Online Writing and Presence
My love of writing is not limited in the form of publications in the printed form, but also extends to the net. This includes writing for websites and microblogging.
pharmacy times
One thing about writing that I find both exhilarating and troublesome is meeting that deadline and entering a crunch. While it helps keep you task oriented, the biggest drawback and potential issue is writers block. For that reason, I like writing per diem and as I see fit (one of the reasons I like keeping my own website). Pharmacy Times allows me to be a contributor without dedicating a substantial amount of time. Recently I have been trying to write on innovations in pharmacy and technology, and some historical items related to pharmacy. Feel free to se what I have contributed Here.
Mobile medical apps have always captivated me. I found they saved me multiple times during my time in pharmacy school and during residency. Drug information apps were my go-to apps, but others also were of interest. With that being said, I found iMedicalApps (iMA) and reached out asking if they wanted a writer from a pharmacy standpoint in the summer of 2012. After a trial of a few months, I was retained as a full time writer and promoted to editor.
Thus far, I have written over 100 articles for the website. Topics include formal app reviews, mHealth news, journal clubs, and commentaries on the overall medical technological landscape. The overall experience has been a joy, and has improved my writing style drastically I feel. The medium is not as strict as a printed pub, but allows me to be more verbose in other ways, and some humour is permitted.
You can see the list of articles I have written Here.
Other benefits of writing for iMA have been the number of connections I have made in the industry. In addition, I have been offered chances to publicly speak at multiple venues on the topic of mobile apps and medicine, and have also been interviewed by medical journals and news agencies.
My lasting thoughts on the matter, is that if you have an interest that can be construed with your professional identity, embrace it and find an outlet to pour out your work. I think it helps the professional development and keeps you out in the public easier, allowing you to make acquaintances and connections not traditionally available.
Recently I have started to get more involved in the medical tech scene in Boston, MA. MedTech Boston is a recent online News company launched in the area, and I have signed up to be a writer and cover events in the area. So far it has been a fun endeavor. The writing allows me to perform as a journalist while also using my knowledge to tie things together clinically and I hope give a meaningful look on things.
Microblogging (i.e. Twitter)
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RT @daniela82305772: How thrombosis begins 😉 https://t.co/EyexkW598f -
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RT @matthewherper: Attempt to replicate clinical trials with real-world data generates real-world criticism, too… https://t.co/T5FF85mV6z
Other than writing for iMA, I also keep an active Twitter account @TDAungst, where I mostly post articles of interest dealing with mobile technology, pharmacy, and medicine. I really never have strived to make Twitter a 'branding' issue, and see it more as an avenue where I can post things to come back to, and keep updated on others work. I would fully agree with anyone that things that I should improve my relations on Twitter and use it as an area to improve relations, but I have been overall disappointed by it to say the least. Originally, I had thought Twitter would allow me to find like minded individuals to work with and collaborate on projects with. So far that has been a mixed bag, and most of my work has still be the work of traditional methods of meet-and-greet.