Repost: Response to Health Sciecne Interview

Good Interview! I was not suprised how at how important technical writing was in the field because my dad is also a doctor. To answer Rodney's question, I asked him when he used technical writing. He first mentioned the importance of chart writing for communication with other physicians that would read the chart, which Dr. Knight mentioned. Some things he mentioned that Dr. Knight did not was when writing articles for journals. There are many medical journals that are published weekly or monthly in which doctors submit articles with the most recent findings and treatments in the field. My dad said that he has submitted dozens of articles that have been published and read around the world. He said he must also keep up with his readings of these articles to stay current with the care he provides. So not only does he write technical articles on a regular basis, he also reads them. My dad also said he gives many presentations to other doctors who would understand the technical terms as well as to common people without the technical knowledge. He gave a talk which included a powerpoint presentation to a woman's group at our church just last week. He said it is very important to break down the technical terminology to a level his audience can understand. I hope this helps.