Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Medical Editor

🎯 Role Definition

As a Medical Editor, you will be the guardian of quality and precision for all scientific and medical content. You will work within a dynamic, collaborative environment, applying your expert knowledge of language, style, and medical science to refine a wide range of materials—from clinical trial manuscripts to promotional materials for healthcare professionals. This position requires an eagle eye for detail, a deep understanding of medical terminology, and the ability to work cross-functionally with writers, scientists, and account teams to deliver flawless, impactful communications that meet stringent regulatory and client standards. You are not just a proofreader; you are a strategic partner ensuring that every piece of content is scientifically sound, grammatically perfect, and contextually appropriate for its intended audience.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Associate Editor or Editorial Assistant
Medical Writer or Scientific Writer
Research Scientist or Pharmacist with strong writing/editing skills
Freelance Medical Editor

Advancement To:

Senior Medical Editor or Lead Medical Editor
Editorial Team Lead or Manager
Director of Editorial Services
Scientific Director

Lateral Moves:

Medical Writer or Senior Medical Writer
Medical Science Liaison (MSL)
Regulatory Affairs Specialist
Content Strategist (Healthcare)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Perform substantive editing, copyediting, and proofreading of complex scientific and medical content for clarity, consistency, grammar, and style.
Ensure all materials strictly adhere to the AMA Manual of Style (11th edition) and client-specific style guides.
Conduct rigorous fact-checking of all scientific data and clinical claims against primary literature, clinical study reports, and other source materials.
Develop and manage comprehensive reference packages, including annotating sources, checking citations, and ensuring all claims are fully supported.
Edit a diverse range of medical communications materials, including peer-reviewed manuscripts, abstracts, posters, slide presentations, websites, and promotional/educational pieces.
Collaborate closely with medical writers, account services, and art/creative departments to ensure content is accurate, well-organized, and aligned with project objectives.
Manage editorial workflow and timelines for multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring all deadlines are met without compromising quality.
Review and annotate materials for Medical, Legal, and Regulatory (MLR) review submissions, ensuring compliance with FDA and industry guidelines.
Uphold the highest standards of scientific accuracy and ethical integrity across all projects and deliverables.
Prepare and format manuscripts, abstracts, and posters according to specific requirements for submission to medical journals and scientific congresses.
Provide clear, constructive feedback to writers and other team members to elevate the quality and consistency of their work.
Perform quality control (QC) checks on final designed layouts, digital files, and printed materials to catch any formatting, typographical, or content errors before release.
Verify the accuracy of data presented in tables, figures, and charts, ensuring consistency with in-text descriptions and source data.

Secondary Functions

Assist in the development, maintenance, and enforcement of internal and client-specific editorial style guides and best practice documents.
Participate in team meetings, project kick-offs, and status calls to provide editorial insights and updates.
Stay current with evolving industry regulations, style guidelines, medical terminology, and key clinical developments in relevant therapeutic areas.
Support the training and mentoring of junior editorial staff, freelance editors, and new team members on editorial processes and standards.
Manage permissions for the use of copyrighted figures, tables, and other materials in publications and presentations.
Assist in maintaining reference libraries and databases using software such as EndNote or Zotero.
Identify and recommend improvements to editorial processes and workflows to increase efficiency and accuracy.
Support the creation of new business proposals by reviewing content for clarity, accuracy, and impact.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Expert-level proficiency in the AMA Manual of Style, with a deep understanding of its application to medical writing.
Exceptional command of the English language, including grammar, syntax, punctuation, and style.
Strong medical and scientific literacy, including familiarity with complex terminology across various therapeutic areas.
Advanced fact-checking and referencing skills, with the ability to navigate and interpret primary scientific literature.
High proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (especially Word with Track Changes and PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat for annotating PDFs.
Experience with electronic routing systems for MLR review, such as Veeva PromoMats or Zinc MAPS.
Familiarity with publication submission portals (e.g., ScholarOne, Editorial Manager) and formatting requirements.
Knowledge of FDA regulations and PhRMA code governing pharmaceutical promotion and communication.
Experience using reference management software like EndNote, Reference Manager, or Zotero.
Ability to quickly learn and adapt to new software, style guides, and therapeutic areas.

Soft Skills

Impeccable attention to detail and accuracy; a passion for getting every detail right.
Superior organizational and time-management skills to handle multiple projects in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills for collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams.
Proactive problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while also being a strong team player.
High degree of adaptability and flexibility to manage shifting priorities and client feedback.
A collaborative and constructive mindset, focused on improving content quality.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree is required.

Preferred Education:

An advanced degree (Master's, PhD, PharmD, MD) in a life science, health-related field, or English/Journalism is highly preferred.
Certification from the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences (BELS) is a significant plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Life Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry)
Pharmacy or Medicine
English, Journalism, or Communications

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

A minimum of 3-5 years of professional medical editing experience is required.

Preferred:

Experience working within a medical communications agency, pharmaceutical company, medical journal, or other healthcare-focused environment is strongly preferred.
Direct experience editing promotional and/or scientific materials for pharmaceutical brands.