Years active 1966-present | Name Walter Dishell | |
Full Name Walter David Dischell Occupation Otolaryngologist, Medical consultant, TV screenwriter Known for Writer/Medical-Technical advisor for such TV series as:Medical CenterTrapper John, M.D.M*A*S*HKnots Landing | ||
Dr walter dishell on writing a m a s h episode with alan alda emmytvlegends org
Walter Dishell, M.D. (born Walter David Dishell on July 16, 1939 in Detroit, Michigan) is an Otolaryngologist - Head and Neck Surgeon (or ENT - ear, nose, and throat specialist) who served as a medical consultant on several long-running TV shows, including M*A*S*M*A*S*H, Medical Center, Trapper John, M.D., and Knots Landing.
Contents
- Dr walter dishell on writing a m a s h episode with alan alda emmytvlegends org
- Dr walter dishell on how m a s h came about emmytvlegends org
- Career
- References
Dr walter dishell on how m a s h came about emmytvlegends org
Career
Dishell, who is subspecialized in facial cosmetic surgery, first began using his medical background in entertainment when, soon after he completed his residency in plastic surgery at UCLA, CBS asked him to be a medical adviser for the show Medical Center in the 1960s. Like many other similar shows, Medical Center focused on physician-patient relationships instead of the actual medicine itself. Dishell said that "the disease itself didn't matter... [CBS] would give me a dramatic story and then I would build the medicine around it.”
One challenge Dishell faced as a medical consultant for M*A*S*M*A*S*H was always making sure that the medicine Alan Alda and his fellow actors and actresses practiced was not too advanced. Dishell consulted medical textbooks from the 1950s and professional publications like the Journal of War Surgery to ensure the show’s historical accuracy.
Dishell was also the medical reporter for NBC News from 1983–1985, and frequently appeared on ABC's A.M. Los Angeles as a medical consultant. In 1986, he established the Aesthetic Surgery Associates of Encino, California.