 50+ countries have taken our courses.
VERIFIED
Independently accredited for quality, academic standards and CPD.
FLEXIBLE
Access to all course materials 24/7 so you can learn on your own time.
UNIVERSAL
The course material is designed for a global audience.
What you’ll learn
Medical Writing in Plain English is an essential guide to communicating clearly about complex medical and scientific topics.
- Understand the principles of plain English medical writing
- Improve overall writing clarity
- Enhance readability and comprehension
- Develop effective sentence and paragraph structures
- Identify and eliminate common medical writing errors
- Use an appropriate tone and style
- Improve the style and presentation of your work
- Edit and revise your plain English writing effectively
Who is this course for?
Our students are new and experienced medical writers, editors and professionals who:
- Struggle to write for a general public audience
- Have experience in academic writing but not consumer writing
- Want to learn essential plain English writing rules and strategies
- Want to offer plain English medical writing as a freelance writing service
- Aspire to write better health and medical content.
How does this course work?
Here’s what you can expect.
12 engaging lessons
- Start learning as soon as you join
- Work through the lessons at your own pace
- Email your teacher whenever you have questions.
Writing assessment
- Complete the optional plain English writing assessment
- Get personalised feedback on your writing skills
- Feel supported in your new writing journey.
What’s included?
Industry-leading resources full of essential editing and proofreading techniques.
- 12 comprehensive lessons (audio lectures and text modules) meeting the core learning objectives
- 24+ handouts, checklists and recommended reading links enhancing every lesson’s learning objectives
- One assessed plain English writing task to put your new writing know-how to the test
- Quizzes and assessments to help you reflect and put the learnings into practice
- 14+ free health writing webinars to enhance your learning objectives
- Personalised feedback and all your questions answered
- Certificate upon completion
- CPD accreditation for your annual CPD requirements
- Lively student-only Facebook group of 1200+ writers
- Ongoing access so you can dive back in whenever you need a refresher
- Loyalty discounts giving you 30% off every other course
- World-class eLearning platform for a seamless learning experience.
What are the benefits and opportunities after I complete the course?
After you complete the Medical Writing in Plain English course, you will have the following:
- New writing skills to help you communicate clearly about complex topics
- Confidence in your writing abilities
- Knowledge to ensure your work is best practice and industry-standard.
Course curriculum
12 lessons full of best-practice advice you can start using today.
Part 1: Understanding plain English medical writing
- What is medical writing in plain English?
Discover the fundamental characteristics of plain English medical writing, and learn about career opportunities as a plain English medical writer. - Why is medical writing in plain English important?
Learn seven essential reasons why plain English in medical writing is now more important than ever, and delve into health literacy challenges and opportunities. - Medical writing, plain English and Artificial Intelligence.
Learn why you need fundamental plain English medical writing and how to use AI tools to your advantage.
Part 2: Before you start writing
- Essential planning techniques.
Learn how to plan your writing effectively using a four-step method you can apply to any writing project. - Researching your audience.
Learn how to effectively research your audience and ensure your writing appeals to their wants and needs. - The importance of the main point.
Discover how to identify the main point in your writing and learn how to emphasise this clearly and simply.
Part 3: Plain English rules and techniques
- Plain English best practices: Part 1.
Walk through the essential rules of plain English medical writing, starting with sentence and paragraph structure, and readability. - Plain English best practices: Part 2.
Focus on avoiding jargon and defining complex medical terms. - Plain English best practices: Part 3.
Learn about plain language, terminology and formatting best practices.
Part 4: Tools and editing strategies
- Plain English writing tools.
Learn how to use available writing tools to your advantage. - Essential editing and proofreading strategies.
Learn how to edit your own work efficiently and get a health writing best practices checklist to ensure your writing is responsible and compliant. - A recap and a quiz.
Consolidate all the techniques in this course and test your knowledge with our plain English medical writing quiz!
Part 5: Writing task
- Writing assignment with personalised feedback.
Complete the included editing assignment and get personalised feedback on your plain English writing skills.
Alumni Bonuses!
Free templates, checklists, planners and 10+ hours of online learning.
- 14 Alumni-Only Webinars – webinar topics include quoting for jobs, finding clients, CV writing, finding employed work, website essentials, subcontracting, marketing and more!
- Freelance Health Writer Business Planner (value $49) – map out your freelance career transition confidently with our detailed planner
- Health Writing Template Package (value $195) – save time and write better content faster with our handy templates
- 110 Websites That Accept Health Article Pitches Guide (value $49) – a comprehensive list of websites that accept article pitches and guest posts from health writers.
Join a supportive group of like-minded health writers
When you join Medical Writing in Plain English, you become a member of the Health Writer Hub Alumni – a smart, diverse and friendly community of 1200+ health writers from around the world. Alumni benefits include:
- Loyalty discounts – 30% off any other Health Writer Hub course
- Writing challenges – goals to keep you motivated and accountable
- Global networking – connect with health writers from around the world
- A supportive group of health writers – ask questions and share advice
- Immediate access – join the group as soon as you sign up.
Certified and accredited
Accredited for quality and standards.
Health Writer Hub courses are approved Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course, independently accredited with the CPD Certification Service – one of the world’s leading independent CPD accreditation institutions.
As accredited medical writing courses, our courses meet 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. Medical Writing in Plain English is currently undergoing accreditation review and will be accredited in the next few months.
Your teacher
Who I am, and why I want to help you succeed.
Hi – I’m Michelle Guillemard, founder of Health Writer Hub (you can read more about me here).
For more than 15 years, I’ve been working as a medical writer and teaching medical writers how to communicate clearly. Plain English is a fundamental writing skill for anyone who wants to become a medical writer today. But many medical writers come to the industry from a health professional or scientific background and aren’t used to writing for the general public. Maybe you never learned how to communicate clearly about complex topics, or you struggle to explain medical terms clearly and simply? You’re not alone!
The good news is that plain English medical writing is relatively straightforward, once you get the hang of it. I have an extensive toolkit of health and medical writing tips and techniques that I've mastered over the years (and continue to master, based on new and emerging health communication evidence). And in Medical writing in Plain English, I’m sharing everything I know about plain English medical writing with you.
Writing clearly about complex topics for the first time is difficult - I won't lie! But, by the end of this course, you'll be a whiz. I created this course to help everyone who struggles to write clearly about complex topics. And if you're totally new to medical writing, then Medical writing in Plain English is the perfect precursor to my more involved writing courses, like Introduction to Health Writing and Principles of Health & Medical Copywriting.
So are you ready to learn a new in-demand medical writing skill and enhance your writing career?
My teaching method
I teach this course, and all my courses, through a combination of audio lectures (podcast style) and text resources. I also offer a range of video content, including bonus webinars and regular student interviews.
After experimenting with different combinations over the years and listening to student feedback, I am confident that delivering lectures in both audio AND text format is the most effective way for you to learn about health writing.
Consume the content however you like:
- Listen and read the transcripts at the same time
- Listen and take your own notes
- Listen away from your computer
- Read the transcripts only.
Many students have told me they enjoy listening to the lectures while driving, walking, hiking, running or cleaning the house! You're free to do whatever works best for you.
Frequently asked questions
What you need to know.