Contents V40 N1 SPRING 2025 4 5 10 12 14 16 18 19 21 23 25 27 29 34 FROM THE EDITOR › Michael G. Baker CONFERENCE - AWARD 2024 John P. McGovern Award Address: Communicating with Diverse Communities › Nadya Merchant CONFERENCE - SESSION REPORTS Next-Level QC Review and Editing in Medical Writing › Mary Anne Loafman Developing Standard and Graphical Abstracts for Publications › Kyla Ross Do THIS, Not THAT! Tips and Tricks for Using Large Language Models Successfully › Eva Stabenow How to Make Marketing Your Freelance Business as Easy as Tying Your Shoes › Lori De Milto Let’s Talk About the Medical Copywriter’s Role in Health Care Advertising › Milly Vega Navigating Oncology: Expert Strategies for Effective Medical Writing › Padmapriya Padmanabhan News and Public Relations Writing for Medical and Health Communicators › Sidonie Jones Storytelling With Clinical Data: How To Write Readable Clinical Evaluation Reports › Sidonie Jones Updated Guidance on Inclusive Language for Science Writers and Editors › Kerry Kennedy Digital Tools For Freelance Writers and Editors › Shanzeh Mumtaz Ahmed TOPICAL FEATURES Developing New Talent in Regulatory Medical Writing: AMWA Apprentice Program Framework › Kimberly Jochman, Andriana Papaconstantinou, Angela Burnett, Brian Geldziler, Janice Worley, Jeanette Towles, Joan Affleck, Julia Cooper, Julia Forjanic Klapproth, Keisha Smith, Laura Sheppard, Lynne Munno, Rona Claire Grunspan, and Zhiming Zhang, on behalf of the AMWA Apprentice Program Framework Working Group Pathways to Medical Writing: Short-Term Opportunities to Jumpstart Your Career › Jeanette M. Towles and Jason S. Casavant 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% External hard-drive Flash drive/USB keys/sAcks Online/cloud-based service Other No back-up 65% 31% 52% 7% 6% 52% 19% 64% 10% 5% 39% 12% 75% 2% 5% 2016 Survey (n=307) 2018 Survey (n=262) 2024 Survey (n=291)39 34 5 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael G. Baker, PhD MANAGING EDITOR Rachel Mosher, MA SECTION EDITORS Progress in Publications Qing Zhou, PhD, ELS Regulatory Insights Jennifer Bridgers, MS, MWC Science Series Naomi Bishop, MD Statistically Speaking Thomas M. Schindler, PhD Everyday Ethics Julie Ravo, BA, MA Freelance Focus Ruwaida Vakil, MSc CE Craft Corner Haifa Kassis, MD Practical Matters Elizabeth Kukielka, PharmD, MA, MS, MWC Around the Career Block Cecilia Petrus, MSc Technology Talk Kyla Ross, BS, MS REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Freelance Focus Brian G. Bass, MWC Melissa L. Bogen, ELS Sherri Bowen, MA, ELS Lori De Milto, MJ Cathryn D. Evans Gail V. Flores, PhD Alex Howson, PhD Phyllis Minick In the Service of Good Writing Laurie Endicott Thomas, MA, ELS Conscious Writing Crystal R. Herron, PhD, ELS EDITORS IN MEMORIAM Lori L. Alexander, MTPW, ELS, MWC Ronald J. Sanchez 2024–2025 PRESIDENT Roshawn (Shawn) Watson, PharmD, PhD, BCPS 2024–2025 BOARD LIAISON Jennifer Minarcik, MS 2024–2025 STAFF LIAISON Shari Rager, MS, CAE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Susan Krug, MS, CAE GRAPHIC DESIGNER Amy Boches, biographics EDITORIAL OFFICE: ManagingEditor@amwa.org. Instructions for authors available at: www.amwajournal.org. ADVERTISING: Contact marketing@amwa.org or (240) 239-0940. All advertising is subject to acceptance by AMWA and should be for products and services relevant to professional medical communicators. AMWA is not responsible for the content of advertising and does not endorse any advertiser or its products or services. SUBSCRIPTION: The AMWA Journal is published quarterly. Subscription is included with AMWA membership. Nonmember subscriptions cost is $75 per year. CONTACT: American Medical Writers Association, 9841 Washingtonian Blvd, Suite 500-26, Gaithersburg, MD 20878. Phone: (240) 238-0940; Fax: (301) 294- 9006; Email: amwa@amwa.org. The AMWA Journal is in the MLA International Bibliography and selectively indexed in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) print index and the CINAHL database. The opinions expressed by authors contributing to the Journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions of AMWA or the institutions with which the authors are affiliated. The association accepts no responsibility for the opinions expressed by contributors to the Journal. ©2025 American Medical Writers Association. All rights reserved. ISSN 2163-5315 AMWA JOURNAL MISSION STATEMENT In support of the mission of the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) and to advance the broader profession, the AMWA Journal publishes content that reflects the interests, concerns, and expertise of medical communicators. Its purpose is to inform, inspire, and motivate medical communicators. M O RE V40 N1 / 2025 39 ORIGINAL RESEARCH How Freelance Medical Writers and Editors Use Digital Tools: Results From the 2024 Freelance Medical Communicator Tools of the Trade Survey › Monica Nicosia 52 CE CRAFT CORNER Learning in the Digital Age: The Rise of Social Media in Continuing Education › Morgan Leafe 56 FREELANCE FOCUS Jam Session For Seasoned Freelancers in New Orleans › Brian G. Bass AMWA NEWS 58 From the President–Inaugural Address Catch the Vision › Shawn Watson 59 Taking AI Technology Out of the Box: AMWA’s Sixth Medical Writing Executives’ Forum › Janice Worley, Jeanette Towles, Jeannene Butler, Lisa Chamberlain James, Shiri Diskin, Julia Forjanic Klapproth, Nika Matzke, Robyn Pierce, and Tatyana Wanderer 66 CALENDAR OF MEETINGS Contents http://www.amwajournal.org