amwa indiana newsletter dec 2010 final
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The Indiana Chapter
AMWA Indiana Chapter Newsletter December 2010 Page 1 of 3
Dec 2010 Newsletter
FROM THE PRESIDENT,
AMWA INDIANA
CHAPTER
December 2010
Dear Chapter Members:
The Indiana AMWA Chapter currently has 115 members.
Most of the members are located in the central area of
Indiana. Very few Chapter members outside this area are
active in the Chapter, but this year we plan to investigate
using teleconferences, webcasts, a blog, or other new
technology to enable members outside Indianapolis to
participate remotely in the events.
For several years, we have had 2 to 3 programs or
networking events per year. This year, we hope to have at
least 3 networking plus at least 2 program events. The
networking lunches or dinners will allow members to get
together, socialize, and discuss common issues. The
program events are being planned, and we hope to have
invited speakers with a roundtable discussion format. Such
discussions may be held either at the local restaurants or
other affordable places. The announcements on the
events will be distributed via email and will also be posted
on the Chapter website (http://hoosieramwa.org). We will
continue to provide the Newsletter with 2 new columns
planned for the editor and for members.
With our current financial balance of approximately
$12,900, we hope to be able to provide either a student or
a member scholarship to attend the national AMWA
conference in 2011. More details will be coming.
My perspective and main objective for the Chapter are
pretty simple: to provide more opportunities for the
Chapter members to network and increase their
professional skills through volunteering and supporting the
Chapter events. This year, we are also planning to learn
more of the freelance science and medical writing.
Finally, the Chapter committees are determined this year
to achieve more for the members and for the following
years that come after us. Your comments and questions
are valued and encouraged via email and via the
Chapter blog that is coming soon (see David Caldwell’s
article on p. 2).
Pam McClelland, PhD, President
AMWA Indiana Chapter
UPCOMING EVENTS:
2011 Chapter Conference in Planning
When and Where
Save the dates for the 2011 Ohio-Indiana Chapter
conference, which is scheduled for April 29 and 30, 2011.
The conference will be held in Columbus, Ohio.
Open Sessions and Dinner Roundtables
Open sessions will continue to be offered, and we are
going to add a new component, dinner roundtables
(Friday night, April 29).
Think about giving your own open session at the Ohio-
Indiana Chapter conference. On the basis of last year's
conference responses, we're especially interested in topics
devoted to either new or veteran freelancers. Open
session are 75 minutes in length (including Q&A). We need
5 open session presenters.
Similar to the breakfast roundtables at the national AMWA
conference, the dinner roundtables are intended for
attendees to share experiences and ideas about the topic.
We are looking for approximately 7 dinner roundtable
leaders. Possible topics include:
- Tips for Training New Medical Writers
- Money You've Spent for Your Freelance Business
Submission Instructions
For open session: Submit your name, contact information,
proposed talk topic (e.g., Patient-Reported Outcomes,
Heath Economics, Microsoft® Office2007), a 100-word
summary of what your topic will cover, and the target
audience (e.g., regulatory writer, freelance, or patient
educator). It is acceptable to propose a multi-speaker
session or panel if you are willing to recruit the speakers.
For roundtable: Submit your name, contact information,
proposed table topic, and 2 bullet points summarizing
agenda for the discussion.
All submissions will be reviewed by a group of Chapter
members to select open session and roundtable topics.
Please submit your ideas by December 20, 2010, to
Heather Haley at [email protected]. Call Heather at
513-377-5444 with specific questions regarding roundtables
or open sessions.
(Information provided by Laura Oberthur Johnson, PhD,
Education Chair)
The Indiana Chapter
AMWA Indiana Chapter Newsletter December 2010 Page 2 of 3
New Features of the Chapter Website New podcasts
Have you ever missed a stimulating Chapter event
because you had to meet a deadline or because you
couldn't bear the thought of traveling 6 hours round trip to
attend? Now you will have the option of listening to
podcasts of Chapter programs—one of the next best
things to being there. To hear a podcast, visit the
Resources page of the Chapter website
(www.hoosieramwa.org). Find the widget near the top of
the page, click its Menu button, and then click the listing
for www.hoosieramwa.org. Scroll to and select a listed
podcast (only a test podcast is currently present) and a
window will open to play the podcast. (Note that the
Menu lists additional biomedical podcasts and blogs.
Please let me know of others that might interest Chapter
members; [email protected].)
New interactive online Chapter forum
The website also offers a forum for discussing any aspect of
biomedical communication, including our Chapter.
Collective intelligence can be a powerful force for
progress—toward your professional goals, AMWA's national
and Chapter goals, and the general goals of biomedical
communication. Ask for help with a writing problem, meet
local people that share your interests, promote or suggest
an exciting event, suggest ways to improve the Chapter,
or comment on biomedical communication practices. Just
go to the Chapter Forum page and write down your
thoughts; no registration is required. Or, click Options (next to the green cogwheel), select "Subscribe via email" or
"Post by email," and follow the instructions to register or
subscribe to send or receive postings by email.
