ADMISSION: 
Admission is free and open to everyone. Reservations required. RSVP beginning Monday, January 4, at 10 a.m. 

DESCRIPTION: 
How do medical dramas shape the way we understand illness and patient care? Through clips, conversation, and firsthand perspectives, this engaging program brings together clinicians, television writers, actors, and disability justice advocates to examine how shows such as The Pitt, The Good Doctor, and Chicago Med influence public attitudes toward health and access. Explore the power of storytelling to build empathy, challenge assumptions, and spark conversations about the realities of living with illness and navigating the health care system. 

This Is One Part of a Series! 
This conversation is a part of “As Seen on TV”: Medical Education, Entertainment, and the Reality of Healthcare, a Medical Humanities, Arts, and Ethics event series exploring how medical shows have captivated audiences and shaped our understanding of health care, illness, and the people who provide care. 

Related Event: 
The Pitt: Medical Drama and Clinical Reality 
Monday, February 8, at 12 p.m. 
Mayer Auditorium, Health Sciences Campus 
More info and RSVP 

Speaker Bios:  
Adam Scott Weissman is a writer, producer, educator, and USC alumnus whose credits include The Good Doctor, where he spent five seasons and finished as co-producer, and episodes of CSI: NY and Proven Innocent. He has also developed television pilots and award-winning stage work. Weissman teaches in USC’s John Wells Division of Writing for Screen & Television and has led creative writing programs for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated writers throughout Los Angeles. 

Kate Folb is Director and Principal Investigator of Hollywood, Health & Society at the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center. For more than 20 years, she has worked at the intersection of entertainment and public health, collaborating with television and film creators on issues including substance use, reproductive health, and adolescent well-being. Prior to joining USC, she led entertainment education initiatives for organizations including the Kaiser Family Foundation, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Folb holds degrees from the University of Denver and UCLA. 

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Organized by Erika Wright (Medical Education and English) and Adam Scott Weissman (School of Cinematic Arts). Co-sponsored by the HEAL (Humanities, Ethics, Art, and the Law) Program.