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Andrea Reese wrote:
is it
>worthwhile to take prerequisites for grad school in the sciences for the
>sake of writing in the sciences?
>
>(2)aside from pharmaceutical companies, I really don't know what's
>regularly available in science communication.
A better source of information on science writing is the National
Association of Science Writers at www.nasw.org. Many science writers are
employed as public information officers at universities, and research
organizations. Others try to make a go at freelance writing for magazines
and news outlets.
As far as technical science writing, you can find opportunites with biotech
companies (bioinformatics is a hot area -- go see www.incyte.com for an
example), the medical/health arena, and the environmental/regulatory arena.
In regards to your coursework question, if you're serious about science
writing, take as much core science as you can. You don't have to be an
expert, but you better be able to communicate with the experts. Also, look
around for internship opportunities. The national laboratories (Oak Ridge,
Lawrence Livermore, etc.) have some excellent programs. A couple of schools
have graduate programs in science writing. The University of California at
Santa Cruz has a highly regarded program, though I believe they require you
to have a science major and research experience.
Good luck,
Mitchell Gibbs
Technical Writer
Advantage Software, Inc.
