Welcome to Medical Writing
Writing in medicine and health sciences is special and requires specialised skills, attention to detail, application of the 'scientific method', organisation, and above all clarity and brevity. Among the health sciences, each field has their own specific writing requirements and styles, but there are certain general guidelines that hold for all. Different note and paper formats will vary as to how and where they record certain information. Some will use many of the sub-headings used on this site, while others will group all of these data in one heading. Still, others will have variations of the subheadings found here. Common formates will be demonstrated in templates and examples that will be added periodically as files for download.
Writing Papers section contains general writing and research guidelines, with outside resources. Requirements for designing Bulletin Boards (Poling) are also found there.
It behoves the researcher to write well to increase chances for publication. The student, regardless his level, especially, needs to foster good writing habits, as his present work is foundational to all else. Even the surgeon must know good literary style: the surgical note should unfold so vividly that one may clearly envision each aspect. This statement is not a philosophical point so much as a pragmatic one. In to-day's litigation-oriented world, the surgeon with well-written notes is far less likely to end up in a bad position than his peer. Generally, a good rule of thumb to remember is if you did it, put it in the note, and if you didn't, don't put it there. If it isn't in the note, it didn't happen.
