Welcome!

HCOM 511:Writing about Health and

Medicine

Today’s Class

Course Overview

Introductions

What does it mean to write well?– In class activity

This week’s homework

Course Overview

HCOM 511 - Writing about Health and Medicine

Designed to teach the skills necessary to write about health and medicine– Not a grammar review

Course Goal

Writers will have the skills needed to produce high-quality, accurate, readable written materials about health and medicine

Writers will have several high-quality “clips”

Course Design

Getting StartedResearch MethodsEvaluating Information and Presenting RiskDeconstructing an ArticlePlain Language and Health LiteracyEditing and EthicsEditor Guest LectureWrapping-UpCareer Panel

Textbooks

Health Writer’s Handbook, 2nd Ed.

Woe is I. The Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English, second edition– Both available on Amazon.com (note both

are second editions)– Both are on reserve at the library

Class Time

Meet Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:30 pm

Class structured as– Homework return and review– Short lecture– In class activity– New homework assignment

Grading

Minimal-marking policy– Highlight lines that contain errors– Will try to distinguish between grammar

and style problems

Writers should• Pore over drafts with a “reader’s eye”• Use “Woe is I”• Keep lists of characteristic errors

Grading Scale

Organization – 2Grammar and Mechanics – 2Clarity and Style – 2Content and Accuracy – 2Bibliography – 2

10 points = A8 to 9 points = B6 to 7 points = C

Rewrites (to improve your workand grade) are encouraged!

A bit of philosophy:How is writing related to

critical thinking?*

*Engaging Ideas: The Professor’s Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom. John C. Bean. Jossey-Bass Publishers. San Fransisco. 1996

Writing is both a process of critical thinking and a product of communicating the results

of critical thinking

Writing and Critical Thinking

If writing is merely a communication skill, then we primarily ask of it,– Is the writing clear?

If writing is critical thinking, we ask– Is the writing interesting– Does it show a mind actively engaged with a problem– Does it bring something new to readers– Does it make an argument

Traditional Writing Instruction

Leads to a view of writing as a set of isolated skills unconnected to an authentic desire to converse with interested readers about real ideas

Introductions

Who Are You?

What is your writing experience?

What is your writing style (academic, scientific, business)?

Have you taken Epidemiology and Biostastics?

Quality Writing

Who writes about health and medicine?

Newspaper reporters

Magazine writers

Freelancers

Public information and public relations staff

Editors

Ad agency members

Broadcast media

Who else?

Types of Health Writing

Press releasesJournal articlesPatient materialsProposalsGrantsMagazine/newsletter articlesWhite paper/backgrounder

Newspapers

Project reports

What else?

What makes high-quality health writing?

Good health writing is at heart good writing.

How do you characterize good writing?

Good Writing Has…

Ideas that are interesting and important.

Organization that is logical and effective.

Voice that is individual and appropriate.

Word choice that is specific and memorable.

Sentence fluency that is smooth and expressive.

Conventions that are correct and communicative.

Activity

Break into pairs.Read a health article and indicate if it meets the criteria in the Good Health Writing Checklist. – Other person reads handouts on good writing.

Switch.Compare checklist and discuss what you liked/didn’t like about the health article.Report back to class.

Homework

Reading assignment– Gastel ch. 8

Writing assignment– Write a 750-word personal essay about

what brought you to Tufts – due by 5:30 pm, Jan. 28 by email