I believe that Calvin and Hobbes is the greatest piece of art ever created. Okay now for the boring stuff…
I’ve always loved writing. But in college it took a back seat to my interest in science and medicine. I graduated from Gettysburg College in 2015 with a BS in biology and a minor in chemistry, My plan was to work in medical research for a year or two while applying to medical schools. Obviously, those plans changed.
I was working as a research tech at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston while studying for the MCATS. Those were dark days, filled with many hours of pipetting ambiguous solutions into countless plastic vials and injecting uncooperative mice that – judging from my scarred hands – had a violent phobia of needles and those who wield them. In short, I was unhappy.
Between reading research articles on molecular endocrine systems, studying for the MCATs, and the endless pipetting, I began writing a blog. It was more of a self-serving creative outlet than anything else. I wrote about science and medical topics with little plan as to where this path would take me, or even who would read them (spoiler alert: almost nobody). But I eventually realized that I could use these blogs as the start of a portfolio that would help me apply for freelance writing gigs to supplement my 1930s Depression-era income.
After writing for a few outlets that are likely defunct by now, I was hired to write science articles for Earth.com – for whom I wrote close to 500 articles in 6 months. My writing abruptly stopped when I began my first day as a marketing copywriter for the #1 pediatric orthopedics center in the nation at Boston Children’s Hospital.
At Boston Children’s, I was able to use my background in science to connect with physicians and researchers, building relationships that fueled the content I produced for our blogs, newsletters, and press releases. I worked directly with patients and patient families, writing their stories and hearing about their experiences. Boston Children’s mission was about more than curing sick children – it was about providing hope to these kids and their families. In my work, I tried to give them hope before they ever walked through the door.
I eventually moved on from Boston Children’s, and have now spent the last 8 years in the healthcare agency world, first as a copywriter, then a GSC, and finally an ACD. My work spans oncology, medical device, gastroenterology, allergy/immunology, rare disease, neurology, cardiology, and vaccines.
I love the work I do because it combines my greatest interests (science and medicine) with my greatest abilities (creative and technical writing). I get something out of every experience in this industry – from the mundane MLR reviews to the lightbulb, eureka moments of a great concept. And I’ve found the people I get to work with are often brilliant, driven, and compassionate. Maybe you’ll be one of them.
If you’ve read this far (you may be the only one) and are still interested in getting in touch, my contact information is below. Other than that, I’d just like to close by saying… go read some Calvin and Hobbes.
Connor Ertz
conertz11@gmail.com