Effective Writing for Health Care

Program Overview

How well we formulate arguments, present data and convey messages has an enormous impact on our ability to achieve our professional goals. Our communications skills affect the way grant proposals are received and reviewed, how peers consider our work and ideas, and whether—and how—the public embraces our viewpoints and opinions. 

The Effective Writing for Health Care certificate program is a one-year, blended learning program designed to help clinicians, clinical investigators, researchers and allied health professionals achieve their personal writing and career objectives through key core curriculum and one of three specialized tracks. The program’s schedule and learning models are designed to accelerate and elevate communication skills with minimal time away from practice or research activities.

Workshop Dates

Following Harvard Medical School guidelines, the start of this program will commence as a live virtual workshop. Our current plan is to hold the second and third workshop in-person as originally scheduled. We will share updates as new information becomes available.

Workshop 1: November 7–10, 2020 (Live Virtual)

Workshop 2: May 4–7, 2021 (Harvard University, Cambridge, MA)

Workshop 3 and Graduation Ceremony: November 2–5, 2021 (Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA)

Over the course of one year, participants will:

• Attend three four-day workshops hosted at Harvard University
• Participate in 60 webinars, on-demand sessions and targeted hands-on learning exercises
• Work in small groups and one-on-one with writing coaches, editors and faculty members to advance specific writing goals
• Produce a personal, submission-ready Capstone Project with support from a faculty member

Assignment of a Faculty Member:

This program gives learners instruction and access to faculty, editors, contributors, reviewers and writing coaches from:

• Harvard Medical School
• Harvard College Writing Program
• The New England Journal of Medicine and other leading medical and scientific journals
• International, national and regional media outlets
• Private, government and industry grant organizations

Program Benefits and Harvard Alumni Status:

Graduates of Effective Writing for Health Care are eligible to become:

• Associate Members of the Harvard Medical School Alumni Association
• Associate Members of the Harvard University Alumni Association, a network of more than 300,000 members from more than 200 countries
• Join Harvard Clubs and Shared Interest Groups
• Attend special alumni and networking events hosted worldwide by Harvard Medical School and Harvard University