New Chapter blog!
You have professional expertise in, and opinions about,
biomedical communication. Why not help others grow
professionally and show your accomplishment by writing
an article for the website's new Blog page? We invite
everyone in the Chapter to contribute. Please submit your
article on a topic of your choice—short or long (within
reason), formal or informal—to the Chapter's web chair,
Julie Beyrer ([email protected]).
AMWA's strategy includes using advances in electronic
technology to communicate with, and to educate, its
members. Please let Julie or me know of any suggestions
you might have for improving the Chapter website.
David Caldwell, PhD
Indiana Chapter at the 2010 Annual
Conference in Milwaukee - Professional Activities by Indiana Chapter Members
- Teresa Armstrong, ELS, led the workshop “Package
Inserts (RR/PH)”
- David Clemow, PhD, led the open sessions “Practical Application of the Medical Writing Competency Model”
and “Defining and Refining Medical Communication:
Competencies, Research, and Theories”
- David Clemow, PhD, led the roundtable “Medical
Writing Function, Structural Integration, and Operational
Support in Global Pharma Company”
- Qing Zhou, PhD, and BethAnn Garni-Wagner, PhD,
served on the 2010 Annual Conference Student
Scholarship Committee.
- Pam McClelland, PhD, Anne Wolka, PhD, ELS, and
David Caldwell, PhD, attended the Board of Director’s
Meeting as Chapter delegates.
- Chapter Greet and Go: Around 20 Indiana Chapter
members gathered at the Chapter Greet and Go on
Thursday, November 11, evening. The members dined at
the acclaimed “Safe House” restaurant in downtown
Milwaukee and enjoyed stimulating conversations over
foods with a “spy” theme.
The Best Of: Highlights of Local and
National AWMA News
♦ New Way to Get Involved in AMWA: Pocket Trainings! AMWA recently announced the launch of pocket trainings
(http://www.amwa.org/default.asp?id=533), mini tutorials
created by AMWA members to cover a variety of topics
useful to medical communications professionals. Three
pocket trainings (on Adobe® Acrobat, EndNote®, and
making the most of your ad in the AMWA Freelance
Directory) are already available at the link above. You can
propose a topic using AMWA’s proposal form for pocket
trainings (Pocket_Training_Proposal_Form.pdf at
http://www.amwa.org/default/pockettraining/Pocket_Trai
ning_Proposal_Form.pdf). Please complete a separate
form for each pocket training that you would like to
propose, and return your form(s) to Scott Thompson, Chair
of the Pocket Training Subcommittee, at
The Indiana Chapter
AMWA Indiana Chapter Newsletter December 2010 Page 3 of 3
71st AMWA Annual Conference, October 20-22, 2011,
Jacksonville, FL
♦ Call for 2011 Conference Short Sessions: One-hour short
sessions will be offered at the 2011 AMWA Annual
Conference. You can share your medical writing expertise
by submitting a proposal for a short session (see
http://www.amwa.org/default/conference/2011/2011callf
orshortsessions.pdf for short session guidelines and a
submission form, along with suggestions for topic titles).
Complete and return your submission to AMWA no later
than January 13, 2011.
♦ Call for 2011 Conference Posters: Do you know
something you'd like to share regarding innovations,
advances, research, or discoveries in medical writing?
Don't miss your opportunity to create and display a poster
for AMWA's 2011 Annual Conference. Complete and
submit your poster abstract by March 18, 2011. For more
detailed information, please visit
http://www.amwa.org/default/conference/2011/2011callf
orposter.pdf
2010-2011 AMWA Indiana Chapter Board:
President: Phadungchom (Pam)
McClelland, PhD
President-Elect: Anne Wolka, PhD, ELS
Secretary: David Caldwell, PhD
Treasurer: Julie Beyrer, MTSC, ELS
Membership/Scholarship
Chair:
BethAnn Garni-Wagner, PhD
Program Chair: Elaine Crabtree, MA, ELS
Program Committee:
Education Chair: Laura Oberthur Johnson, PhD
Education Committee: Barbara Lightfoot, BS, CCRP
Newsletter Editor: Qing Zhou, PhD
Editorial Committee: Svetlana (Lana) Dominguez, ELS
Past President: Kristin Bullok, PhD
Contact any Board member with questions or ideas for the
chapter. See the website for contact information:
www.hoosieramwa.org.
About AMWA:
The American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) is a national
organization for writers, editors, and other professionals in
medicine and science. The association was founded in 1940 and
has regional chapters throughout the United States and Canada
and members in 26 countries throughout the world. Through an
extensive educational program, various publications, and
unparalleled opportunities for networking, AMWA encourages
and enables its members to extend their professional expertise.