2019 AMWA-MAC Regional Conference Friday, March 8, 2019

National 4-H Conference Center

7100 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD 20815

The National 4-H Conference Center is a nonprofit hotel and conference center initially designed as a center for youth development. The facility is situated on 12 beautiful acres in Chevy Chase, Maryland, located just

off the Beltway (I-495 exit 33 for MD-185/Connecticut Ave toward Kensington/Chevy Chase).

2019 AMWA-MAC CONFERENCE SCHEDULETime Event8:00 AM – 8:30 AM Registration, Breakfast/Networking8:30 AM – 8:45 AM Welcome and Announcements8:45 AM – 9:45 AM Keynote Speaker Stephen W. Gutkin9:45 AM – 10:00 AM Morning Break10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Learn More. Network More. Roundtable Sessions11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Keynote Speaker Lori De Milto12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Networking Lunch1:00 PM Remarks from AMWA-MAC President Vita Washington1:30 PM – 3:30 PM Afternoon Workshop (Additional Fee Applies)

Registration Fees and Policies

The registration fee for the main conference (running from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM) is $100 for all participants. It includes breakfast, keynote speaker, roundtables, buffet lunch, beverages, and snacks. The fee for the main conference and afternoon workshop (8:00 AM to 3:30 PM) is $130. The fee to attend the workshop only (1:30 PM to 3:30 PM) is $75.

Registration is open and available now by visiting the AMWA Mid-Atlantic Chapter webpage: http://amwa-midatlantic.org/. Follow the links for the 2019 regional conference.

Or, REGISTER here: http://bit.ly/2019AMWAMAC

Important Dates

Online registration opens January 23, 2019Deadline for conference cancellation with full refund February 22, 2019Deadline for conference cancellation with 50% refund March 1, 2019Online registration closes March 5, 2019

Cancellation and Refund Policy

Conference cancellation requests must be received in writing at least 1 week before the scheduled event. Requests can be sent via email to Vita Washington at vita.washington@gmail.com. Refunds, minus a non-transferable $25 registration cancellation fee, will be distributed only to individuals who cancel in writing at least 1 week before the scheduled event. No refunds or credits will be given for failure to attend, late arrival, unattended events, or early departure.

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REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Payment is accepted via PayPal with Visa, Master Card, American Express, and debit cards.

Registration for EventsFor events that require reservations (i.e., roundtables), you must reserve your space during the registration process. Reservations will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Registration Questions If you have questions regarding your registration or other program-related AMWA-MAC questions, please email Vita Washington (vita.washington@gmail.com).

Confirmation and ReceiptAn automatic email will be sent to confirm registration and provide a receipt.

Accommodations 4-H Conference CenterSchruben Room7100 Connecticut Avenue Chevy Chase, MD 20815(301) 961-2687

Sleeping room reservations can be made by calling the 4-H Conference Center front desk at 301-961-2801 and reference the American Medical Writers Mid-Atlantic Chapter Conference. Use code 190308AMER to get the best rate of $149.00 per night, plus 6% MD tax. Note that availability is limited.

Location The 4H Conference Center is located on 12 acres in upscale Chevy Chase, MD. Directions can be obtained at: http://4hcenter.org/events/transportation-directions/#!maps-directions. The Conference Center has complimentary on-site parking.

The closest Metro station is Friendship Heights (toward Shady Grove if arriving from the city center) on the Red Line. View the Metro system map: http://4hcenter.4-h.org/wp content/uploads/sites/2/2016/05/MetroMap.pdf?_ga=1.244545605.1353559567.1475514546.

From the Friendship Heights Metro Station, take Metrobus L*, Ride-on #1, or #11 to the National 4-H Conference Center. Metro bus maps are available at the following website: http://4hcenter.4-h.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/05/Metrobus-Map.pdf?_ga=1.214047063.1353559567.1475514546.

Public transportation to the 4-H Conference Center involves taking both the Metro and the Metrobus.

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KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Lori De Milto, M.J., has been helping clients attract, engage, and motivate their audiences through targeted medical content since 1997. By tapping into the power of marketing, she has had as much work as she wanted—usually more—since shortly after launching her business. Lori is the author of three books and teaches an online course, all focusing on marketing for freelancers. An AMWA fellow, Lori frequently writes and presents on

freelance marketing and other topics for AMWA. She has two journalism degrees from Temple University (BA and MJ).

