Where Medical Writers Fit into Educational Planning
With so many players in education planning, where do you fit? And how can you provide more value without taking on a job that’s not actually yours to do?
It’s easy to think that your job starts with the outline. But in CME, every deliverable is connected to something bigger. That document that you’re editing is connected to strategy, defined learning outcomes, competencies, funding requirements, and ultimately patient care
When you work in CME, you’re doing more than creating content: you’re a vital part of a carefully planned out educational experience. And while it might seem like the job starts with a literature review or outline, those materials are the result of a much bigger team effort that has been going on in the background for quite some time.
Educational planning is where strategy takes shape—where learning gaps are identified, goals are defined, and outcomes are mapped. **Understanding your role as a CME writer means looking beyond the words on the page and seeing how your work fits into the full arc of planning and delivery.
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The Educational Planning Process
To understand where you fit, it helps to know how a CME program actually comes to life. Educational planning is a highly structured, team-based process built around specific learner needs and accreditation standards.
Often, things begin when a funder releases an RFP (request for proposal). An RFP outlines therapeutic areas of interest, available funding, and expectations for independent education. In response, education providers develop a grant proposal, and a central part of that proposal is a gap analysis and needs assessment, ideally with a root cause analysis.
Together, the gap analysis and needs assessment identify the gap in knowledge, competence, performance, or patient outcomes that the education aims to address through learning objectives. It’s one of the most common deliverables for CME writers. Crafting a strong NA may involve reviewing clinical data, consulting guidelines, analyzing outcomes reports from past education on the topic, and even interviewing subject matter experts like healthcare professionals or patients and caregivers to clearly define what’s missing.
Once a grant is awarded, the team moves into building the program: selecting faculty, choosing content formats, creating timelines, and planning for delivery and outcomes measurement.
As a writer, you’re often brought in after funding is secured. But when you understand the entire process, you’re better positioned to step in earlier, ask sharper questions, and create content that aligns seamlessly with the broader strategy.
At every stage, the process is anchored in accreditation standards, adult learning principles, and the shared goal of improving care through education.
The People Behind the Plan
When participating in educational planning CME programs, it’s essential to recognize that no one works alone. Every successful activity comes down to some solid collaboration between people with different (but equally important) strengths.
Planners and education providers: Often the main point of contact, they oversee the project, manage accreditation standards, and coordinate timelines and deliverables. They make sure the strategy stays aligned with compliance and that the whole process runs smoothly.
Faculty and clinicians: Bring deep subject matter expertise. They ensure content reflects clinical reality and delivers value to the target learners.
Outcomes specialists: Focus on aligning content with learning goals and measurable results. They may design logic models, plan outcomes studies, and track impact once the education is delivered. Often, smaller education companies do not have one person dedicated to this role.
Funders (grantors): Pharmaceutical or device companies that provide educational grants. They enable the program financially but cannot influence content for accredited organizations. Their support gets the project off the ground, while accredited providers maintain full control over design and delivery.
Educational planning in CME is a coordinated effort among many different people, and as a writer, you’ll interact with all of these different groups in different ways. Sometimes you’ll be gathering their input, sometimes you’ll be asking questions, and sometimes your main role will be just to listen and take notes.
Players in Education Planning
Where Writers Fit (And How They Add Value)
The role of a CME writer goes far beyond “just writing.” You are central to translating necessary clinical guidelines and evolving research into compliant education for adult learners that aligns with what learners need to know to provide high-quality care. Your work helps ensure the activity meets its objectives and either helps the educational organization you’re working with get closer to accreditation or maintain it.
You may also review content for compliance—whether with the ACCME, Joint Accreditation, or another accreditor—to ensure that every deliverable meets the required compliance standards.
If you contribute to grant proposals, your role begins even earlier. Strong proposals rely on a strategic needs assessment that is evidence-based and provides a “data-driven, compelling case” for why the education is needed. Writers who can develop these deliverables help secure funding in the first place, which makes you an especially valuable partner.
If you write outcomes reports, your role extends beyond the educational content. Ideally, it achieves a similar goal as a high-level needs assessment: it shows stakeholders why education was effective or not and provides direction for the future.
The more you understand how the entire planning process works, the more empowered you are to become a true partner in the process. You won’t be just another CME writer – you’ll become someone who brings clarity, credibility, and strategic insight to any team.
How to Become a Stronger Collaborator
If you want to transition from being a CME writer to a trusted partner in the entire CME planning process, start with a bit of curiosity and confidence.
Ask yourself how your deliverables can provide more value. Who are your stakeholders? What would they benefit from? Whether it’s ways to elevate your needs assessments, root cause analysis, or exploring more learner-friendly formats as an educational content creator, consider what will most benefit the stakeholders in your deliverables.
Strong collaborators also build up trust through showing off their soft skills, like clear communication, good project management habits, being a genuine team player, and – this is key in CME - curiosity.
From Content Creator to Strategic Partner: Become a WriteCME Pro
CME writers shape how clinicians learn—and, by extension, how patient care improves. But to create that kind of impact, you need more than strong writing skills. You need insight into planning, confidence to ask the right questions, and tools to collaborate across the process.
The role of the CME writer is evolving. Those who understand outcomes, compliance, and strategy are the ones who become trusted partners.
This is where WriteCME Pro makes a difference.
WriteCME Pro isn’t just a one-time course. It’s an ongoing community that supports your professional development that combines step-by-step guidance, templates and tools, expert feedback, quarterly writing sprints, and a supportive community of writers. It’s designed to help you write with purpose, grow your skills, and build a business that lasts.
Whether you’re just starting or looking to sharpen your expertise, WriteCME Pro helps you land high-value work and grow into the kind of writer clients rely on again and again.
