Medical Writing for Extra Income

Today I am featuring Jordan G Roberts, PA-C. Jordan works in neurosurgery and does medical writing on the side. What I love about his story is that this is something that anyone can do, and if you’re not interested in medical writing you could always write on other topics as well. Thank you to Jordan for giving us some insights on working as a medical writer, and balancing a side gig with regular clinic work.

Getting Started in Medical Writing

I got into medical writing after stumbling across an opportunity shortly after graduating from my PA training program. A mobile app with interactive clinical cases that I played to study called Medical Joyworks pushed out a notification calling for contributors. I was a regular user of this unique medical education app for a few years leading up to this, so I was familiar with their style and content. Now a graduated and licensed PA, I thought I’d give it a shot.

I nervously submitted a writing sample and awaited my rejection email. However, after a couple of messages back-and-forth, I was accepted as a new medical content creator. My favorite part at the time was that I was getting paid for each piece I wrote! That is just as important as ever, but the more I continued to write, the more I improved my skills, and thus, the more I enjoyed it.

I kept one eye open for other opportunities, as I knew they could pop up at any time. I don’t currently have an interest in working in full-time academia, but I do love teaching others and learning just about everything I can. That’s why I continued to get involved on the commercial side of the medical education and medical communications world. I now have several regular clients whom I help with projects, editorial services, and subject matter expertise.

Time Spent on Medical Writing vs Regular PA Job

The amount of time I spend writing depends on several factors. When projects are plentiful (and well-paying), I tend to spend more. The nature of the industry, combined with being a full-time neurosurgical PA, makes committing to a consistent amount of time a challenge. However, it is also the beauty of this work as I can set my own hours and develop my own processes to get things done. As long as the client is happy, I’m happy.

At the low end, I try to spend at least two to three hours a week writing. This includes blog posts that I publish, guest posting, contributions to forums, or work that I keep private. If I otherwise have more time, I can sometimes write as many as twenty hours per week when the motivation hits me.

Lately, I’ve built my own public-facing website, which has taken up a substantial amount of time. I am still spending a few hours per week writing, but I also find myself working on web design, marketing, and the learning of other new skills related to this.

---

[jetpack_subscription_form title=”Follow along as we feature other side gigs for PAs” subscribe_text=”Enter your email address to receive future posts by email for FREE” subscribe_button=”Sign Me Up”]

---

Balancing a Regular PA Job and a PA Side Gig

My regular job as a neurosurgery PA has always taken priority. I write to not only help others learn, but to organize my thoughts and secure complex medical topics in my own head. In a way, my writing is a way to augment my reading, which is key for any clinician.

An important point about balancing these two lives is finances. Most of us take a side gig to earn extra money outside of our regular job. This is especially true for salaried individuals who don’t have the option of working for overtime rates. In my case, I did not want to see more patients at the end of a long day or week, so I found something else. Either way, the compensation from the side gig has to be worth more than the free time you are otherwise sacrificing.

I keep this in mind anytime I am considering a new project or asked to do more at my regular job. This can mean turning down projects and work when it does not meet a pre-defined threshold. Where that line is, can vary and depends on several individual factors.

Another key point is to get family buy-in. If you have a spouse or kids, be sure they are on board with you hiding away and writing for a few hours per week when you might otherwise be available to them.

Medical Writing and PA Student Loans

My student loan balance continues to give me nightmares. However, I’ve been lucky enough to be able to cover just about all of my annual student loan payments (even while making extra payments) with the revenue I’ve earned through medical writing. Unfortunately, my starting student loan balances were so high that one could not reasonably expect to pay them off by now.

In light of my remaining balance, I have made significant progress and been able to save more for retirement, provide a better life for my family, and do more of the things I enjoy doing because of the extra income I bring in with a side business.

I am hoping to continue to grow my continuing medical education and medical writing business as I progress in my career. With the expansion of my own website into a blog and store for clinicians, students, and medical writers, I’m feeling more optimistic than ever.

Ever thought about medical writing as a side gig? Please comment below the original post, sign up to receive future posts by email and share with your friends!

About the Author

Jordan G Roberts, PA-C is a neurosurgical PA and medical writer. He helps students and clinicians feel confident in their abilities to care for patients with neurological and surgical disease by creating quality educational content they can easily understand. Jordan also teaches others how to develop or advance their own medical writing skills so they can improve their practice, diversify their income, and have more career satisfaction. He can be found at Modern MedEd.