Topic: Networking for Introverts: How To Get More Results with Less StressWho you know—your network—is as important as what you know in succeeding in medical communications. But if you’re an introvert like many medical writers and editors, leaving the safe cocoon of your office to go to a networking event and other active networking is stressful. The right networking attitude makes networking much easier and much more effective. Learn how to build a strategic network that will help you access more opportunities (jobs or clients) and get advice and support—and how to reduce networking stress.

Stephen W. Gutkin is a published authority on medical writing for peer-reviewed journal publications. For 23 years, he operated a medical communications company (Rete Biomedical Communications Corp.) that specialized in publications, with a subspecialty in health economics and outcomes research.

Stephen and his team supported successful launches and commercialization of novel therapies related to cancer, cardiovascular disease, psychiatry, dermatology, diabetes, genitourinary disorders, GI conditions, infectious disease, respiratory diseases, and rheumatoid arthritis.

In the past year, he authored a textbook: Writing High-Quality Medical Publications: A User’s Manual, a reference book about writing for peer-reviewed journals. He’s currently a principal medical writer at Spark Medica.

Topic: Prove It, Improve It, and Enhance It. Fair Balance in Medical Communications: An Interactive, Case-Study ApproachIf you specialize in scientific publications or want to learn more, don’t miss this presentation on the strengths and limitations of clinical study design and how medical writers can ensure fair

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balance in medical communications. Take a deep dive into this topic with this experienced subject matter expert.

ROUNDTABLES

From Data to ProseDiscussion Leader: June Baldwin, MT, ASCP

Skill Level: Basic to IntermediateWhat’s the difference between descriptive statistics and inferential statistics? Do you stare at the statistical output and struggle to start writing about it? During this roundtable, we will look at different types of statistical output and data presentations. Together, we will discover how to unlock the key message and put it into words that are accurate, concise, and unambiguous.

Learning Objectives: Learn basic statistical knowledge used by regulatory writers Craft a sentence describing the main point of a figure Learn how to evaluate a statistical table and put it into words Learn some pitfalls that can lead to ambiguity in reporting data

Tips for Writing Meeting SummariesDiscussion Leader: Debby Berlyne, PhD

Skill Level: Basic to IntermediateThis session will cover the nuts and bolts of writing summaries of different types of meetings (including in-person and virtual). Participants will discuss how to prepare before the meeting, tips for taking good notes, and components of a good meeting summary.

Learning Objectives: How to tailor a meeting summary to the needs of the target audience How to capture meeting presentations and discussions How to get the information a writer needs before preparing a meeting summary

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Expanding Your Freelance Business: Gain New Writing Skills for the Growing HEOR/Value Communication Areas in the Biopharmaceutical IndustryDiscussion Leader: Tome Drake, MA, CMPP, Global Outcomes Group

Skill Level: Intermediate to AdvancedDue to recent FDA regulations, Health Economic and Outcomes Research (HEOR) content is growing in importance for product success. These regulatory changes impact AMWA members by expanding their scope of medical writing from safety and efficacy to providing scientific information on a product’s value and patient outcomes.

This roundtable will highlight FDA rulings on HEOR and review-writing techniques and skills AMWA members can utilize to expand their freelance business.

Specific areas that will be covered in this roundtable include real-world evidence (RWE) content and patient-reported outcomes manuscripts and poster examples. We will highlight HEOR deliverables, including manuscripts and dossiers.

A skilled medical writer can build their HEOR writing capabilities with self-guided, web-based resources, which will be identified and provided during the roundtable. As the need for HEOR writing grows across the biopharmaceutical industry, the opportunity for medical writers to expand their business into value communications is a real and lucrative area to explore.

Learning Objectives: Understand the key drivers in the expanding areas of HEOR/RWE within the

biopharma industry Identify resources for self-training to rapidly build HEOR/RWE writing skills Understand the differences between RWE and patient-reported outcomes writing How to present these new HEOR writing skills to potential clients/colleagues

Making the Transition to Fulltime Freelancing: What Does It Take?Discussion Leader: Alexandra Sophie Kadner, PhD, Alexandra Kadner Medical Writing LLC

Skill Level: Basic to IntermediateOne of the most frequently asked questions about freelancing is “How do I get started?” While a roundtable cannot provide any conclusive answers, we can outline some basic aspects of transitioning from employment to freelancing. We will talk about laying the groundwork for the transition while still being employed and discuss some basic economic calculations, strategies for self-promotion and effective project and time management for beginning freelancers and reaching important milestones on the way to a stable, profitable freelance practice.

