Wayne State doctor turns on TV

Cynthia Shelby-Lane, MD, describes herself as “a perpetual wanna be.” This assistant professor of emergency medicine has done theater, stand-up comedy, video production and independent films. If she has anything to say about it, her next media market will be television.

Dr. Shelby-Lane recently won first place in the annual Pitch Me! Competition, which is sponsored by the National Association of Television and Program Executives, and allows amateurs to pitch their ideas for a television show. Dr. Shelby-Lane’s winning idea is a program called Second Opinion. She describes it this way, “It’s the medical version of Politically Incorrect. Theoretically, I’m Bill Maher, the host. The show opens with me doing a three-minute medical comedy monologue, and is followed by debates from medical experts, doctors, celebrities and everyday folks.” She plans to explore such issues as aging, arthritis and alternative medicine.

In reward for winning the competition, Dr. Shelby-Lane took an expense-paid trip to Hollywood to meet with studio executives about the show’s potential. In addition, she has discussed Second Opinions with Discovery Health, Microsoft and Intellocity.com. No contracts have been signed, yet, but Dr. Shelby-Lane has big plans for the future.

Her past on-stage experience includes stints with the Second City Training Center, the Spike Lee Film Institute, and Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle in Royal Oak, Mich. “This is just another way to combine laughter and medicine,” she said. “My universal prescription for patients: Take two jokes and call me in the morning.”