writing focus. Regardless of the type of medical writing, companies either assign it to an in-house writer, or "outsource" it to a freelance or contract medical writer. Organizations Several professional organizations represent medical writers around the world. These include: American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) Australasian Medical Writers Association (AMWA) European Medical Writers Association (EMWA) Indian Medical Writers Association (IMWA) Chinese Medical Writers Community (CMWC) These organizations provide a forum where medical writers meet and share knowledge and experience. They promote professional development and standards of documentation excellence, and help writers find career opportunities. All these organizations offer fundamental medical writing training. Books on medical writing Stephanie Deming of the Council of Science Editors compiled in 2003 a list of books that might be helpful in medical and/or science writing. In 1978 the BMJ editor Stephen Lock recommended Hawkins's 1967 book Speaking and writing in medicine and 4 other books. Importance of lucidity See also AMWA Journal Medical ghostwriting Scientific writing World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) References Medical literature Writings by topic Health research