If you’re a voice actor, what do you dream of doing? Is it narrating an exciting documentary? Being the voice of a national brand? Telling an author’s story?
Maybe medical narration isn’t what comes to mind, as this type of voice work presents many challenges you may not find with other types of work; however, that also means it comes with its own rewards.
In this article
- An Overview of Medical Narration
- Seeing the Importance of the Topic
- Understanding the Meaning Behind Words Can Make them Easier to Pronounce
- Helping Patients and Doctors Understand New Information
- About Anatol Silotch
As a voice actor, you’re always a storyteller, and medical narration offers yet another opportunity to breathe life into important, maybe even life-saving information. But how do you rise to the challenge of breaking down complex information and relaying it with clarity and enthusiasm?
Dr. Anatol Silotch is a Medical Doctor (MD) and a voice actor. He shares how you can tailor your approach and get a jump start in this rewarding line of voice over work.
An Overview of Medical Narration
Generally, there are two types of medical narration.
1) You’re explaining a new drug or product to a patient.
2) Your audience is the physician or someone in the medical field.
No matter which type you’re taking on, Anatol suggests that keeping the audience in mind is key, especially when the target audience is patients. If he knows his target audience is patients, and if it’s possible, he tries to “slow things down so people have a moment to process this new information” and digest what it means for them.
Seeing the Importance of the Topic
As someone with a medical background, Anatol is very passionate when he does medical narration.
While some may see the copy as dry or dull, he has an enthusiasm that translates. “You’re going to hear when I’m talking about it that I’m excited about what it is and that excitement carries over and uses centers of your brain that wouldn’t otherwise be activated. So, if you can make it pleasurable for the audience, they’re going to associate it better in their minds,” he says.
He advises anytime you’re doing medical narration that you keep the importance of the topic in mind to help you see past the challenging words and dry content.
Understanding the Meaning Behind Words Can Make them Easier to Pronounce
Anatol suggests that if even if you don’t have a medical background, medical narration is still something you can do. “If anything, it’s like an extension of your own language. So, if you have an appreciation for languages, that in itself is an easy enough reason to pursue it, but otherwise it’s something about the field of medicine,” he says.
He sees medical narration as a form of teaching, and says that “taking the words and actually breaking them down” is something he finds helpful when he’s trying to pass information along.
He gives the example of myocardial infarction and breaks it down like this: myo means ‘muscle’, and cardial refers to ‘cardium’, which means it’s related to the heart. Infarction is from the Latin word infarcire and can mean ‘to plug up’. In essence, you’re discussing the idea of plugging up a vessel that supplies blood to your heart. That ends up being a heart attack.
Helping Patients and Doctors Understand New Information
For those seeking work in the field of medical narration, Anatol advises you consider the importance of what you’re reading. “I think, definitely keep an open mind and be aware that this abstract idea, or this seemingly abstract idea, is something that could potentially change the life of someone out there.
“So, when you realize the power behind the field you’re approaching, I think you learn to have more of a respect for it and there’s a sense of justice almost to humankind that you can appreciate if you actually commit to it.”
If you’re ready to try narration for yourself, sign up for a Voices account today, learn about membership options, or explore medical narration demos.
About Anatol Silotch
A native of Moldova, Dr. Anatol Silotch and his family fled the country when he was just a child. Raised in Canada, he is now a fluent speaker of English, French, Romanian, and Spanish. His gift of languages led him to discover the field of medicine he is currently pursuing. That same linguistic ability, combined with his talents in acting, led him into the realm of voice overs.
Anatol now voices projects across the spectrum, ranging from the introduction of medical advancements to other doctors, to bringing characters in children’s books to life. Find out more about voice actor Anatol Silotch on his website.
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