Basics for Becoming a Medical Expert Witness Program with Amy Fogelman, MD

Our Exclusive C.B.A. Expert Witness Accelerator Framework

covers these 3 areas:

C. Courtroom: Learn the Legal Framework

→ Learn the Legal Basics with our Legal Terminology Guide:

Without understanding the actual legal definitions, it’s easy to misinterpret your assignment and to end out on a limb that you can not climb back from.

Our Legal Terminology guide and video explain the legalese in easy-to-understand terms that you refer to when reviewing your cases. You will understand why it is important to understand and review the legal questions BEFORE you start your chart review.

With our Legal Terminology guide and video, you will:

• Ensure that your expert opinion can withstand legal scrutiny on cross-examination.
• Understand the legal questions that are asked so that your reviews are on-point for A+ analysis to impress your hiring attorney, even if you do not support their side of the case, so that they will want to hire you again. 

→ Identify your Case Types Now:

Without defining which types of cases are within your area of expertise and interest, it is easy to land medical-legal jobs that are either in the wrong medical area or the wrong-fit case type.

You will learn the nuances of two major types of cases in medical legal work: personal injury and medical malpractice cases. This includes plaintiff and defense cases, and common issues to avoid when choosing to work on each case type.

Our Case selection video will help you: 

• Ensure that any medical-legal jobs you select are the right fit cases for you. 

• Save you time from unnecessary calls by screening cases ahead of time. 

• Keep your credibility and integrity intact by understanding the nuances involved in all case types.

→ Learn the Expert Regulations and Guidelines:

Without understanding the regulations and ethical guidelines, you could unknowingly damage your credibility and integrity as an expert witness.

The regulations governing the case depend on the case type and in which court the case is filed. The Federal courts and each state have their own regulations. There also may be requirements based on your medical specialty. 

With our Requirement Worksheets and video, you will review and document the legal and ethical requirements now, so that you:

• Make sure that you only opine on cases in which you meet the requirements, to maintain your credibility as an expert witness. 

• Select an expert niche to ensure that your opinion stays within your actual area of expertise.

• Ensure that your expert testimony is credible and ethical.

• Ensure that you are following state and/or federal requirements when serving as an expert, to avoid queries from opposing counsel about the scientific principles and/or your credentials. 

→ Learn Best Practices in Medical Record Reviews, Report Writing, Depositions, and Trial Testimony: 

If you do not have an organized and informed process, you can unknowingly harm your credibility as an expert witness, resulting in attorneys not rehiring you and/or telling others not to hire you.

Our videos show you a systematic process for record review and methods for report writing and testifying. You review the medical records and discuss findings with the attorney. Cases may also require a report, deposition, and/or trial testimony. 

With our systematic record-review process and methods for writing expert reports and testifying videos, you:

• Ensure that your expert opinion can stand up to legal scrutiny on cross-examination.

• Maximize your time spent on billable tasks and minimize time wasted due to disorganization.

• Stay organized to make future tasks such as report writing, deposition, and trial testimony more efficient and thorough.

• Ensure that the report is written and formatted well since it may be used during your deposition and trial testimony as the basis of your opinion.

• Learn the basics for deposition and trial testimony to prepare for your case.

• Impress attorneys with your reports and testimony so that they are likely to rehire you and recommend you to colleagues.

B. Business: Create and Nurture Your Expert Small Business 

→ Create Your Small Business Entity: 

By forming a small business entity, you avoid the need to share your social security number with law firms at tax time. There are also associated tax benefits.

With our New Business Checklist, you use our easy step-by-step process to create your own small business (LLC, PLLC, S corp, etc.) including applying for appropriate entities at state and federal levels, and signing up for associated business accounts.

By using our New Business Checklist, you will:

• Follow our easy roadmap to finally establish your own small business. 
• Learn which insurance you need to protect your expert witness business and why. 
• Have important information on hand at tax time, including potential write-offs, to review with your accountant. 

→ Learn Best Practices for Attorney Communications: 

Without knowing the best practices in attorney communications, you can easily find yourself confused about your role, what you can bill for, and the terms of your assignment.

The first attorney phone call is when the lawyer interviews you to see if they want to retain you as the medical expert for their case. Our Attorney Intake Form is a worksheet for you to fill out during that call. Learn how and why to request a retention agreement and retainer before you begin your document review via our video.

Using our “plug and play” Attorney Intake Worksheet and video, you will:  

• Ensure that the cases you accept are well within your area of expertise and that you have no conflicts of interest so that you can opine confidently. 

• Discuss expectations at the outset to avoid miscommunications in billing, scheduling, etc. with the hiring attorney and ensure that your relationship remains a positive one. 

