Does it really make sense for a neurosurgeon to be quoted in a news story about a new treatment for diabetes or prevention of obesity? Some reporters think so, leaving primary care physicians frustrated at the media’s lack of understanding of their broad range of expertise.
The media influences public views and behavior, with the help of popular public figures in various fields of specialty. One example is CNN’s selection of Sanjay Gupta, MD, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at Emory University School of Medicine and a medical correspondent who discusses primary care and public health topics—but rarely talks about neurosurgery. Another example is Mehmet Oz, MD, host of the popular Dr. Oz show, who discusses migraines, cancer screening, and exercise, but not cardiothoracic surgery—his specialty.
Besides playing up the importance of such specialists, the media sometimes portrays primary care physicians negatively. Consider the now-defunct TV series, Becker, whose lead character was a twice-divorced cynical doctor who was always annoyed by his patients. This is in sharp contrast to the TV doctors of previous generations, including an admirable general internist (Dr. Kildare) and a beloved family physician (Marcus Welby, MD).
We need to change the perception and role of family physicians in mainstream media. Doing so, however, requires a multitiered approach. One strategy would be for a coalition of family physicians to partner with leaders in entertainment and educational programming. Another strategy is simply to speak up.
Specialists like Dr. Gupta and Dr. Oz have made great strides in the public arena. It’s time for family physicians to step up. Let’s make ourselves available to our local press by, say, writing to local newspapers and suggesting that if they ever need an expert on primary care issues such as diabetes and migraine, we’d be happy to do an interview. Who knows who else might pick up the name of a doctor whom they had read about or seen on TV?
We can have a positive impact on the thoughts and actions of the public (and our colleagues in the medical community). We simply need to reach out to members of the media and speak up.
Trishul Reddy, MD
Johnson City, Tenn