He attended Stuyvesant High School in New York City, then college at the University of Michigan and UCLA. He then received an M.D. degree from the University of Buffalo Medical School. He interned and was resident in Internal Medicine at Los Angeles County General Hospital. He also took a one-year fellowship in Endocrinology at USC. He began his practice in Beverly Hills in late 1962 and shortly afterwards Blake Edwards became his patient. Blake referred Julie Andrews to Dr. Tanney in 1966 and they have remained patients and friends to the present. Dr. Tanney had his film debut in "Darling Lili" as a gypsy violinist and made up the name 'Sascha Tanney' for his screen credit. After that he was in almost every Blake Edward's film always choosing a first name beginning with the letter 'S' followed by his real last name. He has been in the practice of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology in the Santa Ynez Valley for the past 14 years and lives with his wife and his two youngest daughters.