AMWA Board of Directors

Minutes from Board of Directors teleconferences are available.  

Webinars

Webinar: LinkedIn for Medical Writers, 2020 Sept 15
Raeesa Gupte, PhD     slides

Jump Starting Your Freelance Career in 2020 - Thursday, January 9th (recording)
Panelists: Lisa M. Balbes, PhD; Natalie DeWitt, PhD; Joanne M. McAndrews, PhD
Moderator: Rebecca Bigelow, PhD

A Tale of Two Contemplations: Impostor Syndrome and Medical Writing Dreams by Anand Devasthanam, PhD, Medical Writer at Parexel.  
Recording from 2020 April 30.  Slides.

Kansas City Area

2018 Nov 13 - "Writing Across the Media: Why We Should Tweet This Not That" webinar

TechWriteSTL

This group began a a joint project of the American Medical Writer's Association and the Society for Technical Communication. For over a decade, freelance medical and technical writers in the St Louis local area have been meeting for lunch (each person pays for their own meal) about every other month. The group re-named themselves "TechWriteSTL" in March 2013. All interested parties are encouraged to attend - contact Lisa Balbes (lisa@balbes.com) or Joanne McAndrews (joanne@joannemcandrews.com) to be added to the electronic mailing list.

Past Meetings

2023

January 11 - "Updates to Inclusive Language Guidance for Scientific Publishing" (webinar) presented by Stacy Christiansen, MA, Managing Editor, JAMA and Tracy Frey, BA, Deputy Managing Editor, JAMA Network.  Slides.
March 08 - "Statistical Errors Even YOU Can Find (No, Really)", webinar, Tom Lang, Tom Lang Communications Inc.  Handout.  
May 16 -  "Preparation of Requests for Proposals (RFPs)/A writer's tasks assisting clients with grant-writing", Patrick Dorsey and Veronika Redmann.  Slides.
July 11 - "Grammar conundrums", Elizabeth Donald
September 06 - "The Wonderful World of Subcontracting",  annual dinner meeting presented by Joanne McAndrews and Ruth Thaler-Carter.  Handout.  An expanded version of the handout is available for AMWA members from Ruth.  
November 08 - "Fewer words and bigger font: Effectively presenting your data", Leslie Hinyard, PhD.  Handout.

2022

January 11 - "Beyond Resolutions: A Guide to Achieving your Goals for the New Year", presented by Sunali Wadehra, MD, Somewhere in cyberspace.  Handout.
March 10 - "How to use the reference tool Mendeley, presented by Diane Morton somewhere in cyberspace.  Handout.
May 18 - "Be a Better Writer or Editor!" presented by Ruth Thaler-Carter in Kirkwood Park.  Handout.
July 14 - "Health Care Options for Freelancers" presented by Veronika Redmann. Presentation.
September 06 -  "Covering Health, Gun Violence and Racial Trauma in the Midwest"presented by Cara Anthony at the annual dinner meeting at CJ Muggs.  
November 15th, 11:30-1pm - "Best and Worst Books of 2022", led by Leslie Neistadt.  Handout. 
 

2021

January 5 - The Science of Being Happy, presented by Alice Fugate and Dana Delibovi, somewhere in cyberspace.
March 3 - "Members' Favorite Tools for Writing and Editing" presented by Ginger Peschke, somewhere in cyberspace.  Slides and Summary.  
May 11 - "Contract Writing and Negotiations" presented by Veronika Redmann, somewhere in cyberspace.  Handout.  
July 12 - "Buckle up for Fast Tech, Slow Write, and the Royalty Rip-Off", presented by Louise Noeth, somewhere in cyberspace.
Sept 30 - "Improving Your Public Speaking" presented by Ruth Thaler-Carter, annual dinner at CJ Muggs. Handout. 
Nov 03 - "The Best and Worst Books of 2021" presented by Leslie Neistadt, somewhere in Cyberspace.  Booklist.  Gifts for book lovers.  

2020

January 10 - "IT Security for Your Home Office", presented by Ruth Thaler-Carter at J Greene's Pub. Handout.
March 31 - "Find Customers -- Do Work -- Get Paid", presented by Betsy Frick, on the Interwebs! Handout.
May 04  - "Medical ghostwriting: ethical and practical controversies" by Pranali Pathare and Dana Delibovi, on the Interwebs.  Presentation.
July 22 - New Regulations Affecting Freelancers, moderated by Ruth Thaler-Carter with insights from John Goffstein of Goffstein Law LLC.  Handout.
September 22 - Zoom Networking Dinner (Coordinated by Lisa Balbes and Joanne McAndrews)
November 12th - Best and Worst Books of 2020, coordinated by Leslie Niestadt

2019

January 02 - "Life and Business Design" presented by Brian Lunt, McAlister's Deli. Handout.
March 12 - BYOB(P): Bring Your Own Business Problem, Pasta House, discussion lead by Alice Fugate. Summary.
May 7 - Speed Networking, C J Muggs, coordinated by Joanne McAndrews
July 15 - Desktop Publishing Software by Suzanne Broussard at J Greene's Pub. Summary.
September 05 - Annual Dinner "The Battle for Quality Medical Journalism," presented by Samantha Liss at CJ Muggs in Webster Groves.
November 13 - Best and Worst Books of 2019, coordinated by Leslie Neistadt, Kirkwood Public Library. Handout.

