Looking for an excellent medical writing coach? Here are some green signals to look for and red flags to stay away.
A little bit of my story first. When I started freelancing without any agency or full-time experience, I had A LOT to learn. I have a Ph.D. from France, a postdoc from Canada, and 4 years of teaching experience at a top university in Bangladesh. But I did not know enough about the pharma, health, and medcomm industries work in North America. I started with a 20 CAD hourly rate. I needed the experience, I needed to understand how it all works. I would even do it for free.
I needed to find a way to implement my skills and not remain a newbie long. I needed to do a course. I needed to find a coach.
I followed and talked with the potential coaches for months until I was clear about:
✅ Their coaching style fits mine
✅ Value of their content
✅ Coaching is an income stream for them, but they help people with any opportunity they get
✅ They are accessible
✅ They do not promote their service 24X7
✅ They have intensive knowledge of their field
✅ Their network adds value to your journey
Here are some red flags I noticed and stayed away from those courses/coaches:
❌ They make you feel that you cannot make it (or make it well) without them
❌ They will want you to decide fast. They are afraid if you dig in more, you will find better suits for you
❌ They may make you feel that you are not taking your career forward if you decide to not take their service
❌ They spent a considerable amount of time in the discovery call talking money instead of getting to know your needs and strategizing what would help you
Here are the FOUR mentors I recommend:
✅ Rose Hastreiter, obsessed with productivity and supporting others. No matter what you do or where you are in your career, Rose would be an amazing addition to your team of mentors.
✅ Holly Hagan, a medical copywriter. Check out Holly’s course here: https://lnkd.in/etWbc-Hk
✅ Alex Howson, a Continuing Medical Education (CME) writer. Check out Alex’s course here: https://lnkd.in/e2m4JUG8
✅ Crystal Herron ( I have taken a self-paced short-course from her, which was good, and I learn a lot from her newsletters)
How did you find your mentor? What’s your number 1 suggestion?
How was your coaching experience? Any dos or don’ts to share?
Are there any courses/coaches that you would recommend?
PS. Here is my step-by-step guide to finding a mentor.
Good luck!
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