What if the work that feels invisible is the very thing building your expertise?

For many CME writers, the hours spent researching, editing, and shaping educational content happen behind the scenes — valuable, but unseen. Over time, that invisibility can blur your sense of value and readiness.

In this Write Medicine hot-seat coaching session, Gina Castiblanco PhD shares what it’s really like to navigate that in-between space — leaving behind a visible academic identity and learning to trust her voice as a CME writer and business owner.

Together, we unpack how professional visibility starts with self-awareness, boundaries, and the courage to say, “I’m ready, even if I don’t feel ready yet.”

By the end of this conversation, you’ll learn how to:

• Reframe invisibility as part of your growth process — not proof that you don’t belong.
• Use your academic and clinical background to shape a distinct CME writing identity.
• Turn your unseen skills into visible value that attracts aligned clients and projects.
• Shift from doing the work to owning the work — as a creative, strategic partner.

Stay to the end of the episode for three practical steps you can take today to start making your invisible work visible — and strengthen your visibility, voice, and value in the CME ecosystem.

Mentioned in this episode:

Alliance Almanac

Curious about continuing medical education (CME) writing but not sure how to begin? In this episode, you’ll learn how to turn your medical, academic, or scientific experience into a meaningful, flexible writing career. Discover the five milestones that help you break into CME writing, the key skills every CME writer needs, and real-world insights from the field.

🎧 Tune in now to gain clarity, confidence, and your next steps toward becoming a successful CME writer.

Links

• WriteCME Pro – Join the CPD-certified professional development program for medical writers specializing in CME.
• Chart Your CME Writing Path – Map your skills and identify opportunities in CME writing.
• Episodes 112 & 115 of Write Medicine – Learn how to streamline literature reviews and strengthen your research workflow.
• American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) – Explore professional development resources for medical communicators.
• CME Writer Bootcamp: How to Break into CME/CE Writing with no Network and No Expertise
• Write Medicine Mentor – Get behind-the-scenes insights and templates to deepen your CME writing practice.
• How to Create Portfolio Samples for CME Writing

Mentioned in this episode:

Alliance Almanac

Write Medicine Mentor

Write Medicine Mentor is your private companion podcast designed exclusively for medical writers who want deeper support as they grow in continuing medical education (CME). Each month, you'll receive exclusive content from me to support your business and income growth as well as templates/checklists/swipe files you can use and apply to client projects.

Are you ready to move beyond writing needs assessments and step into the creative, story-driven side of CME—without losing the clients or confidence you’ve already built?

Many CME writers start with needs assessments. They’re structured, strategic, and an excellent way to learn the landscape. But what happens when you feel ready for more? When you want to create content that sparks learning, integrates clinical insight, and allows your creativity to shine? In this hot seat coaching episode, we meet Zsuzsa Csik, an anesthesiologist and critical care physician turned CME writer, who’s navigating that exact transition—and learning how to position herself for content work while building a sustainable freelance business.

By listening, you’ll discover:

• How to strategically signal to clients that you’re ready for content creation projects.
• Practical ways to use your clinical or scientific background as a bridge, not a barrier, to new opportunities.
• Simple positioning tactics to align your current work with your long-term professional goals.

Press play now to learn how to move from analysis to creation, and start shaping the CME writing career you really want.

Mentioned in this episode:

Alliance Almanac

How do you take one complex medical concept and make it clear, accurate, and actionable for both clinicians and patients, without losing credibility?

If you’re a CME writer, you know the challenge of translating science into education that actually sticks. But as more CME projects tether clinician education with patient-facing components, the real test is flexing your craft to serve two very different audiences at once. Get this right, and you not only improve learning, you expand your professional scope and impact.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How to apply practical frameworks to dual-audience writing.
• Structural techniques that make content engaging, empathetic, and accessible.
• A simple 3-sentence exercise to sharpen clarity for patients and precision for clinicians—anytime, anywhere.

🎧 Tune in now and learn how to expand your CME writing craft into dual-audience education with one portable tool you can start using today.

Resources

Resources to support plain language, readability, and accessibility. 

• https://readable.com/readability/
• Cognitive accessibility
• The Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) 
• Informed consent navigator tool
• Plain Language Summaries
• Plain Language Checklist for Health Professionals 
• Plain language in biobank consent 
• Plain Language Association
• Cognitive accessibility
• Informed consent navigator tool

Episodes Mentioned

• EP31: Cultivating a Visual Mindset with Karen Roy and Bhaval Shah
• EP 41: Nurture Connection-Tell them a Story with Ben Riggs
• EP109: Crafting Inclusive and Accessible Medical Content with Virginia Chachati

Practice: Explain one complex idea in three sentences, twice—once for patients, once for clinicians.

Take one complex concept: SGLT2 inhibitors reduce heart failure hospitalizations.

For patients:

1. What it is: “These medicines help your kidneys release extra sugar, which also helps your heart.”
2. Why it matters: “That can mean fewer breathless days and fewer hospital stays.”
3. What to do next: “Ask your doctor if one of these medicines could work for you, and share any kidney issues you’ve had.”

For clinicians:

1. Mechanism and trial anchor in one sentence.
2. Link to the guideline.
3. Patient selection + monitoring.

Here’s why this exercise matters: most adults in the U.S. read at about an 8th grade level, and nearly 1 in 5 at or below 5th grade. When we condense a complex medical concept into three short sentences—plain, clear, active—we’re not “dumbing down.” We’re writing accessibly, building trust, and giving patients a fair chance to participate in their care.

