Creating Your Best CME Portfolio: Everything You Need to Know About Demonstrating Your Expertise
How many pieces do you really need to start pitching? And is a put-together portfolio a prerequisite for finding clients?
You don’t need 15 years of experience or a perfectly polished website in order to start sharing your work. You simply need a CME portfolio that showcases your capabilities. Still, building one can feel really overwhelming. What should you include? How many examples are enough? And what if the client never even asks for it? Wouldn’t creating one just be a waste of time?
If you’ve been holding off on reaching out to potential clients or answering calls for freelancers because you’ve been waiting until your portfolio is perfect, our goal today is to help you move forward. We’re going to talk about what a strong CME portfolio looks like, what types of samples work best (even if they’re mock pieces), and how to create something that builds both your credibility and confidence.
Do I Really Need a Portfolio?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
In freelance medical writing, especially in CME, many clients never actually ask for a portfolio. They might reach out because of a referral, something you posted on LinkedIn, or they may ask you to describe how you would create the deliverable.
If you’re well-versed in the CME ecosystem, describing how you craft a needs assessment should be no problem for you – and your potential clients know this.
However, building a CME portfolio can still be helpful. It gives you something tangible to refer to when someone asks what you do. It also helps you feel a lot more prepared when you’re pitching or applying for new work.
You don’t need a huge collection of samples to get started. A few well-chosen pieces that show how you think, which disease states interest you, and demonstrate your best CME writing are usually more than enough. The important thing is that you don’t have to wait until everything is polished or perfect. Start with what you have and continue to build upon it.
Alex’s Pro Portfolio Tip #1: Transitioning into CME without any portfolio pieces? The first piece is often the most daunting when you’re a complete beginner. Consider this: what if you viewed building your portfolio as something to do in tandem with client outreach? We’ve had WriteCME Pro members successfully start conversations with leads and use the information they gathered to inform the pieces they created. It doesn’t have to be one or the other – it can be both.
What Makes a Good Portfolio Sample?
The best freelance medical writing portfolios are short, sharp, and well-thought-out.
Start by picking 3 to 5 samples that show how you think, how you write, and the kinds of projects you enjoy working on. Focus on your strongest work, rather than your entire list of deliverables.
Here are a few types of content that work well in a freelance medical writing portfolio, especially from a CME perspective:
Slide decks
Patient cases or vignettes
Needs assessments
If you're just getting started or considering a new type of work, including mock samples is perfectly fine. Many writers create them to demonstrate interest in a specific format or skill set, especially when the actual work is under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) or is proprietary.
Just remember to avoid uploading anything that contains sensitive data. Your best bet when considering whether or not to include client work is simply to ask your client for permission.
Alex’s Pro Portfolio Tip #2: Building a portfolio of work is a lot of, well, work! What if you looked at your portfolio as more than an obligation? What if you looked at it as a learning opportunity? Each time we create a new mock sample to attract new types of clients or establish our expertise, we gain confidence in our ability to get the job done. We also sound more confident when discussing that work with our potential clients. Portfolios aren’t just ways to show off – they’re confidence builders.
How Many Pieces Do You Need?
Like the old saying goes, less is more when it comes to your portfolio. Most clients aren’t looking for a long list of everything that you’ve ever created. Instead, they want to see a few strong pieces that demonstrate your understanding of the work and show you are a good fit for their needs.
Aim for 2 to 5 samples. That should be more than enough to demonstrate your strengths and preferred writing formats.
If you focus on a specific format (such as slide decks), share two or three polished examples. If you’re still trying to find your specialty, or if you like variety, it’s fine to include a mix of samples. You’ll likely have a few more pieces in your portfolio. Just make sure they tell a cohesive story about your niche.
For example, if you have a portfolio that includes 4 CME pieces and one blog on pets that you created for extra money (or because you love pets!), it may be confusing to potential clients.
Keep it simple, and let your best work speak for you.
