Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Jill Biden At Center Of Flap Over Who Gets To Be Called 'Doctor'
NPR: Op-Ed Urging Jill Biden To Drop The 'Dr.' Sparks Outrage Online
An opinion column in The Wall Street Journal came under fire over the weekend for asking educator and incoming first lady Jill Biden — who holds two master's degrees and a doctorate in education — to stop using the title "Dr." In the op-ed published Friday evening, writer and former editor of The American Scholar magazine Joseph Epstein urged Biden to drop the title, a message that public figures and women in academia panned on Twitter as misogynistic both in substance and tone. (Treisman, 12/13)
Slate: Everyone Is Mad At Wall Street Journal For Op-Ed Saying Jill Biden Should Drop Dr. Title.
The Wall Street Journal is facing lots of criticism after it published an op-ed that called on soon-to-be first lady Dr. Jill Biden to drop the “Dr.” from her title when she moves into the White House. Joseph Epstein, a former Northwestern University professor, claims in the piece that “‘Dr. Jill Biden’ sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic.” He also opens the piece by speaking directly to President-elect Joe Biden’s wife: “Madame First Lady—Mrs. Biden—Jill—kiddo.” Epstein cites an unnamed “wise man” who supposedly said “no one should call himself Dr. unless he has delivered a child” and then goes on to ask Biden to “think about it.” (Politi, 12/13)
Read the opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal —
The Wall Street Journal: Opinion: Is There A Doctor In The White House? Not If You Need An M.D.
Madame First Lady—Mrs. Biden—Jill—kiddo: a bit of advice on what may seem like a small but I think is a not unimportant matter. Any chance you might drop the “Dr.” before your name? “Dr. Jill Biden ” sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic. Your degree is, I believe, an Ed.D., a doctor of education, earned at the University of Delaware through a dissertation with the unpromising title “Student Retention at the Community College Level: Meeting Students’ Needs.” A wise man once said that no one should call himself “Dr.” unless he has delivered a child. Think about it, Dr. Jill, and forthwith drop the doc. (Joseph Epstein, 12/11)
In other news related to President-elect Joe Biden's transition —
Stat: Patrick Kennedy Pitches Himself For Biden 'Drug Czar'
Patrick Kennedy, the former congressman and mental health care advocate, has launched a public push to serve as the incoming Biden administration’s “drug czar.” He’s the highest-profile candidate to join the early jockeying for the post, and already enjoys backing from prominent figures including a former drug czar, former surgeon general, and the former director of the National Institute of Mental Health. (Facher, 12/14)
The Hill: Bill Gates: Presidential Transition 'Complicating' Rollout Of COVID-19 Vaccine
Philanthropist Bill Gates warned Sunday that the failure of President Trump to formally recognize his defeat to President-elect Joe Biden and begin a White House transition process is "complicating" efforts to roll out a COVID-19 vaccine to the general public. Gates told CNN's "State of the Union" that a lack of communication between the Trump and Biden teams risked a slower distribution process for the vaccine, which is set to become available for some vaccinations this week. (Bowden, 12/13)
