Introduction: Writing in the Health Professions: An Emergent Interdiscipline for Teachers

The introduction makes the case for compiling this collection. First, the chapter explains the heavy burdens on health-care systems, the critical shortage of staff in many regions, and the prominent role of writing in health professions training and practice. To illustrate, the chapter summarizes several foundational studies on writing in medical school, nursing education, pharmacy clerkships, and epidemiology courses. It explains that writing is used not only for academic requirements or the work of health care but also for cultivating a variety of knowledge, skills, and attitudes in health professionals. After briefly discussing the history of writing instruction in the health professions, current teaching approaches, and common barriers, the chapter emphasizes that there are still few resources for teachers—some of whom have had little training or experience in teaching writing. It then lays out the twofold purpose of the collection, which considers “writing in the health professions” an emergent interdiscipline, as well as the organization of the four sections. Readers are encouraged to take both intraprofessional and interprofessional approaches.