





































 V38 N4 / 2023 

©2023 American Medical Writers Association. All rights reserved.  
ISSN 2163-5315

AMWAJournal.org     48

To the AMWA Membership,
I want to begin my first article as president with thanks. 
Thank you to the membership and the nominating commit-
tee for their trust; it places me in a state of grace. 
 Shortly after being hired at UTHealth in 2009, I joined 
the American Medical Writing Association, and that is 
where I found “my people.” In this community, I have grown 
as a professional and as a human because of the amazing 
people who volunteer their time and expertise to this orga-
nization. I have been mentored by incredibly talented indi-
viduals, and I am honored to have served at the chapter and 
national level. I am now truly excited to begin my term as 
your president. 
 As I start my term, I am reminded of how diverse AMWA 
is. We are not one thing. We are editors, writers, and graphic 
artists. We are in regulatory, in academia, in education. We 
span the continent and the globe. In fact, even as individ-
uals we are not one thing; often our work and experience 
allows us or forces us to be 5 things at once. This internal 
diversity is a strength, and it fosters the breath of education 
that AMWA is able to offer. As an organization, we aim to 
understand and harness our diversity to enable an inclu-
sive and equitable environment. We want every member 
to feel welcomed by AMWA, and I am very thankful for the 
volunteers of the Diversity and Inclusion Assessment Task 
Force, led by Dr Gail V. Flores, who gathered and analyzed 
member data and survey results focused on this topic. I am 
also appreciative to the AMWA staff and board members 
who have dedicated considerable time this past year to see 
and define the AMWA way of diversity, equity, and inclu-
sion (DEI). To pursue our mission of promoting excellence 
in medical communication, we must be fearless. We will 
continue to recruit and retain members with a variety of 
backgrounds, experiences, and expertise. In the year ahead, 
I hope to see the formation of a special DEI committee that 
will support the Board of Directors (BOD)’s initiatives to 
foster the organization’s strategic growth.

 Education is the heart of AMWA, and as the work to 
ensure fantastic conferences and online learning contin-
ues, I am thankful for the members and leaders within the 
Education Committee who have been diligently working to 
ensure timely webinars, updated workshops, and new cer-
tificates. I am also excited to see the launch of the Health 
Communication Task Force; its work will bring honor to 
Lori L. Alexander’s legacy. 
 With the growth in the medical communication field, 
there has also been a greater need for medical communica-
tion education programs. AMWA has focused considerable 
time and effort into education offerings for the full spectrum 
of medical communicators, and these offerings will con-
tinue to expand and be refined. 

FROM THE PRESIDENT
R. Michelle Sauer, PhD, ELS / 2023-2024 AMWA President

AMWA NEWS

http://www.amwajournal.org


AMWAJournal.org     49Article Title

 One of the growing needs of our membership is edu-
cation and guidance regarding artificial intelligence (AI). 
Medical communicators will need to adapt, evolve, and 
find an ethical path forward. New rules and guidance may 
need to be established and updated to meet the changes 
and opportunities brought about by AI. Recent blogs on AI 
and authorship are available on the AMWA website, and 
many of the sessions at the annual conferences are excellent 
resources. I look forward to working with leaders to build 
upon these initial efforts. At the same time, criticism of our 
profession has once again surfaced in the peer-reviewed 
literature. Although some throw rocks at things that shine, 
it is our job to do more than shake it off. I look forward to 
working with the BOD and subject matter experts in AI and 
in medical communication ethics so that we continue to 
assess and meet the needs of our membership. We will  
protect our reputations and identify and build needed tools. 
 As we look to the future, I want to pause and think  
about how we got here. If you met me 20 years ago, you 
would meet a graduate student who was determined to 
make a contribution to this world. Within 5 years, I was a 

postdoc with burnout. Fortunately, around that time, a grad 
school friend invited me to join their medical writing team, 
and that is when I found “my thing.” I left the bench and 
upgraded my laptop. Although I have held many different 
titles (assistant professor, senior research scientist, research 
liaison), my favorite professional title is medical commu-
nicator. Although many of you have similar stories of wind-
ing paths to find this unique career niche, some of you have 
graduated from programs specifically designed to train 
medical communicators. Although our field and our educa-
tion continue to evolve, AMWA has consistently been there 
to lead medical communication professionals, and I hope 
we are all dedicated to continuing that mission. 
 The year ahead will be busy. We will add and refine edu-
cational content, we will grow in numbers and diversity, and 
we will overcome obstacles and increase equity with inno-
vative solutions. The goals I’ve outlaid are possible because 
of the incredible board members, chairs, committees, staff, 
and volunteers. As a member, I ask each of you to find a way 
to connect with AMWA. Attend a local chapter event, offer 
to join a committee, or share your expertise on Engage or 
through a journal article. It is going to be a great year ahead. 
Are you ready for it? 

Author declaration and disclosures: The author notes no  
commercial associations that may pose a conflict of interest in 
relation to this article.

Author contact: michelle@rnaeditingllc.com

New rules and guidance may need 
to be established and updated to 
meet the changes and opportunities 
brought about by AI.

General Principles of 
Word Usage

www.amwa.org/online_learning
Choose the right word for accuracy and clarity.

http://www.amwajournal.org



