Location: United States
Member Since: July 26, 2014

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Don Harting

Biography

Writing needs assessments (NAs) for continuing medical education (CME) forms the foundation of my freelance medical writing business. I started writing NAs full-time in 2009 for a medical education company that specialized in oncology. I incorporated my own business in 2014 and have been on my own for most of the time since then. My background in oncology deepened greatly during a 15-month sojourn in the continuing education department of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

For the last 6 years I have been working with co-investigators and consultants to conduct survey research on best practices for writing NAs. We disseminate the results of our research at national meetings and regional workshops for medical writers and continuing educators. Some of our research has even found its way into CME Writer's Marketplace.

I have a passion for continuing education, having earned a bachelor's degree in liberal arts from Harvard in 1978, a master's degree in journalism in 1992, and a master's degree in biology in 2018. I earned permanent certification as a board-certified editor in the life sciences (ELS) in 2008. I earned the CHCP credential in 2011 and am re-certified through 2021. In my first career as a newspaper reporter I won awards for public service and investigative projects. I transitioned into medical writing with help from the American Medical Writers Association, of which I remain an active member at the regional and national level. Currently I also volunteer as an active member of the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions.

Thank you for your interest in CME writing!

Smashwords Interview

When did you first start writing?
With help from both of my parents, as well as one of my sisters, I started a neighborhood newspaper in 1967, when I was 9 years old. The Neighborhood Weekly, as we called it, served homeowners in our section of Chevy Chase, Maryland, which is an upscale bedroom community right outside Washington, D.C. I served as co-editor with my sister, as well as writer/reporter. I'm proud to say that one of my fellow kid reporters was Michael Kranish, who went on to cover the White House for the Boston Globe and is now (as of 2020) an investigative reporter for the Washington Post. I'm also proud to say that one of our adult neighbors was Norman Grossblatt, who at the time edited a medical journal and went on to help found the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences. (Small world: I earned BELS certification in 2008.)

In the February/March 1967 issue of The Neighborhood Weekly, Michael filed a compelling report of his Cub Scout pack's field trip to Fort McHenry in Baltimore. In that same issue, I wrote articles about traffic safety, George Washington's birthday, and coin collecting. As my contribution to the Poetry Department, I stole a short poem by Ogden Nash, without attribution. I also authentically reported and wrote a series of thumbnail profiles of neighborhood families (including the Grossblatts), with a special emphasis on the children, their hobbies, and their potential as playmates for other kids in the neighborhood. Finally, I penned an absolutely riveting account of my last dental appointment.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
In my spare time I enjoy climbing hills on my bicycle, spinning the wheel on my rowing machine, building stone retaining walls in my garden, touring wine regions with my wife of 33 years, visiting our grown children, spoiling our grandchildren, and mailing free books to help children of divorced parents across the United States and around the world.
Read more of this interview.

Where to find Don Harting online

Website: http://hartingcom.com
Twitter: @CME_Scout
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-harting-ma-ms-els-chcp-817b80b/
Blog: http://www.dvmw.blogspot.com

Series

CME Writer's Marketplace by
Updated annually, CME Writer's Marketplace is your trusty guide to finding an enjoyable gig. Each year's edition is written to help freelance CME writers sell their work. This magazine-style e-booklet contains detailed listings about the current needs of different medical education companies based on interviews with hiring editors and medical directors. Each listing contains guidance on what types of documents are typically purchased (needs assessments, test questions, slide decks, manuscripts/monographs, case studies, white papers, outcome reports, etc.), typical prices paid, URLs of exemplary programs, as well as full contact information. CME Writer's Marketplace also provides writers with guidance on how much to charge, as well as where to find free and low-cost training opportunities. Finally, readers receive a full-length, Wall Street Journal-style essay highlighting trends that are driving the future of CME writing.
CME Writer's Marketplace, 2019 Edition
Price: $9.99 USD.
CME Writer's Marketplace, 2020 Edition
Price: $9.99 USD.
CME Writer's Marketplace, 2021 Edition
Price: $9.99 USD.

Books

CME Writer's Marketplace, 2021 Edition by
Series: CME Writer's Marketplace. Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 11,750. Language: English. Published: February 22, 2021 . Categories: Nonfiction » Health, wellbeing, & medicine » Medicine » Education & training, Nonfiction » Reference » Writing skills
This year's edition has been updated and expanded with 3 new market listings plus 2 original, bylined articles on how to break into the field and how to adapt to emerging markets. If you're a freelance medical writer, then CME Writer's Marketplace is your trusty guide to finding an enjoyable gig.
CME Writer's Marketplace, 2020 Edition by
Series: CME Writer's Marketplace. Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 10,180. Language: English. Published: February 19, 2020 . Categories: Nonfiction » Health, wellbeing, & medicine » Medicine » Education & training, Nonfiction » Reference » Writing skills
Updated and expanded with new market listings for 2020! CME Writer's Marketplace is your trusty guide to finding an enjoyable gig.
CME Writer's Marketplace, 2019 Edition by
Series: CME Writer's Marketplace. Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 7,490. Language: English. Published: May 22, 2019 . Categories: Nonfiction » Health, wellbeing, & medicine » Medicine » Education & training, Nonfiction » Reference » Writing skills
New! CME Writer's Marketplace is your trusty guide to finding an enjoyable gig. The 2019 edition contains detailed and up-to-date descriptions of the current freelance writing needs of 9 medical education companies. The 7,000-word guide also contains a list of training opportunities along with an analysis of 5 trends affecting the market for CME writing services.
Surviving Your Parents' Divorce: Tips for College Students by
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 3,070. Language: English. Published: September 2, 2014 . Categories: Nonfiction » Health, wellbeing, & medicine » Family health, Nonfiction » Psychology » Emotions
“I wish I'd had something like this to read in college. Reading it now, 40 years later, the memories and emotions come flooding back. I also look back with more compassion for myself during that time. I was trying to succeed in college and trying to cope with the grief at the same time. No wonder I cried myself to sleep every night for a long while!” -- Margaret Moore, Hallam, Pennsylvania

Don Harting's tag cloud

business guide    children of divorce    cme content    cme writers    cme writing    college and career    college student    content development    continuing education    continuing medical education    freelance writing    grief and loss    grief and mourning    healing after a loss    market directory    marketing guide    medical writing    parental conflict    parental divorce    relationships    success guide    writers guide    writers guides    writing guides    writing skills    young adult