Alumnus featured on upcoming TLC series, ‘Stuck’
Alumnus Dr. Larry B. Mellick, Professor, Vice Chairman and Division Chief of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the
University of South Alabama, is working with TLC on a limited television series called
“Stuck.”
Dr. Mellick, who received his medical degree in 1977 from the then-Medical College
of Ohio at Toledo, has been in discussions with 51Minds, a production company that
specializes in reality TV, for 3 or 4 years.
For “Stuck,” cameras are given behind-the-surgical-curtain access to capture jaw-dropping
medical conundrums. Viewers will witness foreign body extractions and removal procedures
as they happen in real time, as well as interviews with patients, doctors, and medical
staff.
“I am one of several physicians involved in the first two shows and they have the
story of one of my patients in each of those shows.” Dr. Mellick said. “The audience
will get to see many real-life emergency department cases as they happened. There
will be important safety lessons as well as demonstrations of medical problem solving.”
“Stuck” is set to premiere on TLC on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 10 p.m. following the season
premiere of “Dr. Pimple Popper.”
Dr. Mellick shared that there is an intense vetting and peer review process established
and the University and medical center agreed to do the show with specific stipulations. Most
of his patients in the show are older children or adolescents.
“Thankfully, I’ve worked with teaching hospitals who understand the importance of
my procedure videos with real patients and have allowed this activity,” he said.
The inspiration for this show came from Mellick’s own YouTube channel. He has built up a half-million subscribers in his 10 years of creating content and
all his videos are made using raw footage he has recorded during different medical
emergencies. He shows the patients involved, who all signed permission in the emergency
department to be a part of Mellick’s channel. All advertising profits from the YouTube
channel go into the Mellick Foundation, Inc., which is an organization that donates
to support education, free clinics, missionary work in Africa and academic scholarships.
He has also been sharing some of the story publicly on his Facebook page.
During his career, Dr. Mellick has worked as the Vice Chairman for Pediatric Emergency
Medicine and Academic Affairs, the Director for the Center of Pediatric Emergency
Care, and even as an FBI physician for three years.
“My career has been blessed with so many experiences like this,” he said. “The most
fun was watching the excitement of the patients and their parents as they participate
in the production of a real TV show.”
– Written by College of Medicine and Life Sciences Communications Intern Ashley Weidenhamer