Reality TV borrows ED doctor for whirlwind dating adventure

Ah, the life of a bachelor. Looking for love in the land of the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe. Catching the attention of 25 single, beautiful women.

At least that's the bachelor's life for Travis Stork, MD, an emergency physician in Nashville, Tenn., who stars in the next edition of "The Bachelor," a romance reality series that returns Jan. 9 on ABC. The show is set in Paris and "Dr. McDreamy," as ABC's publicity machine dubbed Dr. Stork, is the main attraction.

Here are Dr. Stork's vital stats: He's 33, 6 feet 4 inches, a Colorado native, a devotee of mountain and road biking who enjoys kayaking and hiking. He earned his medical degree from the University of Virginia and is a third-year resident at Vanderbilt Medical Center.

"To some extent, this is going to be my five minutes of fame. I did this for the experience, not for the fame, and people who know me realize that," Dr. Stork said in a phone interview.

A casting director spotted Dr. Stork in Nashville as he headed to a restaurant with friends. When approached to do "The Bachelor," he politely declined at first. But his friends and sister encouraged him to go for it.

The medical center allowed Dr. Stork to take time off from his residency to tape the show. He never had been on TV and initially was a bit nervous about being in the spotlight.

The first night was a huge cocktail party. During the six to seven weeks of taping, he tried to become friends with the women and find out who was compatible with him. He sought someone who was genuine, caring, honest, adventurous and athletic.

"My whole goal was to go over there and be myself," he said. "Who can really date 25 women? It's hard to remember everyone's name."

Working in the emergency department came in handy. "I'm used to establishing relationships with people very quickly, and I think that helped," he said.

Now that he's back in Nashville, Dr. Stork isn't planning to make a career of being on the screen.

"Medicine makes me who I am. It provides me with so much fulfillment. I can't ever imagine not being a doctor," he said.

So, whom was the lucky bachelorette Dr. Stork picked? He can't disclose that, but he hints it's a happy ending for this bachelor.

"I'm very pleased with the way things worked out," he said.