March 15, 2007

Contact:
Mitra Foroutan
Corporate Communications & Public Relations, LHSC
519-685-8500, ext. 74772

Two London surgeons part of television IQ event

(LONDON, Ontario) – Two London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) surgeons will be featured on the upcoming CBC quiz event “Test the Nation: IQ”.

Dr. Richard Malthaner, thoracic surgeon, and Dr. David Steven a neurosurgeon, will be joining 34 other surgeons in CBC’s Toronto studio this Sunday, March 18 as their team competes against tattoo artists, radio announcers, fitness instructors, municipal mayors and millionaires.

“I’m looking forward to it and it should be a lot of fun”, says Dr. Malthaner, and jokes, “there are some staff members becoming quite competitive on behalf of the surgeon contingent. They’ve been pressuring me to bring along a couple of colleagues with a reputation of having vast knowledge on a wide range of topics”.

Dr. Steven is the only neurosurgeon on the team and producers of the show were happy he agreed to participate, noting that it will be fun for the audience to know a brain surgeon is having his own grey matter tested right along with theirs. However, Dr. Steven is quick to point out that a person’s job is no reflection of their IQ.

“There can be smart people anywhere”, he says, “and it really has nothing to do with their occupation”. When asked for his prediction on a winner, he believes it could be any team. With a chuckle he says,” I will be interested to see how the millionaires fare. They are certainly doing something right!”

“Test the Nation: IQ” will be Canada’s first real-time, interactive national IQ test. The live two-hour special will feature seven teams of Canadians competing in the Toronto studio while viewers play along at home, on the internet or with pen and paper.

The show, hosted by Wendy Mesley and Brent Bambury, airs this Sunday, March 18 at 8:00 p.m. on CBC