Where is Dr. Marcus Welby?
Picture the kindly doctor who seemed to have all the time in the world to solve medical ills, did so with a smile on his face, was highly respectful of his patients, made housecalls, and never seemed to ask for money. That was Marcus Welby, MD. Except that he didn’t really exist. He appeared only on TV, in the guise of Robert Young, from 1969 to 1976 and spoke to generations of those who wished their doctors were so skilled and kindly, too. Whether you remember Marcus Welby or not, you may be interested in some of the contrasts to today’s practice of medicine: • Dr. Welby and his young assistant, Steven Kiley (played by James Brolin) were both white males. Today, fewer than 50% of American physicians are white male. The numbers of women and minorities in medicine rise annually. • Drs. Welby
