BSO: Speaking of taking careers seriously each episode you, and the rest of the cast, do a great job bringing those emergency scenes to life. How difficult was it to learn those aspects of the job and is it getting any easier for you now that you’re in season 2?
YD: In the beginning it was super challenging. There was a lot of pressure to get everything right. Every detail the pronunciation of every word, the way you hold every instrument, everything. Even thought we have the support of techs on set, doctors and nurses. We really obsessed everything from the top on down. Our rehearsals would be very time consuming. We’d do multiple takes but now, although we have some new things coming about and there’s always something being presented that will teach both us and the audience, the basics we are a lot more comfortable with.
I’m not saying we take them for granted because we always have to check in and make sure we aren’t getting to comfortable.
BSO: Have you ever received any feed back from the audience on your hospital technique?
YD: I remember one day I posted a picture on instagram of myself and Marina Squerciati from Chicago PD because we had a cross over episode. We were just playing around and I had my stetchscope on pretending I was listening to her heart. Well I didn’t notice I had my stethoscope on backwards and nurses left some really angry comments on my picture.
BSO: Social media strikes again!
YD: It really gave me a lot insight to our audience. Real doctors and nurses are watching our show and they really care about us representing them well so we want to do our best and make them proud. We don’t want letters coming in. So although it’s kinda second nature how to intubate someone because we’ve been doing it over and over, we still do rehearsals and still check in with our med techs to make sure we are doing it right.
BSO: We’ve seen other members of the Dick Wolf family, like Mariska Hagartay, become heavily involved in advocating for domestic abuse victims as a sort of an extension of her SVU character. Has playing this type of role created an interest in working closely with charity organizations that benefit hospitals or things of that nature?
YD: That’s a good question. All of my charity work in the past surrounded women and the environment. This is my first interraction with the medical world.
I’ve never been a person who had to go the hospital or take drugs for anything. Playing this role makes me have so much respect for this profession. No opportunities like that have come up per se but I’m definitely open to them
BSO: The audience is ready for April’s return, her love life and everything that will happen this season, what do you want them to discover about April?
YD: The thing about TV, as the season goes on, I’m learning about my character just like you guys are. There are some things that come out that I can‘t predict. All I know is this particular battle she’s gong through will influence all her decisions. She’s always been a by the rules girl but we’ll see April get to be a little less guarded. She definitely has a wall and there’s a reason. There’s something she’s protecting and hopefully this season the audience we’ll get to see what that is.
BSO: I’m looking forward to it!
CHICAGO MED Season 2, premiers Thursday on NBC, 9/8c.