Researching information on certain occupations and procedures?

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Researching information on certain occupations and procedures?

    For example, i aim to write a story that the central element to it is the part of the brain that stores memory.

    The problem is i know nothing of it.

    I want it from the point of a doctor, and it that sense i want doctor-speak.

    So obviously i have to resarch on brain doctors that specialize in that area. Now the task at hand is, how do i do that? DO i just ring up my local surgeon/hospital and tell them what the deal is? Put up an ad somewhere? How do i get such info?

    Please Help!

  • #2
    Re: Researching information on certain occupations and procedures?

    Well, if you are very specific about what you want, I will ask my sister in-law. She's a brain surgeon. Whatever she tells me -- she usually writes down the medical terms -- I will tell you and that will help you google it. She doesn't mind answering questions, but I try to keep them brief so she doesn't get annoyed.



    Everyone knows someone who knows something. The key is figure out who knows who.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Researching information on certain occupations and procedures?

      Google, baby, google....

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Researching information on certain occupations and procedures?

        Call Michael Crichton.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Researching information on certain occupations and procedures?

          http://www.waiting.com/brainfunction.html

          http://skepdic.com/memory.html
          sigpic
          "As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world -
          that is the myth of the atomic age - as in being able to remake ourselves."
          -Mahatma Gandhi.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Researching information on certain occupations and procedures?

            Originally posted by mad_r0
            For example, i aim to write a story that the central element to it is the part of the brain that stores memory.

            The problem is i know nothing of it.
            some questions on here are so easily solved by google.

            but ill start you out:

            the cerebral cortex is the location of memory and higher end intelligence functions.

            now, please look here:

            http://medinfo.ufl.edu/year2/neuro/review/cc.html

            So obviously i have to resarch on brain doctors that specialize in that area. Now the task at hand is, how do i do that? DO i just ring up my local surgeon/hospital and tell them what the deal is? Put up an ad somewhere? How do i get such info?
            im not sure what you're asking here. a doctor might say "a bullet got lodged into his frontal lobe. the patient might have difficulty forming new memories."

            i dunno if that's what you were asking about.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Researching information on certain occupations and procedures?

              Thanks for the replies guys. Unfortuately i've tried google, but nothing i found is specific enough to help, close, but no cigar. Now i've got to start referencing books on human anatomy.

              Also nobody knows how to approach a doctor or somebody else in the related fields without being blown off? Everyone is as stumped as me i guess.

              Looks like i'll be trawling google again tonight.

              Well, if you are very specific about what you want, I will ask my sister in-law. She's a brain surgeon. Whatever she tells me -- she usually writes down the medical terms -- I will tell you and that will help you google it. She doesn't mind answering questions, but I try to keep them brief so she doesn't get annoyed.
              Echo, thanks for the offer but i believe there will be a lot of conferencing on my behalf regarding the subject, and i beleive you sister in law will be thorughly ticked off. Thus, better we leave her alone. Thanks again for the offer.

              im not sure what you're asking here. a doctor might say "a bullet got lodged into his frontal lobe. the patient might have difficulty forming new memories."

              i dunno if that's what you were asking about.
              That is PRECISELY what i'm talking about.

              Qaz and Tabula, spanks for the links.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Researching information on certain occupations and procedures?

                Originally posted by mad_r0
                Also nobody knows how to approach a doctor or somebody else in the related fields without being blown off? Everyone is as stumped as me i guess.
                i dont see why you need to ask doctors? im confused by this. it's really basic anatomy/phsysiology, just look under any brain & behavior chapter and you'll get the answers. walk into borders and pick up a physiology book, if you cant find it thru google.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Researching information on certain occupations and procedures?

                  There's also user groups. I was researching bee behavior for a book and picked up a lot more useful information that I didn't find in a general bee book by going to a group for bee enthusiasts. I sent my question to the moderator and asked that it be passed along to the group, and anyone interested in answering some questions on bees could contact me. That way, members could e-mail me directly, and I wasn't taking up much of the group's time. I made sure to thank everyone who replied, and there were quite a few. They volunteered answers to questions I didn't know to ask.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Researching information on certain occupations and procedures?

                    My very first script was a medical script about a subject I know very well where the terminology was perfect and I can say quite honestly nobody cares about the details. Oh they were nice, said "it's obvious you know the medical jargon and the details" but it didn't help the story one bit. It still sits in a drawer.

                    Don't put in "doctor speak" if you can possibly avoid it. Usually you can. Because nobody cares about medical details. Any professional who watches ER or any medical show occasionally sees a huge lapse in procedure or reaction. But it doesn't matter because it's a TV show, not brain surgery.

                    I would avoid hospital scenes altogether, and make the audience figure out which part of his brain was affected. You could have a doctor come out to the waiting room, shake his head, and then the protag act out the symptoms.

                    Nobody understood the reason Drew Barrymore couldn't remember 50 First Dates except she hit her head in a car wreck. Enough for the movie to work. Nobody understood what part of the brain was affected in Regarding Henry, he got shot in the head.

                    In short, it doesn't matter in a script. Just make the rest of the script work and nobody cares.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Researching information on certain occupations and procedures?

                      Originally posted by merrymary
                      My very first script was a medical script about a subject I know very well where the terminology was perfect and I can say quite honestly nobody cares about the details. Oh they were nice, said "it's obvious you know the medical jargon and the details" but it didn't help the story one bit. It still sits in a drawer.

                      Don't put in "doctor speak" if you can possibly avoid it. Usually you can. Because nobody cares about medical details. Any professional who watches ER or any medical show occasionally sees a huge lapse in procedure or reaction. But it doesn't matter because it's a TV show, not brain surgery.

                      I would avoid hospital scenes altogether, and make the audience figure out which part of his brain was affected. You could have a doctor come out to the waiting room, shake his head, and then the protag act out the symptoms.

                      Nobody understood the reason Drew Barrymore couldn't remember 50 First Dates except she hit her head in a car wreck. Enough for the movie to work. Nobody understood what part of the brain was affected in Regarding Henry, he got shot in the head.

                      In short, it doesn't matter in a script. Just make the rest of the script work and nobody cares.
                      Good advice. Thanks mary.

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X