AMWA Journal / V36 N2 / 2021 / amwa.org    57

You and I as medical communicators are fortunate to be living in a time that rea-

sonably can be characterized as a medical renaissance period. Meaningful, rapid 

advances in research, preventive, and treatment-oriented medicine are in evidence 

not just in our professional but also our personal lives. Witness the emergence of 

not one but multiple COVID-19 vaccines that have been developed and approved 

in a strikingly short period of time relative to how long previous vaccines have 

taken to go from virus identification and characterization to vaccine candidate 

development to shots in arms. With recently embraced messenger RNA technology, 

as just one example of contemporary research-based medical advancement, have 

we vanquished the typical 10+ year timeframe to develop a safe and effective vac-

cine? Multiply this concept across tens of thousands of areas of medical advance-

ment and you grasp the magnitude of our progress.

 Simply put, we have the privilege of contributing to and reporting on the fruits of this renaissance. Our role as medical 

communicators is to inform, educate, and contribute to the scientific body of knowledge during this period of rapid and 

prolific advancements. Although the opportunity is exciting and a privilege, the sheer volume of information to which 

we are exposed, need to absorb, and operationalize is daunting. Regulations governing the development of diagnostics, 

devices, and therapeutics are evolving rapidly in the United States and around the world, thousands of medical journal 

articles are published each day in English alone, and medical practice standards are changing at an unprecedented rate. 

 Thus, the skills required to be a medical communicator are substantial—not only scientific and linguistic, but also 

interpersonal, with a capacity for prioritizing and juggling multiple projects, adapting to change, and adhering to tight 

deadlines. It is a rare individual who can thrive as a modern day medical communicator. Whether working in regulatory 

writing, scientific publications, health communication, continuing education, or promotional writing, we face the ongo-

ing challenge of getting our messages to our often information-overwhelmed and time-constrained audiences quickly, 

clearly, and meaningfully.

 So, I ask, what does the AMWA Journal do to help you thrive as a medical communicator? We will continue to provide 

opportunities to learn from and connect with peers, practical tools to do your job, and insights into ethical concepts, reg-

ulatory issues, scientific matters, and other topics. Key upcoming goals are to provide improved access to our content via 

an enhanced digital presence, emphasize the value of our diversity across a range of indicators, and further connect with 

our medical communication counterparts around the world. Theme issues, new regular columns, and forward-looking 

topics on medical communication also are in the works. In coming issues, you will hear further from me on our progress 

in these areas.

 As the proud tradition of the AMWA Journal continues with a new Editor and my sincere appreciation to Jim Cozzarin 

and the Editors before him, the top-notch editorial team and I welcome your contributions, insights, and, yes, construc-

tive criticism. Serving our audience with a spirit of information-sharing, collaboration, and mutual support will continue 

to be guiding principles of the AMWA Journal.

Yours in medical communication excellence,

—Michael

Author contact: JournalEditor@amwa.org

First Word

FROM THE EDITOR
MICHAEL G. BAKER, PHD

mailto:JournalEditor@amwa.org