CATHY ANDERSON, RN, has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of South Florida, and over 16 years’ experience as a professional editor, including 11 years as the editor for the American Board of Pathology. Her areas of special competence in pathology include cytopathology, dermatology, neuropathology, pediatric pathology, hematology, medical microbiology, forensic pathology, chemical pathology, oral pathology, and immunopathology. Other areas of medical specialty include orthopedics, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, and oncology.

Cathy was also the editor for a medical consulting firm, where she edited proposals, certificates of need, and articles for publication in business journals. She has edited numerous articles for publication in medical journals and was the copyeditor for the Journal of Career Assessment for 3 years. Cathy has also done technical and instructional writing, including a three-level training manual for a computer software application.

Cathy is proficient in the use of AMA, APA, and CBE style guidelines and is adept at merging these styles into requirements of particular institutions or journals. Cathy’s review of your document will point out :

• any inconsistencies or errors in terminology, word choice, spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
• any inconsistencies in the content of your work.
• the use of jargon that, while understood by experts in the field, may not be easily understood by a more general readership.

Cathy has been selected to write four essays for the upcoming Salem Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine: CANCER, a four-volume medical encyclopedia. Cathy is also an award-winning author of short fiction who has just completed her first novel and second children’s picture book.

Writing and editing: health/medicine

Scope: pathology (including forensic pathology, neuropathology, chemical pathology, and oral pathology), microbiology, blood banking, hematology, OB-Gyn, medical/surgical nursing, pediatrics, orthopedics, immunopathology, oncology, and dermatology.

EDUCATION

University of South Florida, B.A. in English, 4.0 g.p.a.
Ohio Northern University/Riverside School of Nursing, R.N.
Copyediting internship, APA Style, Psychological Assessment Resources
Access 2003, Basic and Intermediate Courses, USF

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Editor, the American Board of Pathology, Tampa, Florida: 1995 to 2007
The American Board of Pathology is the certifying board for physicians seeking professional certification in pathology and its subspecialties.

Chief responsibilities:

• Substantive editing of questions submitted by expert pathologists and accepted for use on certifying examinations
• Maintaining database of examination materials
• Coordinating, editing, and proofing up to 60 examinations per year
• Writing/editing copy for brochures and instructional materials
• Editing/rewriting ABP newsletter, presentations, and articles for publication
• Developing text for ABP Web site

Special projects:

• Wrote business plan for implementation of examination center marketing campaign
• Wrote copy for, and supervised design of, four-color marketing brochure
• Researched marketing targets for ABP Examination Center
• Created marketing letters and peripheral materials for mail campaign

Psychological Assessment Resources, Odessa, Florida:
Copyediting internship, APA style, 1995-1996
Contract-based copyediting for Journal of Career Assessment, 1996-1998

• Received a letter of commendation from a US Department of Defense client.

Freelance copyediting: 1995-1996

• Edited The Responsible Conduct of Research, a textbook by Dore Beach, Ph.D.
• Wrote, designed Web page for a professional psychological consultant
• Edited book-length memoir

University of South Florida, Counseling Center for Human Development: 1993-1995

• Wrote three-level training manual for Counseling Center database system
• Edited annual reports and wrote portions of reports
• Edited a psychological-assessment-instrument manual for publication
• Edited articles written by professional staff for publication
• Edited Counseling Center policy and procedure manual
• Edited copy and produced fliers using desktop publishing software
• Designed and taught two-part WordPerfect workshop for Counseling Center staff

Kennesaw State University, Marietta, Georgia: 1990-1992

• Copyeditor for the college newspaper, The Sentinel
• Editor of the English club newsletter, English Matters
• Literary jury member for the college literary magazine, Share
• Reviewed books for English Matters
• Edited textbook manuscript for music department faculty member
• Edited 300-page accreditation document for music department
• Edited student-assistant handbook for Student Life department

Editor, FLR Health Resources, Atlanta, Georgia: 1988-1990

• Edited/wrote proposals, reports, in-house informational materials, and certificates of need for hospital clients
• Edited articles for publication in business journals

PUBLICATIONS

Short story “Eddie’s Tavern” published in The Lowell Pearl, 2000
Profile of Florida Orchestra member published in Event magazine, 1999
Short story "The Watering Hole" published in White Mule, 1995

HONORS AND AWARDS

Dean’s list and president’s list, KSU, 1990
Inducted, Sigma Tau Delta International English Honorary, 1990
Florida Suncoast Writers’ Conference fiction award, 1994
Thomas J. Sanders scholarship in creative writing, 1994
Honors convocation, USF 1994
Faculty/staff scholarship, USF 1995

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

Microsoft Access, Excel, Word
Use AMA, APA, CBE, and Chicago Manual style guidelines
Member of the American Medical Writers Association

FEEDBACK

"The papers were well received by my professor and I am very thankful for your excellent work. I will keep you in mind as I begin my dissertation which will start shortly. I will also ensure to recommend your services to my peers. Thanks again and you will be hearing from me again soon!"
David Livingston

"Thank you, Cathy, the manuscript looked great and I have incorporated it into the larger document which I am now using with several community groups. Thanks again for your help!"
Damian A. Vraniak, Ph.D.

"She is very professional, intelligent, sensitive, and knows how to do her work."
Dr. Marie Leiner

Cathy Anderson is a highly competent editor. I became a trustee of the American Board of Pathology (ABP) in 1992 and was, for the next twelve years, very active in writing questions for the Board's examinations. Cathy joined the ABP in 1995 and was the first person at ABP whose primary job was editing the examination questions. Over 100 physicians submitted questions, and, therefore, the text varied markedly in clarity, vocabulary, and style. After the questions were reviewed for content by test committees of subspecialist physicians, those questions deemed acceptable were edited by Cathy.
In the years before Cathy joined us, many hours of committee time were consumed by discussion of stylistic matters–"wordsmithing" some called it. Once Cathy arrived, we were able to save considerable amounts of time; more importantly, the final product was greatly improved. Editing the output from several committees, Cathy introduced a high degree of stylistic and semantic uniformity. In addition, I, as well as other trustees, received several telephone calls from her to check factual matters (internal inconsistencies) that had gone unnoticed by the committee and the individual question authors.
Although my entire career was spent in private practice, I did a moderate amount of writing, including both pathology journal articles and textbooks. I learned early on how difficult it is to edit one's own writing and writing on subjects in which one has a significant personal involvement.
Cathy Anderson’s editing abilities are of the highest order. Our working relationship was most cordial, and this was true of her relationship with the rest of the ABP staff. I would recommend her to anyone who needs the services of a skilled and experienced medical editor.
Dwight K. Oxley, M.D.
Wichita KS

I hired Cathy Anderson to review and edit our item data bank when I was the Executive Vice-President of the American Board of Pathology. The ABP examination item bank with all of the subspecialties of pathology contains in excess of 35,000 items.
Cathy’s job was to review all items, clarify the wording, and cause review of any items that were confusing and questionable because of wording. She did this job in admirable fashion, so that fewer questions had to be eliminated from exams.
Cathy also assumed a general editorial function for the staff and for me. She was of inestimable help to me in editing and clarifying papers for publication and for oral presentation. She is also a very pleasant person to work with, and I am proud of our accomplishments.
W. H. Hartmann, M.D.
Former executive vice president of the American Board of Pathology

Cathy, Best of luck and success as a writer and editor–you have been a wonderful editor!
Dore Beach, Ph.D.
Author of The Responsible Conduct of Research