Production Report 8a

Okay, here we go. I now have raw content but I am not entirely sure what to do with it.

"Recording" 1/27/16 via pixabay. C00 Public Domain.

I interviewed Ned, a medical student at U of A.
I asked him "Are we [pre-medicine students] being prepared for writing in the medical field?". I really liked his answer, but I am not sure how to incorporate it or this question into my final project.

This is the content outline:

• With all those examples aside, it is evident that writing is a big deal in medicine. Just not in the way we typically see writing. In the medical field, it is supposed to be condensed, logical and straightforward. So I asked my Dr. Cohen and Ned if they thought pre-med undergraduates are being adequately prepared for writing in the medical field.
• At the U of A, physiology majors are required to take a freshman level English course and an upper division English course sometime before graduation. Medical schools typically ask for this.
• Ned said *insert segment*

This is the raw footage (adaptation of content).


How did you decide to use form to present your content? How did the conventions influence your choices?

• I want to make the podcast sound as real as possible, so I want to be the host but have segments where my interviewees are providing their input, which will add variety and make the podcast more interesting. 
• The conventions of a podcast immediately led me to think of this project as a talk show kind of thing. So I know I need to have a lively tone and be detailed but not overwhelming.

How did production go? What challenges occurred during process?

• Production was generally easy!
• Pre-production kind of reduced me to a stressed out puddle. 
• After I learned how to record and convert files, the process seems much easier.
• The interviews were fun so I have a lot of content to work with. Hopefully I will find a smart way to piece everything together.

Reflection on Pre-Production

There have been some minor setbacks, and this deadline has been moved back a few days.

Pre-production week was longer because of this, but I still struggled to get everything done in time.

"Studio" 10/29/15 via pixabay. CC0 public domain.

Nevertheless, I now have a content outline, production schedule, and raw footage from interviews.

What were some of the successes during this week's process work?

• I created an outline! I definitely consider this a huge success because I think outlines are extremely helpful. It's not very good or very detailed yet, but I have a general direction. I can fix and modify it later.

• I recorded everything on my outline. I am not sure about the audio quality though, but I can deal with that issue during production week.

• I loved the interviews. Ned and Dr. Cohen both gave me so much information. I know I will have a lot of options and ways to use the material throughout the project.

What were some of the challenges?

• My time was very limited. I am traveling over spring break so I was unable to explore Audacity, the audio editing software, so I hope to find time later to explore it. I am a little nervous though, because I have not done this type of project before, so I feel like I don't know what I am doing.

• I have a lot of content from my interviews. A lot. It is hard to decide which content to use and how to incorporate it. I need a better grasp on the goals of project 2.

How do you think next week will go, based on your experience this week?

• I am nervous for next week, because I know very little about audio editing. I anticipate that it will be hard to use and I will have some trouble with it.

• I am also still unsure of how I want to construct my podcast's content outline. I'm probably going to change some things, so I will probably have to re-record.

• I will not have access to my laptop or the internet during spring break, so I know I will not be able to work on this project.

• When I come back, I know I have a lot of other assignments due that week and the next, so I know time management will be difficult.

How are you feeling about the project overall at this point?

• Above all, I am feeling nervous. I do not know how the final project is going to come along because of some of the issues. 

• But interestingly, I am having fun. I like voicing my opinion and creating things. 

Production Schedule P2

Okay, here comes the part I don't like so much. Schedules are hard for me. Not in the way you would expect though.

I love having a schedule, it allows me to figure out what I have to do and when I can do it.

I hate creating schedules. I never know if I am giving myself enough time nor what types of unpredictable life curve balls will be thrown my way. And honestly, making a schedule shows just how much I have to do, and how little time I have. It can be stressful.

"Clock". 6/8/15 via pixabay. C00 Public Domain.

But nevertheless, the pros do outweigh the cons.

My production schedule is tentative because of personal reasons. I am like 85% sure I will be making changes later, but for now, this is what I plan to do.

Content Outline P2

I love outlines!

I outline basically everything--planners, studying plans, shopping lists, phone conversations, chem lab report responses, essays, speeches. Basically everything that I do, I outline. I think it is a fantastic organizational tool.

As of right now, I have conducted two interviews and have explored three genres. There is a lot of information in my head and I need to organize it, as Michael Scott would say, ASAP as possible.

Courtesy of Riffsy.

This outline I have created is rather rough and likely to change, but this is what I've got going on.


How are you outlining your project? What is different? What is similar?

Report on My Interviews

Okie dokie, the interviews have been done.

"Computer". 1/31/16 via pixabay. CC0 Public Domain.

I felt nervous at first, but everything turned out great! I met with Dr. Cohen, a U of A physiology professor, and Ned, a U of A second year medical student.

What are the most significant or interesting genres that you learned about from your interviewees? 

• Patient history reports

• Personal statements

• Academic blog writing

How do these genres differ from on another? (genre conventions, content, purpose, audience, message, context)?

• Patient history reports

• Written strictly by doctors for other doctors

• The purpose is to write down the necessary information concerning a patient

• The idea is that if an emergency occurs, doctors will know exactly what treatments the patient has gone through, who has seen the patient, what the patient's symptoms are, etc.