2018

January 9 - Business Travel Tips, Lisa Balbes, Mike Duffy's Pub and Grill. Handout.
March 14 - "Fun Things for Geeks to Do Around Here, Alice Fugate. Pasta House. Handout.
May 9 - Field trip to the St. Louis Art Museum, Forest Park. Private tour of Native American cultures exhibit, lunch at Panorama Restaurant
July 18 - Medical Communication Companies, presented by Tom Wolf , Yellowstone Cafe. Handout.
September 06 - "The Business of Freelancing", presented by Elizabeth Leight and Pranali Pathare, annual dinner meeting at CJ Muggs in Webster Groves. Handout
November 13 - Best and Worst Books of 2018, coordinated by Leslie Neistadt, Kirkwood Public Library, BYO lunch. Handout.

2017

January 10 - "Getting those difficult interviews" lead by Mary Jo Blackwood at Cicero’s . Handout
February 28 - "Retirement planning" by John Mussman, Mike Duffy's Pub & Grill
May 04 - Tour of the Helix Center, arranged by Betsy Frick, lunch at Thai Nivas Cafe
July 18 - "Writing for Television", presented by Jo Seltzer at Momo's Ouzaria Taverna
August 29 - "Mindfullness Meditation", Dr Anu French, annual dinner at CJ Muggs in Webster Groves
November 8 - "Best (and Worst) Books of 2017", presented by Leslie Neistadt. Katie's Pizza & Pasta. Book Recomendations.

2016

February 3 - "Diversifying your Workstream" led by Dana Delibovi at Sweet Tomatoes
March 30 - "Breaking into Regulatory Writing", led by Joanne McAndrews and Chris Feely, House of India
May 19 - Tips To Make Your Documents and Websites Accessible, Alice Fugate, Pasta House. Handouts: Accessibility Sources and Making Your Documents Accessible.
July 21 - Academic and education-related writing and editing, Ann Paterson, First Watch
September 27-10th Anniversary Dinner "The View from the Top", by Jay Piccirillo, MD, FACS, Editor-in-Chief, JAMA Otolaryngology, C J Muggs. Resources.
Nov 9 - Where Have We Been, and Where Do You Want to Go?, Joanne McAndrews and Lisa Balbes, The Egg and I

2015

January 13 - "Comparing and Contrasting Hourly vs. Lump Sum Rates" by Nick Russell at Sweet Tomatoes. Handout.
March 12 - Bring Your Own Biusiness Problems, House of India, 8501 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63124
May 14 - Missouri Botanical Gardens, Tour of the Herbarium and Library, Coordinated by Jan Niehaus
July 21 - "The Wonders of LinkedIn for Business and Career" by Kathy Bernard (coordinated by Patrick Dorsey
September 17 - Annual dinner meeting, "Ridiculous employment contract terms and what to do about them" presented by James O. Hacking, III, Hacking Law Practice, St. Louis, MO
November 12 - "Don't Get Technical with Me: The Truth about Technical Writing" presented by Bob Saigh

2014

January 22 - "Medical/Technical Writing and Editing Certifications: Right for You" presented by January 22 Leslie Neistadt at Daily Bread. Handout.
March 25 - "RSI: What is it? How do you avoid it? I HAVE IT!- What now???", presented by Maureen Hoock (professional Physical Therapist and Massage Therapist)
May 16 - Tour of the new downtown library and lunch at Sen Thai
July 8 - "Writing for the Web", presented by Vivienne McKenzie, Sweet Tomatoes
September 10 - "Choosing a Great Business Avatar" presented by Alice Fugate, Sweet Tomato
November 12- "Taxes that Aren't Taxing: Simple Solutions for Tax Preparation" by Dana Delibovi. Handout.

