Nancy Snyderman decision to leave NBC News is a turn of events that has likely surprised very few people. She had worked as the network's chief medical correspondent for years when she made a career-ending mistake last fall. When she and her team returned from Ebola-infected Liberia Snyderman announced that they would be quarantining themselves because one of the cameramen working with them had become infected with the illness. Less than a week later her Mercedes was was double parked outside a New Jersey eatery and Snyderman eventually admitted to not taking her own medical advice.
The network pulled her off-air for about a month, in the hopes that everyone would forget her mistake. Instead NBC's social media was hit with numerous comments about how untrustworthy Snyderman now was. She did briefly return to the air but her appearances have been far and few between. Yesterday she confirmed that she's officially leaving NBC and television in general.
"I stepped out of the OR a few years ago and it is now time for me to return to my roots, so I am stepping down from my position as Chief Medical Editor at NBC News. Covering the Ebola epidemic last fall in Liberia, and then becoming part of the story upon my return to the U.S., contributed to my decision that now is the time to return to academic medicine. I will be shortly taking up a faculty position at a major U.S. medical school. More needs to be done to communicate medicine and science to our viewers and citizens, especially in times of crisis, and with my experiences in the field and on air, that is going to be a priority for me." explained Snyderman in a statement.
Are you surprised by her departure or do you think that the writing has been on the wall since last October? Do you think Andy Lack's taking over as news chief at the network had anything to do with the timing of her departure? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
