She told her husband she'd divorce him if he ever took a medical malpractice case.
Here's what changed her mind.
Set aside 30 minutes. By the end you'll know exactly whether this is something worth pursuing — and what your first step would be.
I used to assume expert witness work was for a very specific type of physician. Older. Probably someone with "emeritus" in their title.
After this conversation with Dr. Amy Fogelman, I think a lot of us have been wrong about that.
Trying to decide if expert work is for you?
Here are the parts you'll definitely want to see.Â
2:36 — When do physicians do this work?
Amy talks about what the work looks like logistically, including when and where physicians do it.
4:59 — Will this feel gross?
We talk directly about the concern that expert witness work means betraying other doctors.
10:33 — The dinner table moment that changed her mind
Dr. Amy Fogelman shares how she went from wanting nothing to do with malpractice work to seeing where physicians can be genuinely useful.
12:29 — Am I expert enough?
For the doctor who assumes this is only for textbook authors, department chairs, or old white men.Â
16:22 — What do physicians actually earn?
We talk openly about realistic expert witness rates.Â
Most physicians doing this work make $500–$900 per hour, with $2,500–$4,500 retainers per case.
Dr. Fogelman has a course that walks you through the whole thing.
See what's inside the course →You don't have to have testified before. You don't have to be a department chair. And you don't have to be a physician.
You will be walked step by step through how to find cases, work with attorneys, set your fees, and decide which cases are worth taking.
This course is accredited for up to 10 CME credits and is open to all clinically active healthcare professionals, including dentists, pharmacists, psychologists, nurses, NPs, PAs, podiatrists, veterinarians, and others with clinical expertise.
"Since completing her course, I've been able to cut down my clinical practice by one day per week due to the added income." Niran Al-Agba, MD
Dr. Amy G. Fogelman is a physician and founder of High Rock Experts.
After more than 20 years in Harvard-affiliated institutions, she has matched over 600 medical experts with attorneys and now teaches physicians how to approach expert witness work ethically and professionally.
Dr. Karen Leitner is a physician, speaker, and coach for women physicians. She also advocates for healthcare worker mental health as an Ambassador for the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation.
She coaches and speaks nationally on sustainability in medicine, workflow, boundaries, leadership, negotiation, imposter thinking, and the realities of modern clinical practice.Since 2020, she has helped hundreds of women physicians feel more capable, less consumed by work, and more like themselves again.
*A note from Karen: I'm an affiliate for Amy's course, which means I may receive a commission if you decide to enroll through my link. I only share things I'd recommend to a colleague.