• Learn how to bill for your work to ensure that you are compensated appropriately.

→ Choose software to run and grow your Business:

Without using the appropriate software, you may find your expert witness business disorganized and that you are wasting time on non-billable tasks

There are numerous software options including billing, time tracking, PDF readers, scheduling, and file management that our video discusses in detail, including options for each.

By watching our video and adopting appropriate software for your small business early on, you can:

• Send professional invoices easily on a regular basis and track payments received. 

• Ensure that all communications appear professional.

• Maximize your time spent on billable tasks.

• Easily track your time and expenses.

• Use software to your advantage when doing document reviews and report writing.

A. Advertising: Keep your credibility intact while maximizing your marketing assets to attract more attorney clients

→ Market Your Business Your Way:

Without a marketing game plan, you will not stand out from your competition, attorneys will not be able to find or reach you, and you may unintentionally make mistakes that hamper your integrity.

With our Marketing Matrix, you decide how to handle your expert business marketing. You choose a pathway based on the degree of effort you want to expend and the cost if any, you wish to pay.

You are given a step-by-step marketing plan to help you reach your goals to help you:

• Stand out from other experts in your same specialty so that the attorney chooses you.

• Book more attorney intake calls.

• Be known as the go-to expert in your field.

→Optimize Your Expert Witness CV:

Without a CV that stands out to hiring attorneys, you will be bypassed for potential expert cases that you are interested in.

Our CV Optimization Worksheets and video outline a step-by-step process that will show you how to edit your CV so that it is thorough and accurate. Your CV will be scrutinized by potential hiring attorneys when they are choosing whom to hire as an expert for their case. Once you are hired, the CV will also be dissected by opposing counsel to discredit you. 

Using our CV Optimization Worksheets and video, you will edit your CV for Expert Witness Work, to:

• Avoid common CV mistakes that would repel hiring attorneys.
• Include all your important accomplishments so attorneys understand your worth and choose to retain you, over your competition, for their cases.
• Avoid mistakes that would discredit you to opposing counsel, so that your expert credibility remains intact.

→ Use Social Media for Increased Visibility to attorneys:

If you do not have an optimized LinkedIn profile, you miss out on potential attorneys reaching out to you about cases in your niche.

Our step-by-step worksheets and video allow you to optimize your LinkedIn profile so that you retain your professional credibility while maximizing the likelihood that you are found by potential attorneys for their cases.

With our LinkedIn Worksheets and Social Media Video, you will:

• Ensure that your profile contains searchable keywords, and your niche is described in lay language so attorneys will reach out to you with cases that you want. 

• Create a free profile that is searchable by attorneys and law firms.

• Use your profile to reach out to attorneys and other experts.

• Avoid social media pitfalls that would stain your expert credibility.

→ Learn the other Expert Witness Marketing Options:

Without understanding the marketing options, it’s easy to end up signing up with a service that does not have your and their interests aligned, or, on the other hand, to avoid marketing altogether and missing out on getting expert cases.

Our comprehensive catalog includes a list of the major services with a breakdown of their major differences including their finance models, if you will be listed publicly or privately, and feedback from other experts who have used the services. Our video teaches you about expert witness advertising services including online directories and referral services.

With our comprehensive Expert Witness Listing Service Catalog and video, you will:

• Decide whether you wish to list with service(s).

• Understand the pros and cons of each referral service and directory so you can make educated decisions about whether to list.

• Avoid the companies that have been criticized by other medical experts for issues such as failure to pay their experts or inappropriately using data.

• Avoid advertising pitfalls that would blemish your expert credibility. 

The FULL Basics For Becoming A Medical Expert Witness Program:

Schedule: 

• 10 video modules (90-minutes total) of curated video education with ongoing access to the library for one year after purchase.
• The Private Basics for Becoming a Medical Expert Witness Facebook (FB) Support Group. 
• Email access / FB Messenger access to Amy for Quick Questions and Fast Answers.
• Monthly Live Group Q+A Sessions for additional support.
• Official Course Blueprint including all accompanying worksheets and handouts.

Bonuses: 

• The Expert Witness Templates: (Attorney Intake Form (PDF), Attorney Intake Tracker Sheet (Excel), Case Tracker Sheet (Excel)).

• Up to 10 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits (via CMEfy – powered by ReflectCE – for Physicians, Dentists, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Pharmacists, Physician Assistants, and other healthcare team members).

• New York Consulting Firm Introduction.

• *Preferred Expert Witness Status * in MED LAW Consulting, LLC’s Referral Database.

See more testimonials here: HERE.