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PROFESSIONAL ISSUESDOs ready for their close-ups, looking to make their mark on TVOsteopathic physicians say a letter-writing campaign directed at television producers was also a good way to build camaraderie among DOs.By Damon Adams, AMNews staff. Nov. 1, 2004. Doctors of osteopathic medicine want to create a buzz in Hollywood. The kind of hype that makes producers take note and directors say, "Get me their agent!" They hope to break into television. Perhaps get a bit part on "ER" or a guest shot on the daytime drama "The Young and the Restless." They aren't going about it with fancy glossy headshots or piling on auditions. They're using postcards. The American Osteopathic Assn. embarked on a month-long letter-writing campaign in September to nudge TV producers to add DO characters to their scripts. The idea: Get some visibility for DOs so the public knows who they are and what they do. Like an actor plotting his big break, the AOA targeted four shows: "ER," "The Young and the Restless," "Everwood" and "Strong Medicine." It pitched the concept to its members and circulated the cards to be mailed to the executive producer of each show. The cards enlighten Hollywood heavyweights to the virtues of osteopathic physicians and toss out some story ideas to incorporate DOs in their shows. "You never see a DO on the shows. To the entertainment industry, we don't exist," said Ira Azneer, DO, an internist in Largo, Fla. who sent in a postcard. "If it doesn't affect ratings, I don't know if they listen to anybody." The card to "ER" said the show has yet to touch on the fact there are allopathic and osteopathic physicians and mentioned that nearly 3,000 of the 54,000 DOs in the United States practice emergency medicine. It mentioned that California emergency physician Jon Fong, DO, is a medical adviser to "ER". Two storylines were also proposed. In one, a patient sees the badge of the physician treating her and asks, "What is a DO?" [...]Full text of AMNews content is available to AMA members and paid subscribers.
Copyright 2004 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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