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Katrina R. Burton, BS / 2021–2022 AMWA President

When I was first approached by Kathy Spiegel to serve on 

the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) Board of 

Directors (BOD) and chair the inaugural Chapter Advisory 

Council, I had no idea that my path would one day lead me to 

serving as AMWA President. I am deeply humbled to accept the 

gavel that once graced the hands of such an esteemed succes-

sion of AMWA leaders.

 Through the years, I’ve had an opportunity to witness my 

predecessors successfully lead AMWA through bylaws and 

governance changes; timely joint statements and responses 

to critical issues; legislation impacting medical communica-

tors; organizational priorities; social justice awareness; and of 

course—a pandemic that changed the way we live, work, learn, 

and connect.

 One thing I know for sure is that AMWA leaders are open-

minded, resilient, and constantly evolving. It is with this knowl-

edge that I confidently step into this role. With that said, I 

know that I am not alone. I have the support of the Executive 

Committee, BOD, committee chairs, work groups, councils, a 

plethora of volunteers, and an amazing and dedicated AMWA 

staff focused on AMWA priorities.

 As I look back on where it started, I realize I’ve had to keep 

evolving to appreciate where it’s going. The “it” is my career in 

medical communication that started at Texas A&M University 

many years ago. It was in College Station, Texas, where I real-

ized my passion for writing was just as deep as my interest in 

medicine, science, and health. It came as no surprise to those 

who knew me when I switched my major from Pre-Medicine 

to Journalism.

 Fast forward 14 years later, and I strategically aligned my 

career to have the best of both worlds. Once I settled on what 

I loved to do most—sharing impactful patient stories, writing 

about research, clinical trials, and patient support programs—I 

knew I needed to enhance my skill set. I searched online for the 

top medical communication organization to heighten my med-

ical writing and editing skills. Lucky for me, I found AMWA! The 

AMWA Southwest Chapter welcomed me with open arms and 

wasted no time putting me to work. I’ve heard from other lead-

ers that serving at the chapter level enhanced their experience 

with AMWA. I, like many others, credit AMWA for helping me 

evolve as a medical communicator and for providing me with 

the necessary tools and resources.

 Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “evolve” as “chang-

ing or developing slowly often into a better, more complex, or 

more advanced state.” What does that have to do with medi-

cal communication? Let me explain. History has shown us 

that everything changes; and I believe how we’ve evolved as a 

society through science, technology, and research has also had 

an impact on how we’ve evolved as medical communicators. 

Today, medical communicators are needed more than ever to 

communicate the science: clinical trial results, drug discov-

eries, and medical anomalies that can help everyone have a 

better quality of life.

The Upward Path of AMWA
Over the past couple of years, we’ve had an opportunity to 

experience AMWA’s revamping of its educational content, 

development of new targeted resources and tools, and the 

launch of a variety of online learning programs. As we move 

into the new year, there is still more to come. The Education 

Committee and AMWA staff are working hard to enhance and 

grow the AMWA Certificate program, deliver relevant online 

programming, and develop education activities to support 

AMWA members.

 When we think about the relevance of our role in the medi-

cal communication space, we must also keep the value of 

what we do top of mind as we educate others. That’s why I am 

so proud of the work that is being done by AMWA’s Value of 

Medical Writing Working Group. Established out of the impor-

tant and ongoing work of AMWA’s Medical Writing Executives 

Advisory Council, this work group is working toward defining 

and quantifying the value of medical writing. I am looking for-

ward to seeing this group bear fruit for the organization.

As we buckle up for where we are going, we must also appreci-

ate where we’ve been and celebrate the many successes that 

have led us here. One of the many benefits I’ve enjoyed as a 

member is the AMWA Journal. It’s an excellent peer-reviewed 

publication that we’ve seen transform over the years. In January 

FROM THE PRESIDENT / INAUGURAL ADDRESS

The Evolving Face of Medical Communication

186    AMWA Journal / V36 N4 / 2021 / amwa.org        



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2021, we welcomed our new Editor-in-Chief, Michael G. Baker, 

who has been working diligently with the AMWA staff and the 

AMWA Journal Editorial Board to transition the Journal to a 

digital publishing platform. With this new technology, we will 

have the capability to manage the Journal ’s editorial workflow 

and deliver content online. I’m excited to see two new sections 

added to the Journal, one of which is entitled “Technology Talk.” 

I also look forward to the implementation of a strategy to put 

forth themed Journal issues that resonate with our members. 

“Digital Revolution” is the first of 4 themed Journal issues sched-

uled to publish on our new digital platform in Spring 2022.

 As we evolve and transition to new platforms that will give 

us a better reach, we must also be inclusive. An organization 

is strengthened by its diversity, and we must bring to the table 

different perspectives, ideas, and values to build upon our 

organizational growth. As you know, medical communicators 

come from a variety of different backgrounds, work settings, 

and specialties within the medical field. For example, I am a 

medical communicator in the public relations field focused on 

pediatric oncology. No matter what our differences are, as  

medical communicators we have one common goal—to  

communicate the science to all. That means being inclusive 

and seizing on opportunities to diversify our skills, audience, 

content, and membership. With that in mind, I am pleased to 

share that a new task force—the AMWA Diversity & Inclusion 

Assessment Task Force—was formed to identify how AMWA 

can foster a more diverse and inclusive environment within the 

association. The search for task force members, and more infor-

mation on how you can support this initiative, is underway.

 As we continue on this incredible journey as medical com-

municators, I will continue to keep our priorities at the fore-

front of everything we do. AMWA’s most important asset is our 

members. We value our members, and the priorities we set are 

established to ensure continued growth and to give our mem-

bers the best experience. As we embrace technology, inclusiv-

ity, and expand upon new ways to grow the organization, I hope 

you will engage, connect, volunteer, share, mentor, educate, 

and invite others to experience and evolve with AMWA!

Reference 
1. Evolve. Merriam-Webster. Updated 2021. Accessed December 10, 2021. 

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evolve

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AMWA Journal / V36 N4 / 2021 / amwa.org    187

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