Learning Objectives: Develop a personalized strategy for transitioning from employment to freelancing

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Develop an initial marketing strategy Organize and manage workflow in a freelance practice

Nurturing Clients into Long-Term RelationshipsDiscussion Leader: Katherine Molnar-Kimber, PhD, Kimnar Group LLC

Skill Level: All LevelsKeeping clients happy so they continue to request projects is a win-win for both the client and the freelancer. Participants will do 3 exercises to narrow the characteristics of their ideal clients and discuss 5 issues that can turn off clients. They’ll also discuss 5 tips for nurturing clients into long-term relationships and maintaining that long-term relationship. Bring your experiences with both ideal clients and with difficult clients (anonymous) to discuss. Participants will also learn 1 or 2 red flags that suggest the culture of a long-term client has changed.

Learning Objectives: Apply 3 exercises to match participants’ skills and interests with their ideal clients Describe 5 tips for nurturing clients into long-term relationships Discuss 5 issues that can turn off clients

Mindfulness, Meditation, and the Medical WriterDiscussion Leader: Martin J Spiering, MS, PhD, ELS, ASBMB

Skill Level: Basic to IntermediateMindfulness meditation has emerged as a popular contemplative practice touted to alleviate psychological ills and increase wellbeing. It’s also used as a technology for what is often shorthanded as “self-discovery.” Mindfulness-based approaches are being used in clinical interventions such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), and mindfulness-oriented recovery enhancement (MORE). Popular culture has embraced mindfulness through apps such as Headspace and Insight Timer designed both for casual and regular practitioners. Despite its storied > 2000-year-long history of a means to ease psychological distress, how mindfulness works and what it actually is remains somewhat unclear. This roundtable will examine some current definitions of mindfulness and how outcomes of this contemplative practice can be evaluated in terms of changes in cognition, behavioral/habitual patterns, and brain activity. Some not very widely known adverse effects will also be discussed to provide a comprehensive perspective useful for biomedical writers and editors.

Learning Objectives: Become acquainted with current definitions of mindfulness Learn the basics about what mindfulness is (and isn’t) Discover some applications of mindfulness meditation in clinical settings Become familiar with the historical origin of the technique and current research

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ROUNDTABLE LEADERS’ BIOGRAPHIES

June Baldwin, MT, ASCP, started her career in clinical research as a study coordinator and soon transitioned to industry. She credits her medical technology background with her being hired by a medical device company because they were looking for someone who knew how to make sense of laboratory results from their studies. Ever since, she’s enjoyed putting data into words. She’s been a freelance regulatory writer for over 20 years, an AMWA member since 1989, a former AMWA-MAC Treasurer, and is currently on the AMWA Finance Committee.

Debby Berlyne, PhD, has been a medical writer for 19 years, with experience writing more than 500 meeting summaries for various federal agencies, professional societies, and pharmaceutical companies.

Tom Drake, MA, CMPP, has been involved in medical communications for over 25 years and an active member with AMWA, ISMPP, and ISPOR. Tom has been involved in many areas of medical communications, including global publication planning, continuing medical education, key opinion leader development, HEOR and Market Access, and digital and web-based communications. Tom has worked with freelance writing and editing professionals and brings a wealth of experience. Tom has presented to AMWA members at the 2017 MAC annual conference and the 2017 and 2018 AMWA annual meetings.

Alexandra Sophie Kadner, PhD, is an accomplished scientist and medical writer with 20 years of academic research experience, and 10 years of professional experience as a medical writer. Alexandra develops materials for medical education and peer-reviewed manuscripts, as well as promotional content, including speaker slide decks and scientific platforms for pharmaceutical products. Alexandra is a board member of the AMWA Mid-Atlantic Chapter.

Katherine Molnar-Kimber, PhD, is an established medical writer and helps scientists and clinicians present their research and hypotheses in scientific and clinical articles, reviews, presentations, and continuing medical education programs. Her clients include principal investigators and department chairs, medical communication companies, medical education companies, and biotechnology companies. Most of her clients are repeat customers and the relationships can span more than a decade.

Martin J. Spiering, MS, PhD, ELS, is a Technical Editor at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, with more than 15 years of experience in writing and editing technical and scientific materials for both specialist and lay audiences. A microbiologist by training, he has worked for many years as a bench scientist, managing biomedical research projects in several international labs, and published 20+ articles in peer-reviewed journals and books. He’s maintained a long-standing interest in exploring contemplative practices both to manage life’s challenges a little better and to look into the mind’s many nooks and crannies.

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