I’ve long thought today’s cartoons were short on health care role models and some large animation company like Disney or Nickelodeon needed to shake things up a bit.

"Doc McStuffins" premiers March 23, 2012, on Disney Junior.

Well, Disney has had a rough go at cracking into the health market recently, but a new cartoon, Doc McStuffins, launches on Disney Junior this Friday, March 23rd. The preschool series focuses on a six-year old, African-American girl, “Doc,” with a stay-at-home dad and a physician mom working outside the home. Hellllooooooo, “normal” diversity.

Doc dreams of becoming a doctor – just like her mother – and has a magic stethoscope that allows her to talk to her toys. She problem-solves and fixes her toys via batteries, stitches, and baths and educates preschoolers about everyday healthcare tools and jargon as well as shares education about healthy living.

The show appears to make striking stabs at stereotypes. I guess a boy who wants to be a nurse – like his father – was too far of a stretch. Still, I’m interested to see how the cartoon progresses. I’m bound to catch glimpses of it myself with three little ones, and we can take all the “it’s okay to go see the doctor” positive message reinforcement we can get.

Overall, I am thrilled Disney is developing preschoolers’ dreams of joining health care, no matter the specific field. We need more doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, nutritionists, dentists, [insert every other health care profession here]. Doc McStuffins is a good start to both personal and professional health care role modeling.

What do you think?