Doc depos

[Shanna Gray]

Just finished editing my second doctor depo. I actually kind of like them. Scary thought!! My first two weeks doing depos were a little slow. Only two. I'm hoping this week I get a few more. I wonder if I will get more doc depos??? Lol.

[Kathy McLaughlin]

Oh, I wouldn't discount doctor depos.  My experience (in California at least) is that that often means $$$$ especially if they're experts in a med-mal case.  Lots of copies.  I miss the asbestos days with 38 attorneys all ordering copies !!!  I love medical, though, and took a medical terminology class at the local college before I even started reporting school to get familiar with it.  It served me very well.  The more you know about medicine and the terminology, the more you actually understand what they're saying (more than the attorneys) and you can anticipate where they're going.  I also Google the witness before a depo and see what their specialty is, download or view their resume, look for any papers/articles they've written and you will be able to build a dictionary before the job.  Very often by Googling the case name in addition to the attorney of record, you can find the case online and see what it's about which also helps build that dictionary.  We always have to keep learning and medical is the one area where I gain knowledge every time that not only builds my dictionary but keeps my brain active and growing, though it drives my family crazy that I know so much about medicine.  BUT when my mom had a horrible outcome from a hip surgery, when talking to the doctors they listened and they did the right thing because they knew I was an informed consumer and advocate.  They redid her operation and found that she had an infection that would have destroyed all the muscle and bone in her hip had they NOT done it and it saved her life. They were just going to treat with ineffective antibiotics that never would have gotten rid of the infection because of where it resided. Thank you medical education !!!!

 

[Shanna Gray]

Great story, Kelli! And way to stand up for yourself and for the record!

Yes, that is the only thing about it. There are so few pages so you end up getting the minimum more times than not. But if that's all I'm going to get right now, I'm more than willing.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

I won't take them anymore; the doctors are rude and never enough pages.  I'll take the Ph.D. till the cows come home but no M.D.s; had my share of nightmares.

[Patricia Babits]

If you like doing the doctor depos, you should definitely mention that to the agencies. A lot of reporters won't do them.  It could help you get more work.

[Janiece Young]

I agree.  Medical can be very interesting.  Good for you.  You're off to the races.

[Shanna Gray]

Good idea, Janet! Thanks. The very first depo I took was a nonappearance, which I thought was so wonderfully easy and a great way to break in. Then I went from that to doctor depos! It's really quite funny. I held my own, though. Bryan had a really good teacher for medical terminology.

[Janet]

 

I'm sure you will get more of them!  

 

Have you joined The Brief Group here, Shanna?   A lot of the briefs people come up with are for medical terms.