Still Cranky

There's a scary new epidemic sweeping across America.             I call it "Dr. Phil Syndrome".  This mysterious malady occurs when doctors who become tv personalities are referred to by only their first names.  And I'm afraid it's spreading.

This week, MSNBC launched a new show featuring Dr. Nancy Snyderman.          Dr. Snyderman will interview guests on a host of issues, from national health care to cookie dough recalls. 

 I've always kind of liked Dr. Snyderman.  She's a surgeon who used to practice here in San Francisco before she made it big as an author and broadcaster.     She's now NBC's Chief Medical Editor.  Dr. Snyderman is straightforward and only mildly condescending when explaining complicated medical stuff to the   Great Unwashed.  She seems very knowledgable.  I like listening to her impart sensible medical information while she looks into the camera with her sparkly, blue-eyed gaze (I wish she'd tell us the name of her plastic surgeon…she's had some amazing work done).

I don't know if Dr. Snyderman has what it takes to carry her own show.  But I do know that the name of the show is enough to make me sick.  It's called…
"Dr. Nancy".   

Dr. Snyderman has been a regular guest on "The Today Show" for years. I cringed whenever I heard the hosts of that show referring to her simply as "Dr. Nancy".  But I figured it was just a harmless nickname.  How wrong I was.  

Seriously, what is it with these first-name-only doctors?  Have TV producers decided that we Americans are too lazy – or too lame – to refer to medical doctors by their first and last names?  Is it a calculated effort to make the docs seem friendlier, less intimidating, more accessible?  Is it simply a matter of creating cute, catchy names that they hope the audience will remember?  Or does MSNBC think we viewers are a bunch of 5 year olds?  My goodness, even "Mr. Rogers" had a last name. He wasn't "Mr. Fred".

Of course, we've also had "Nurse Betty", and now, "Nurse Jackie".  But those titles refer to fictional characters.  And I get the feeling that some real life nurses are advocating the first-name thing. Recently, I had an ER nurse who introduced herself to me as "Nurse Patty" and even had that written on her name  tag.  I found it rather  comforting and endearing (if you happen to be a nurse who despises this trend or finds it disrespectful, let me know).

But I like my doctors to have last names.  It adds a touch of gravitas that is always so welcome in a physician.  You don't, after all, want to show up for brain surgery with a Neurosurgeon known as "Doctor Mikey".

I guess MSNBC isn't after gravitas; they're after ratings. Otherswise, they could have called the show "Health Matters with Dr. Nancy Snyderman" or something semi-respectable.  But instead, we have "Dr. Nancy".   Gee, if I sit still through the next show, do you think she'll give me a lollipop?