Are you ready to launch your freelance career as a CME writer? Get on the waitlist for the winter cohort of WriteCME Accelerator.
Where Should Your Portfolio Live?
You don’t need anything fancy in order to share your CME writing samples. A private Google Drive folder or a clean, organized PDF works well. Just ensure that the links work and the text is easy to read.
If you already have a website, think about adding a simple section with brief descriptions or thumbnails of each piece. Keep it clear and easy to look through.
Some other websites writers use to store their portfolios include Clippings.me, Journo Portfolio, and Authory, although Authory is more focused on pieces with bylines – which we don’t always get in CME unless we’ve co-authored or authored a paper ourselves.
Ultimately, most clients care more about what you’ve written than how it’s presented. Focus on clarity and content, rather than design, and choose a format that’s easy for you to update as your work continues to evolve. Your main goal should be something that’s quick to send, simple to view, and ready whenever someone asks to see it.
What If You Can’t Share Anything?
This is a very common problem in CME. For many of us, the work that we create may be proprietary or behind a paywall, leaving us in a bit of a bind when it comes to showing the work we’ve done.
But that doesn’t mean that you don’t have anything to show.
You can create mock pieces based on formats you usually write, or describe the work you’ve done in the past. This can often be an issue with needs assessments, and you’re likely to find most of your potential clients will be accustomed to not being able to see proprietary materials. Instead, you can work on describing the type of content you’ve written, who it was for, and what your role involved, even if you can’t share the work itself.
You might also write a short case study or reflection to explain how you approached a project and talk about what you learned, even if you can’t share the client’s name.
When you do share something (real or mock), include a short caption or intro to help the viewer understand the context and purpose.
The Little Details That Can Make a Big Difference
A good CME portfolio doesn’t need to be fancy. It just needs to be clear, current, and thoughtfully presented. These small details can make a big difference when someone is deciding whether to work with you.
Here’s how to keep your portfolio polished and professional:
Name your file clearly - Use a filename that includes your name and a date (for example: Name_CME_Portfolio_July2025) so that it’s easy to reference and update.
Add a short bio or intro paragraph - Include a brief summary at the top to introduce yourself and explain your focus areas as a writer.
Update regularly - Refresh your portfolio every 6 to 12 months to show off your latest and most relevant work.
Keep formatting consistent - Use the same fonts, spacing, and layout throughout all of your samples so that they are easy to read and easy to follow.
Show your understanding of CME content development - Choose pieces that show how you think about adult learning principles and continuing education. Including examples of content that incorporate interactive elements or digital learning samples, like a podcast script, show potential clients that your CME is relatable to today’s learners.
Build a Portfolio That Reflects Your Voice
Your CME portfolio is a reflection of how you think, communicate, and approach education. Whether you have two polished pieces or a handful of thoughtful mock samples, what matters most is that your portfolio feels completely aligned with the kind of work that you want to keep doing.
You don’t need to wait for the perfect moment or for someone to ask for it. Creating or updating your portfolio can be a major confidence builder. You’ll step into conversations with a lot more clarity about the skills you have developed and the goals you are striving to achieve.
Think of your portfolio as a tool that is going to help you connect the dots between your previous experience and your next big opportunity. When it’s well-organized, easy to skim through, and shows what you care about most, it will do all of the talking for you.
Build a Stronger CME Portfolio with WriteCME Pro
Inside WriteCME Pro, you'll find all of the tools, support, and guidance you need to help you create a portfolio that clearly reflects all of your strengths, goals, and unique writing voice. Whether you're gathering your first few samples, refining what you already have, or figuring out how to properly present your work, this is a space designed specifically to help you grow.
With four sprints a year, structured so that you get a new portfolio piece out of each one, along with priceless opportunities for peer feedback, you don’t have to figure it all out on your own. Join us in WriteCME Pro, and get practical guidance, community insights, and honest feedback on your portfolio, so you can show off all of your skills with a lot more confidence.
