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Docs on the box: Satisfaction from reaching thousands each broadcast

Doctors on television and radio see their media work as a way to teach more people about being healthy.

By Damon Adams, amednews staff. Aug. 26, 2002.

Pediatrician Bruce Buehler, MD, has become something of a local celebrity thanks to his call-in TV show on KMTV3, the CBS affiliate in Omaha, Neb.

Men have approached him to ask questions while he's shaving in the gym locker room. At the local Kmart, a woman once approached him with a less-than-flattering comment.

"She said, 'I thought you were only supposed to look fatter on TV,' " said Dr. Buehler, chair of pediatrics and director of the Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

Usually the feedback is more positive.

Dr Buehler said viewers of his show tell him the program has helped them go on a diet or work to get their cholesterol down.

Dr. Buehler and other physicians featured on TV or radio as hosts and medical experts say the satisfaction they get from their broadcast work outweighs the sting of the occasional critic. And the airtime gives them a chance to reach beyond their own patients and help more people improve their health. They impart their medical wisdom on cable access in the wee hours of the morning, spell out the latest advances on the 6 o'clock news and sound off on flu shots to country radio listeners.

They acknowledge it's a bit of an ego boost.

"You have to realize that you are potentially talking to 20, 30, 40 thousand people, and that's a rush," Dr. Buehler said.

Naturally, doctors appearing on the major networks are seen by many more viewers, typically millions. They often are trained and paid to put a professional face on medicine during broadcasts.

But what about doctors who take time out of their practice to produce a cable access show or to appear in a local news segment or on a call-in health show?

Many of them receive no pay. They consider it a public service.

"When a doctor sees a patient for 10 minutes, there's not a lot of extra time for education," said Jack Thomas, MD, a family physician and director of the family practice residency program at Pacific Hospital in Long Beach, Calif., who talks about health matters on his own TV show, "Dr. Jack's House Calls" "They can tune in [to a doctor's show] and get more information. It's real useful."

If you're looking for a nice second income this might not be the right place. But some physicians have been known to pick up a new patient or two along the way.

"The possibility of getting a paid job in radio or television is like winning the lottery," said Harvey Ruben, MD, MPH, president of the National Assn. of Medical Communicators. Dr. Ruben, a clinical professor and director of continuing education for the Dept. of Psychiatry at the Yale University Medical School, New Haven, Conn., used to be syndicated on the NBC radio network.

Dr. Buehler said he gets a few calls from potential patients after his TV show airs, but he doesn't seek out such patients.

For Angela L. Brown, MD, being on television is about educating the public, not expanding her practice.

"It's not like all of a sudden my practice has been flooded with patients, and that's fine," said Dr. Brown, who does a two-minute segment each week on CBS affiliate KMOV-TV in St. Louis. Away from the station, she is an internist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and a clinical instructor of internal medicine at Washington University School of Medicine.

Dr. Brown decides on the topic to be discussed during her segment, then sends the TV anchors the questions they should ask her.

"If I send them the questions, I can guarantee the information I want the public to get," she said.

She gets to the studio about 6:20 a.m. each Monday, goes on the air and is done and back home by 7:05. Three years after she first appeared on television, she is now relaxed in front of the camera.

"For about the first year, I was always nervous ahead of time that I would stutter or forget an answer," she said. "Now it's almost like having a conversation with the two news anchors."

Initially, many physicians are more comfortable with a stethoscope around their necks than studio lights over their heads. But some find it easier to step into the spotlight because of related experiences.

Dr. Buehler's past as a disc jockey for a country radio station helped ease the transition.

William Gust, MD, an internist, got used to being in front of people as a musician, including playing violin in a symphony orchestra. He got started in radio as a guest then moved on to host his own weekly radio call-in program, "Community Health Line," on KIOS-FM in Omaha. He also does a monthly live interactive TV program on local cable.

Being known is nice, said Dr. Gust, who once had a waiter recognize his voice.

That does wonders for your ego.

"You know it's true, even if you deny it," Dr. Gust admits.

Dr. Gust tries to hone his on-air skills by watching tapes of himself. Often, he gets his best advice at the dinner table.

"My worst critics are always my family. They say, 'Dad, you're talking too fast,' or 'Dad, you're adjusting your tie too much.' You learn from that," said Dr. Gust, assistant professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

Marc Schneiderman, MD, turned to a writer-producer friend when he was molding his TV medical journal, "The Doctor Is In," for cable access television. The Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians advised him on how to do makeup for TV, and he was told not to wear short socks. (It doesn't look professional to show leg -- unintentionally -- on TV.)

Dr. Schneiderman's show airs four times a year on Moon Community Access Television in Moon Township, Pa. The family physician writes the material, and the station edits the video. Taping is done on Wednesday afternoons when the doctor is off and usually takes an hour.

"He puts more time and effort into his show than most community producers," said station manager Jim Koepfinger.

Now in its third year, the TV show usually features Dr. Schneiderman interviewing other physicians on topics ranging from cancer to pediatric care to socialized medicine.

"Initially, it was fun because you were in front of a camera," Dr. Schneiderman said. "You make like you're a TV star."

His TV gig has led to speaking engagements. Fame is fleeting, though, and Dr. Schneiderman hasn't let local stardom go to his head. He doesn't demand special treatment.

It doesn't even bother him if viewers skip parts of his show. "You don't read a whole magazine," he reasons. "You're not going to watch every segment."

Like Dr. Schneiderman, Lewis First, MD, writes his own material. He works on the script on weekends and walks around the house memorizing it. He punches up his "First With Kids" TV and radio program in Burlington, Vt., with puns and jokes. The pediatrician may skateboard, climb in a crib, ski or plunge into a pool.

"I'll do whatever it takes to get people's attention, relative to the message," said Dr. First, chair of pediatrics at the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington.

For a segment on the health aspects of tattoos, he put a giant roll-on Hello Kitty tattoo on one of his biceps and started flexing. He pretended he couldn't rub it off, which had nurses later asking to see it. But that's show business.

"I tend to have a good time," he said, "and at the same time, I provide good information."

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

So, you want to be a star?

Want to be on television or radio?

According to the experts, it isn't easy.

"I always tell people it's harder to get into television than medicine," said Leigh Vinocur, MD, an emergency physician who appears on the news for WBAL television and radio in Baltimore.

But if you are determined, you can get on the air, say physicians who have done it. Some suggestions to get you started:

Check with your hospital to see if they do a TV or radio segment on local stations, then offer to participate. "That sort of gets your foot in the door to know some people," Dr. Vinocur said.
Volunteer to be a guest on an existing show.
Make media contacts through neighbors, friends and colleagues.
Get training. The annual AMA Medical Communications and Health Reporting Conference offers workshops on topics such as on-air camera skills, interviewing techniques and story packaging. The next conference is April 10-12, 2003, in San Francisco. Some specialty societies also offer training.
Be persistent and patient.

"It's becoming much more difficult to get into radio, because there are just too few slots," said Harvey Ruben, MD, MPH, president of the National Assn. of Medical Communicators. "But we love to get good doctors in the media."