2013

January 09 - "Taking Leave of a Long-Term Client or Employer", by Mary Jo Blackwood, Sweet Tomatoes (Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
March 12 "Libraries: Resources and Remedies" presented by Ruth Kaufman, Applegate's Deli, First meeting of TechWrite STL
May 10 - "How Do You Structure Your Time?", presented by Joanne McAndrews, Assumption Greek Orthodox Church
July 09 - "Developing a Logo for your Company", presented by Jan Niehaus
September 27 - "Reinventing yourself for today's economic realities", Dana Delibovi, Sweet Tomatos
November 15 - "Lessons Learned from Self-Publishing" presented by Patrick Dorsey, McAlister's Deli

2012

January 26, 11:30am - "Protecting Your Intellectual Property" by Betsy Frick, McAlister's Deli (Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
March 15 - Dictation Software by Alice Fugate, at the home of Rob Saigh (Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
May 07 - Tour of Danforth Plant Science Center and BYO lunch, organized by Jo Seltzer (Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
July 10 - "Before You Say Anything: Seven Seconds to Stronger First Impressions" by Patrick Dorsey, (Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
September 21 - "Writing a Tagline" by Jan Niehaus, Communication by Design (Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
November 6 - "In Medias Res", Rob Saigh, Razorsharp Communications, (Joint with Society for Technical Communication)

2011

Feb 10 - "Honing Your Writing with a Critique Group", Mary Jo Blackwood, Duff's Restaurant, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
March 07 - "The Importance of Writing Well", Linda Landon, Schneithorst, Joint with Society for Technical Communication
May 12 - "Following up with your Prospects", Jan Niehaus, Duff's Restaraunt, Joint with Society for Technical Communication
August 9 - "The Future of the Book", First Watch, Joint with Society for Technical Communication
Joanne McAndrews-- Kindle, Lisa Balbes-- iPad, Mary Jo Blackwood (in absentia)-- Nook, Rob Saigh-- traditional paper books
September 27 - "Writing for Mobile Devices", Dana Delibovi, Dinner at CJ Muggs in Webster, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
November 11 - "Writing Sharper than a Laser", Rob Saigh, Razorsharp Communications, Sweet Tomatoes, Joint with Society for Technical Communication

2010

Jan 08 - Clients: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (Moderator: Joanne McAndrews, Assumption Greek Church, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
March 05 - Tools for Evaluating Clinical Study Reports (presenter Linda A. Landon, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
May 06 - Writing for blogs: Is It Worth it? (presenter Lisa M. Balbes, Ph.D., PJ's Tavern, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
July 09 - Time Tracking for Independents (presenter Lynne Roney, C J Mugg's in Webster, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
September 23 - Getting Noticed: Presentation Skills for Research and Marketing (presenter Larenda Mielke, Washington University in St. Louis, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
November 02 - "The Relationship Between the Book and the Index" (presenter Robert A. Saigh, Duff's in the Central West End, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)

2009

January 12 - Writing science and medicine articles for the St. Louis Beacon (Presenter: Jo Seltzer, Daily Bread, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
March 3 - Troubleshooting Microsoft Word Problems (Presenter: Lynne Roney, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
May 19, 2009 - Effective interviews with subject matter experts (Presenter: Betsy Frick, Schneithorsts Restaurant, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
July 8 - Portfolios that Pop (Presenter: Dana Delibovi, Amici's, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
Sept 11 - Seminar for Writers and Editors about Statistics (presenter Dr. Jay Piccirillo, Washington University School of Medicine), Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
Nov 13 - Writing Instructions (Presenter Barb Vogel, Maggianos Little Italy), Joint with Society for Technical Communication)

2008

January 02 - LinkedIn for Independents (Joanne McAndrews, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
March 07 - Update on New Technologies: Opportunities, Uses, and Issues for Independents (Lisa Balbes, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
May 07 - Recent Experiences (Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
July 11 - Visual Communications (Barb Vogel, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
September 18- Survey Results (Lisa Balbes and Joanne McAndrews, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
November 14 - BYOBP (Bring your own business problem) (Alice Fugate, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)

2007

10 January - SMART Business Goals for 2007 (Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
07 March - Warming up cold calls and marketing your freelance business (Donna Coffman, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
09 May - Retirement Options for the Self-Employed (Edward Jones, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
11 July - Working Remotely: Keeping It Successful and Fun (Alice Fugate, Joint with Society for Technical Communication). Handout.
12 September - Top 10 Web Sites for Medical/Technical Writers (Joanne McAndrews, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)
07 November - Contracts and Letters of Agreement (Cathy Jarrell, Joint with Society for Technical Communication)

2006

28 April - RSS, Wikis and blogs (Lisa Balbes)
20 September - First Joint meeting of STC CIC SIG and American Medical Writers Association
29 November - Business Plans (Joint with Society for Technical Communication)

2005

26 January - Panel discussion "Getting Started as an Independent"
21 March - Current Problems
24 June - Current Issues
14 September - Current Issues
29 November - The Future of the Local STC Chapter/ Problems Getting Paid

2004

11 February - Taxes
21 April - "Buyer-Centric Selling"
24 May - What I learned at STC’s National Meeting
20 July - Portfolios
01 October 2004 - Free Money for Small Business Training Opportunities
19 November 2004 - Elevator speeches as part of your marketing efforts

2003

26 August - Resources for Independents
28 October - Recent Regional Meeting, Current Issues
18 December 2003 - Marketing Dos and Don’ts