Writing for Health Professionals
Writing
109HP
University of California, Santa Barbara
Writing Help
The links below can help you with your Writing 109HP class assignments. They are organized by assignment number/letter. Please share! If you find other on-line resources that are useful to you, forward them to me so that I can list them here for your classmates.
Numbered Assignments
Assignment 1: Emailed Autobiographical Summary with Attachment
Assignment 2: Personal Statement (optional), and Resume/CV (required)
Assignment 3: Analytic Assignment
Assignment 4: Patient Educational Materials
Assignment 5: Reflective essay [CANCELLED]
Research Paper
Help for writing your Writing 109HP research paper.
Other Help
Personal Statement
This assignment tasks you with writing a personal statement for a professional or graduate school, OR writing a resume/CV and cover letter (the "alternative assignment"). If you are writing the personal statement, be certain to see the American Medical College Application Service website first. This will get you started. There are also numerous websites devoted to helping you write your personal statement. Here are a few to help you:
See Doug's website, Help for Students Writing Resumes.
This assignment will challenge you with locating and reviewing a scientific research article. By "scientific research article" is meant a written piece published in a reputable, refereed (committee reviewed) publication. Here are some examples:
Patient
Educational Materials, University of Iowa Virtual Library
This is part of the UI "virtual library" project and contains an excellent
variety of educational materials. Most of them are in the form of web pages,
rather than brochures, but pay special attention to how the issue of audience
is address by each. Notice also how graphics are integrated into the layout
of these materials. There are educational materials here for a vast variety
of human diseases and conditions.
Medem
Medical Library
This website offers a great deal of general patient information and bridges
multiple disciplines. From the website of Medem: "Based in San Francisco,
Medem incorporated in 1999 and was founded by a group of the nation's leading
medical societies, including: the American Academy of Ophthalmology; the American
Academy of Pediatrics; the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology;
the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; the American Medical
Association; the American Psychiatric Association; and the American Society
of Plastic Surgeons. There are currently 45 societies partnering with Medem
whose combined membership represents more than two-thirds of physicians currently
practicing in the United States." As you can see, this is rather comprehensive
patient information!
How to Make
a Brochure on Word
Are you using MS Word to make your patient educational brochure? This website
will show you how to use a common Word template to format your assignment. Even
if you are using another word processing program, the guidelines offered here
can prove helpful.
Use
Word to Create a Tri-Fold Brochure
Here's yet another website that explains how to use MS Word for making tri-fold
brochures, including step-by-step instructions. Even if you are using another
word processing program, the guidelines offered here can prove helpful.
"How to Write a Complete Health History," by Joannie Sfera
This is a very helpful article by Joannie Sfera that advises nursing students on how to write a patient history. It offers more detail (e.g., blood chemistry data) than is required for our course assignment, but will prove useful for anyone working within a clinical setting where thoroughness and accuracy are indespensible.
"How to write a personal medical history form," by James Reynolds
This short article is designed to help patients draft their own personal medical history. It includes an excellent checklist of health conditions worth including in any comprehensive health history.
Family Health History Form by the Virginia State Department of Health
A printable form to help during patient interviews.
"My Family Health Portrait Web Tool," by the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services
An internet-based health history tool from the Office of the Surgeon General that constructs a comprehensive online family health history.
"A Guide to Family Health History," by Genetic Alliance
A downloadable, 22-page PDF brochure from Genetic Alliance that discusses how to collect and organize family health history data.
Centers for Disease Controls and
Prevention
Having trouble thinking of a disease or medical condition to write about? Start
here, at the Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention. See especially the
"Diseases and Conditions" link from their home page, which alphabetically
lists hundreds of different diseases.
Dan— Retinal detachment
Richard— Wilson's Disease
Charlotte— Parvovirus or Leptospirosis
Stephanie— Hydrocephalus
Evan & Melissa— Emergency Response around the World
Yi — Leukemia
Michael— PTSD
Keeley— Epilepsy
Toni & Rachael— Whooping Cough
Farbod— H5N1 flu virus
Kathleen— Leukemia
Kimmy— Necrotizing Faciitis
Cassandra— Vaccinations in the Developing World
Jorge— Adderol
Justine— Parkinson's Disease
Lauren— Sustainability through Dentistry
Karen— Multiple Schlerosis
Natalie— IVF
Janese— Alzheimer's Disease
Bryan— Muscular Dystrophy
Armeti— Self-mutilation
Atif— Neuroscience Breakthroughs
Natasha— Stages of Ambulation and Rehabilitation
Mira— Tay-sachs Disease
Emily— SVT
Jake— Leukemia
Aly— HIV/AIDS
Becky— Neurofibromitosis
Jordan— Parkinson's Disease
Susan— Alzheimer's
Ben— Melanoma
Nick R.— Diabetes
Christal— Stress and anxiety
Jenn— Schizophrenia
Dyani— Aspherger syndrome
Carla— ADHD
Nick A.— Dyslexia
Jackie— Erectile dysfunction
Melody— Hepatatic Karatosis
Jerratt— Age-related macular degeneration
Jamie— Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD)
Brandie— Childhood obesity
Adrienne— Diabetes
Erin— Kawasaki disease
Aimee— Alzheimer's
Sheila— Sleep apnia
Brian— Schizophrenia
Vanessa— Age-related macular degeneration
Cindy— Autism
Becky— Cholesterol and arteriosclerosis
Amber— Breast cancer
Sivan— Pediatric leukemia
James— Flesh-eating bacteria
Amanda— Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Caroline— Angiogenic inhibitors
Natalie— MS
Carson— Metastasis
Brittany— CVAs
Craig— Parkinson's
Brittany M.— M gravis
Josie— SCID
Carter— AIDS/HIV
Click here for instructions on writing your research paper.
NOTE: Referencing for the research paper is to be done using the Council of Science Editors (CSE, formerly CBE) style. Here are some websites to help you with the CSE format:
Colorado State University Writing Guide
Royal Windsor Society of Nurse Researchers
Other Help
A Neophyte's Guide
to Effective E-mail, by Phillip Elam.
This is a great little primer on writing e-mail messages, with lots of excellent
suggestions.
How to
write an effective e-mail message, by Paula Jacobs
Jacobs' 1999 article from CNN offers a few simple tips.
7 Tips for Effective E-Mail,
by Mike Morgan
A very brief, seven-point plan for writing effective e-mail messages from BisonCreek.com.
US Bureau of Labor and Statistics
US Census Bureau
American FactFinder
US Department of Commerce
FedWorld.gov
US Bureau of Economic Analysis
FedStats
University
of Maryland EconData
Commercial Data and Research Reports
KnowThis.com (marketing
virtual library)
USA Marketing Data on Demand
Internet Retailer: E-business strategies
for merchants and catalogers
NetRatings Inc. (internet media and
marketing research)
Nielsen Ratings
PJ Marketing Research: International
Case Studies, Reports, Essays and Quotes
Business Research
Strategies (Rutgers University)
Copyright © 2009 N. D. Bradley