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M

W
A NEWS

Gail V. Flores, PhD  / 2020–2021 AMWA President

FROM THE PRESIDENT 

Spring Forward

As I write this article, we are 1 month into spring. This 

season is traditionally known as a time of regrowth 

and renewal, when the flowers start to bloom and 

the birds being to chirp—and baby animals enter the world, 

perhaps with some hesitation, yet also with optimism. This 

spring in the United States, many of us are feeling a parallel 

with the season, as to a certain degree, we are emerging from 

the COVID-19 pandemic with both hesitation and optimism. 

However, we are not returning to the pre-2020 world; rather, 

we are learning to adapt as we create our new normal.

 I wish we had a crystal ball to show us what the world 

will look like in October. Because we don’t, AMWA leader-

ship recently made the call to hold the 2021 AMWA Medical 

Writing & Communication Conference virtually. This decision 

was driven by data, both from public health experts and from 

our members. The results of a recent member survey indi-

cated that an overwhelming percentage of members would be 

unable or unwilling to travel in October, for reasons ranging 

from employer restrictions to personal issues to uncertainty 

about how the pandemic will continue to unfold. Now that the 

decision had been made, we can shift our focus from concern 

about the ability to put on a safe, excellent, in-person confer-

ence to implementation of an amazing virtual event.

 The first month of spring was quite busy for AMWA! In 

mid-March, the US House of Representatives passed the 

Protecting the Right to Organize Act, legislation that would 

negatively affect the livelihood of freelance medical commu-

nicators. We quickly issued a press release stating that AMWA 

strongly opposes this act, reaffirming our position from 2020 

regarding such legislation. Special thanks to Lori De Milto for 

reaching out to us directly and providing critical information 

and sources to help shape our response.

 Less than 2 weeks later, an article criticizing current onco-

logic clinical trial design was published in JAMA Oncology; 

among several arguments, a negative, if not insulting, light 

was cast on the role and intent of medical writers in the 

manuscript development process. Swiftly, AMWA engaged 

with the European Medical Writers Association (EMWA) and 

International Society for Medical Publication Professionals 

(ISMPP) to submit a letter to the Editor of JAMA Oncology  

contesting the authors’ remarks about medical writers, refut-

ing the statement that medical writers introduce “spin” (stud-

ies have been conducted and no such evidence exists) and 

noting that medical writer involvement actually improves 

compliance with reporting guidelines and provides more com-

plete reporting of trial results, a greater rate of publication over 

time, and a lower risk of publication retraction due to mis-

conduct. I would like to thank my AMWA Board of Directors 

colleagues R. Michelle Sauer Gehring and Brian Bass for their 

support in information gathering, resource provision, and 

generating many emails and calls regarding this matter. I am 

also very thankful to my co-authors and collaborators on the 

letter, Thomas M. Schindler and Jacqueline M. Marchington.

 In addition to reacting to these 2 emergencies, AMWA 

also has much to celebrate this spring! On March 22, we 

announced that Michael G. Baker, PhD, has been named 

Editor-in-Chief of AMWA Journal. He has hit the ground run-

ning, and we are all excited to watch the journal continue 

to evolve under his leadership. In addition, on April 1, our 

AMWA–EMWA–ISMPP joint position statement on medical 

publication, preprints, and peer review as well as a check-

list were published in Current Research and Medical Opinion. 

Since publication, the statement has received positive press 

and feedback on social media.

 A highlight of the AMWA year is recognition of those who 

excel in medical communication. Be sure to read the articles 

about the worthy recipients of the highest AMWA awards, the 

John P. McGovern, Walter C. Alvarez, and Harold Swanberg 

Awards, in this issue. It is such a joy to welcome Stacy L. 

Christiansen, Harriet A. Washington, and Lori L. Alexander to 

our circle of award recipients.

 There is a saying that “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm 

to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” As we emerge 

from our period of waiting for the storm to pass, I hope we can 

learn how to dance in the rain. In this new normal, let’s con-

tinue to work hard, advocate for our profession, engage with 

each other, and lift each other up virtually, and put on the best 

virtual conference ever. Let’s spring forward!

Yours in AMWA,

Gail

94 AMWA Journal / V36 N2 / 2021 / amwa.org 