• This report is supposed to be as condensed as possible and there is specific terminology to use

• Very delicate, concerns patient health so doctors have to be careful and detailed

• Personal statements

• Written by medical school applicants for admissions committees

• The purpose is to tell your story, why you want to go to medical school, what your goals are, who you want to be

• Supposed to be relatively short, about a page and a half, and structured like an essay but not really

• There is some creative freedom, as long as you incorporate the necessary answers to the questions they ask

• Very important part of the application!

• Academic blog writing

• Written by professors for other professors, students, or others interested in the field

• The purpose is to inform and pass along information, analysis, etc.

• Much like my blog, the conventions are to be relatively brief, but since writing academically is more of a professional setting, the tone is more serious 

• There are less constraints regarding content

Based on the information you gathered in your interviews, what is a challenge about writing within these genres (from a professional POV)?

• Patient history report

• Very specific terminology

• Have to correctly identify symptoms, diseases, treatments and write them in a way that is universally understood in the medical setting

• Extremely detailed, but have to fit the necessary info and organize it so it doesn't take too much space

• Personal statement

• It is difficult to condense a life story into a page and a half

• Students often misunderstand the purpose and end up writing about the wrong thing

• Have to figure out what is the best way to represent yourself through your own style of writing

• Academic blog

• Have to condense information but be thorough at the same time

• Unsure of audience reaction

Based on the information you gathered in your interviews, what is a reward about writing within these genres (from a professional POV)?

• Patient history report

• Able to quickly communicate patient information from doctor to doctor

• Great organizational way to write all about the patient, diagnosis, treatment

• Can be used years later and doctors will still be able to understand

• Personal statement

• Creative way to explain who you are and why you want to attend medical school

• You get to write about yourself

• Good way to evaluate goals and ambitions

• Academic blog

• Able to write about a lot of topics within the field

• Interaction with audience

Where in mass media can examples of this genre be found?

• Patient history report

• Will definitely not be in mass media!

• Found in doctor's office, hospitals, etc.

• Patients usually do not see these

• Personal statement

• Will also not be in mass media

• Found in student's computers and in admissions offices

• Academic blog

• Found in media!

• Online blogs or websites that post content concerning this topic

I learned so much about writing in the medical field! I can't wait to continue researching these genres and constructing my podcast.

From Academia to Social Media

It might be helpful to learn about how writers express themselves in social media.

"Online". 10/1/15 via pixabay. CC0 Public Domain.

I tried looking through the Mayo book and searching for those authors online, but I did not really find anyone. This is probably due to the fact that the journal was published in 1986, before the big boom of social media.

So then I tried looking for authors from The American Journal of Surgery.
Again, no luck.

I think this is due to the fact that doctors tend to keep a very low profile. Ned talked about this in our interview.

I will continue looking and will update soon, hopefully.

Academic Discourse and Genre

Now that I know more about the types of writing in my field and where they are located, I can talk about the different genres.

"Medical". 12/10/14 via pixabay. CC0 Public Domain.

Since I am a pre-medicine student, most of the writings I can analyze for this project are scientific papers from research.

I looked through a Mayo Clinic journal that I found at the library.

How many different kinds of genres seem to be published in this issue?
Genres are identifiable by their form, content, techniques, or social function.

• The only genre that is found here is scientific research papers. Everything has a clear abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, and references section. 

• The papers only differ in the "main character"
• certain bacteria or organism, specific clinical procedure, specific equipment 

Identify three different genres within the journal issue. Describe the significant formal differences between them. (I made up these names)

• The ism experiment

• Name?

• I chose this name, because this genre revolves around explaining the effects a certain treatment has on an organism and why this is important to the medical field. The aim of this genre is to explain how these findings can logically be adapted or played with to help humans.

•  How is it different?

•  The aim of this genre is to explain how these findings can logically be adapted or played with to help humans.

• The audience is anyone in medicine, really.

• Could be considered in its "early stage", because the fun is really just beginning

• The procedure police

• Name?

• I came up with this name because the genre reminds me of those situations where you're hanging out and then an older adult is like "you should do this and this in this particular way because...". And although you are slightly skeptical at first, you know they are right.

• How is it different?

• The aim of this genre is to propose new plans for solving the problems in medicine. These can be surgical or medical.

• The audience is definitely other doctors who are also able to perform these procedures.

• Considered to be in more advanced stages, because the findings here can be applied to the field more easily

• The Dr. Gadget

• Name?

• I picked this name because I remember watching Inspector Gadget as a kid, and that movie is what came to mind when reading these types of papers.

• How is it different?

• The aim is to show new technology and equipment in the medical field and how it can help further develop procedures and clinical studies.

• The audience is broader, can be medical doctors and engineers

• Considered to be in the middle stages, because the tools are there, but not everyone is completely familiar with them yet 

Come up with your own definition for each genre. Explain the purpose of each genre and how it meets the needs of the intended audience.

• I actually answered these questions in the previous block! Yay! 

• As for the definitions...

• The ism experiment 
• A scientific paper written for the general medical audience in order to explain the effect of certain organisms/treatments on other organisms
• The baby in the family of medical journal genres

• The procedure police
• A scientific paper written for other doctors that explains better ways to solve problems in the field
• The wise young adult of medical journal genres

• The Dr. Gadget 
• A scientific paper written for a medical/engineering audience that informs on new technology that will help the field
• The teen with a lot of ideas of medical journal genres