This 3-sentence rule is your portable tool for making health literacy visible in practice. And the bonus? It sharpens your clinician writing too—forcing clarity, precision, and focus on what truly matters.

Mentioned in this episode:

Write Medicine Mentor

Write Medicine Mentor is your private companion podcast designed exclusively for medical writers who want deeper support as they grow in continuing medical education (CME). Each month, you'll receive exclusive content from me to support your business and income growth as well as templates/checklists/swipe files you can use and apply to client projects.

Alliance Almanac

What if leaving academia—or another tightly defined professional path—felt less like failure and more like freedom?

For many academics, clinicians, and researchers, stepping into freelance medical writing isn’t just a career change—it’s a profound identity shift. Too often, this transition carries grief, shame, or the lingering sense of “not enough.” In this episode, we explore how those feelings show up, why they matter, and how to reframe them as fuel for your writing career.

By listening, you’ll discover:

• Why the transition from academia or clinical practice can feel like trauma—and how to reframe it as strength.
• Four entrepreneurial habits that can help you thrive as a freelance medical writer while avoiding their shadow sides.
• Simple, practical practices—like free writing and mindful self-awareness—that help you claim permission, rebuild confidence, and cultivate a sustainable business mindset.

Press play now to learn how to navigate identity loss, tap into your natural strengths, and take small steps toward building a medical writing business that feels truly your own.

Mentioned in this episode:

Alliance Almanac

Write Medicine Mentor

Write Medicine Mentor is your private companion podcast designed exclusively for medical writers who want deeper support as they grow in continuing medical education (CME). Each month, you'll receive exclusive content from me to support your business and income growth as well as templates/checklists/swipe files you can use and apply to client projects.

What if the CME you design could do more than deliver knowledge—what if it could actually change clinician behavior and improve patient care?

As a CME writer or education professional, you’ve likely felt the frustration of producing content that looks strong on paper but doesn’t translate into meaningful practice change. This episode explores how learning science, human-centered design, and patient co-creation can help you bridge the gap between information and impact.

By listening, you will discover:

• Learning science principles, like Mayer’s multimedia principles, that make education stick.
• The difference between learning change and behavior change, and why both matter in CME.
• How aligning clinician and patient education fosters shared decision-making and better healthcare outcomes.

Press play now to learn practical strategies you can use to design CME that transforms knowledge into real-world change.

Mentioned in this episode:

Alliance Almanac

What does it take to move from order-taker to trusted partner in CME writing?

That’s the single question driving this new season of Write Medicine.

In this 15-minute teaser episode, Alex introduces the season theme—Craft to Confidence: A CME Writer’s Season of Growth—and gives you a preview of what’s ahead. You’ll hear how guest interviews and solo tactical episodes will work together to help you build your skills, expand your visibility, and strengthen your confidence as a CME writer.

Whether you’re transitioning from academia, clinical practice, or another writing specialty, this season will give you both the craft tools and the career clarity to thrive in continuing medical education.

Episodes to Look Forward To

• 
  
• Designing for learning with Sarah Atwood
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• Hot Seat Coaching on attracting content projects and integrating academic skills into CME
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• Leveraging Milkshake Moments with Michelle Skidmore
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• Identity, trauma, and resilience with Hope Lafferty
• 
  
• 
  
• Solo walk-throughs on interviewing SMEs, turning education gaps and needs into activity agendas, publishing manuscripts, and more
• 
  
• 
  

Mentioned in this episode:

Alliance Almanac

Write Medicine Mentor

Write Medicine Mentor is your private companion podcast designed exclusively for medical writers who want deeper support as they grow in continuing medical education (CME). Each month, you'll receive exclusive content from me to support your business and income growth as well as templates/checklists/swipe files you can use and apply to client projects.

Have you ever wondered what it actually takes to go from “interested in CME writing” to running a thriving, sustainable business?

In this final episode of the CME Writing Success Blueprint series, I'm tying everything together—because mastering individual skills is only part of the equation. What really creates success is integration. Whether you're transitioning from academia, clinical practice, or general medical writing, you'll walk away with a clear picture of how to turn your curiosity into a high-impact freelance career.

Listen in to learn:

🎧 Tune in now and take the first step toward building a CME writing business that’s focused, flexible, and truly fulfilling.

Are you trying to figure out CME writing all on your own—and wondering why it feels so hard to make real progress?

If you’re navigating the world of freelance medical writing, especially in the niche of continuing medical education (CME), you might be feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, or isolated. In this episode, we unpack one of the biggest reasons many freelancers stall: trying to build a business without support. Whether you're just starting out or trying to grow strategically, this episode offers insight into how mentorship and peer community can transform your path.

Here’s what you’ll gain from listening:

Tune in now to discover how mentorship and community can fast-track your CME writing success—and help you build a career that’s sustainable, supported, and fulfilling.

Are you a talented medical writer struggling to turn your CME skills into a profitable business?

In this episode of Write Medicine, we pull back the curtain on the business side of CME writing—where creativity meets commerce. You'll learn what seasoned freelancers wish they’d known sooner: how to set your rates with confidence, where to find ideal clients, and what systems you need to run a professional, low-stress writing business.

Imagine working with clients who respect your time, value your expertise, and pay you what you're worth. With the right pricing models and a clear plan, you can transform your freelance CME writing hustle into a thriving, sustainable business.

Listen now to learn how to elevate your CME writing practice from freelance fatigue to freelance freedom. And if you’re ready to dive deeper, register for my free upcoming workshop—CME Writing Success Formula. Details below.

Save Your Spot → 🧭 Live online workshop CME Writing Success Formula