It's time for a D.O. character on ER

[MOXIEJEN DO 2003]

If you are a D.O. student or an Osteopathic Philosophy advocate, please help us to encourage NBC to add a balanced D.O. Character (meaning one who incorporates manipulation into his or her practice, but does not appear to do manipulation only) by writing a letter to:
Michael Crichton
ER Executive Producer/Creator
c/o NBC
3000 West Alameda Avenue
Burbank, CA 91523

fyi- thanks to NOVA2003 for obtaining the appropriate address, and for making it known that the medical advisor for the program is a DO who graduated from COMP/WUHS.

jen

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[StillBorn]

You have got to be kidding me...

1) as a medical student I have much more important issues to be concerned with.

2) if you can find one Emergency Medicine DO that actually uses manipulation in the ER I'd be interested to know who it is. (He's in V Fib, order a CV4 and cervical HVLA STAT).

 

[edgar]

Surprisingly, some of my friends who are only interested in allopathic schools think that DOs treat every illness/symptom with manipulation first and use modern medication/surgery as a last resort. I don't think it is possible for the ER show to accurately portray osteopathic medicine in such a technical specialty such as emergency medicine. In my understanding, the majority of DOs who do in fact do manipulation are either OMT specialists, family practitioners or internists. ER docs (MDs and DOs) are usually so busy trying to bring patients back to life that it does not seem practical for them to do OMT in emergent cases.

EDGAR

 

[Jack DOe]

In reality, most ER's take about a month to see as much action seen on most episodes of ER. Saving lives happens less than looking into infected ears or stitches. In the ER, you see many sick people who need an antibiotic or may need to be admitted for various other problems. OMM can be highly utilized in the ER such as the lymphatic pump and other procedures that open areas of edema.



[This message has been edited by Jack DOe (edited April 14, 1999).]

 

[Nova2003]

Coming from someone that watches ER frequently, I would say that it is perfectly feasable for a DO on the show to do OMM. Things on the show don't always take place under emergent conditions. Also, not all the physicians are ER docs.

Nova2003

[This message has been edited by Nova2003 (edited April 14, 1999).]

 

[Gregory Gulick]

Stillborn, of course no D.O. is going to use OMM as the primary course of Tx for an MI (I know you meant that as a joke). Anyway, FYI my best friend was a trauma tech at Halifax Hospital (Daytona Beach, FL -- Level I trauma center). Their top ER doc is Kirby Haws, D.O. who has done OMM on multiple occasions -- for musculoskeletal injuries, not for MIs.

Also, because D.O.s are a minority, having a D.O. on ER would be problematic for the producers. I'm afraid that it would be a no-win situation for them. Whether they INCLUDE or EXCLUDE manipulation, certain segments of the osteopathic profession will take issue with the fact that OMM was portrayed incorrectly while others would argue that it shouldn't have been portrayed at all. We aren't a unified profession, so it would be tough (though not impossible) to properly depict us.

 

[cliff]

Bad idea I think.

By the way, there is a DO as one of the writers/medical consultants on the show staff. One of Western U's heralded alumni is on the 'inside.' There used to be some info about this doc on their web pages, but I was unable to find it again tonight.

My current job takes me onto NBC and the other studios and I am sorta in the' Hollywood' thing. I think it would be awful to typecast a DO into ER. It is a cheesy show which spotlights one specialty. I would hate to see DOs typecast by the public. One of our professions greatests assets is each of our own ability to incorporate our own degree of O-med into our daily practice. It would be really hard to articulate this on screen and this forum.

Personally, I am working on a writing project which will highlight our profession much better.

Still, osteopathic medicine on screen could be a golden fleece or a can worms.

 

[HeatherR]

Do you really want ER to decide your reputation with the American public? Look what they did for med students with that babblind idiot Lucy! I'm doing an elective in ER, and several times patients have called me Lucy thinking it was oh so funny.