“I don’t really watch hospital shows myself, but I know a few nurses that do,” said Kathy Davies, a medical assistant at the Corvallis Medical Clinic. “I understand why they watch, though. They want to see if the show’s done their history.”
Davies’ observation may ring true for many working in the medical field.
A 2006 study at the Berman Institute of Bioethics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found that 84 percent of medical students and 81 percent of nursing students watched hospital dramas regularly, with the top shows being "Grey’s Anatomy" and "House M.D." If the people who keep us healthy are regularly watching these shows, then perhaps it's time we start asking: Exactly how accurate are these medical programs?
Scott, a family practice physician based in southwest Illinois and author of the website “Polite Dissent”, says not very. On his website he reviews episodes of "House M.D." for their accuracy and finds that the show makes some pretty serious mistakes in the treating and diagnosing of patients.
“There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to their diagnostic strategy; they just jump from one convenient explanation to another,” Scott lamented on his website.
One of his biggest complaints is that the doctors on "House M.D." often perform the jobs of the nursing and radiology staff.
“Are there no radiologists or radiology techs, ultrasound technicians at the hospital? How come the young guns have to run all their own tests?” He asked in one post.
Experts echo similar sentiments. According to Bryce Cleary, a family practice doctor at the Corvallis Medical Clinic, “There’s no such thing as a diagnostician. There are specialties, but no one doctor specializes in everything.”
Cleary also takes issue with Dr. House’s lack of concern for his patients. House is known as an abrasive yet brilliant physician whose bedside manner, while gaining him a substantial fanbase, would make any real patient cringe.
“House would lose his license. They don’t forgive you if the patient gets better,” said Cleary.
It’s not just "House M.D." that fails to create a realistic image of a hospital. According to Davies, the show “E.R.” is also guilty of certain medical faux paus.
“During an emergency, there are all these procedures that need to be occurring. There’s no time to be having a conversation with another doctor," said Davies. "It’s like, ‘Get out of the way.’”
But perhaps more fascinating to audiences than the medicine are the steamy hospital romances that dominate these programs. The sensual relationship between Dr. Meredith Grey and Dr. Derek ‘Mc Dreamy’ Shepherd on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” is famous for its passion both in and out of the doctor's office, with rival coworkers constantly interfering in the couple’s already testy relationship.
Wallace Knapp, a dermatologist at the Corvallis Medical Clinic, says that sexual relationships between medical staff is not the case for most hospitals.
“They jump from bed to bed. That never happens,” Knapp said.
Cleary agreed.
"It’s incredibly unrealistic. There’s nothing special about a hospital that makes people want to date each other," Cleary said.
While viewers may fantasize about hospitals being fantastic places where brilliant doctors badmouth their staff and romances blossom at every corner, fortunately for them their doctors can tell fiction from reality.
Photo by Jose Goulau, couresty of Flickr.com
Davies’ observation may ring true for many working in the medical field.
A 2006 study at the Berman Institute of Bioethics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found that 84 percent of medical students and 81 percent of nursing students watched hospital dramas regularly, with the top shows being "Grey’s Anatomy" and "House M.D." If the people who keep us healthy are regularly watching these shows, then perhaps it's time we start asking: Exactly how accurate are these medical programs?
Scott, a family practice physician based in southwest Illinois and author of the website “Polite Dissent”, says not very. On his website he reviews episodes of "House M.D." for their accuracy and finds that the show makes some pretty serious mistakes in the treating and diagnosing of patients.
“There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to their diagnostic strategy; they just jump from one convenient explanation to another,” Scott lamented on his website.
One of his biggest complaints is that the doctors on "House M.D." often perform the jobs of the nursing and radiology staff.
“Are there no radiologists or radiology techs, ultrasound technicians at the hospital? How come the young guns have to run all their own tests?” He asked in one post.
Experts echo similar sentiments. According to Bryce Cleary, a family practice doctor at the Corvallis Medical Clinic, “There’s no such thing as a diagnostician. There are specialties, but no one doctor specializes in everything.”
Cleary also takes issue with Dr. House’s lack of concern for his patients. House is known as an abrasive yet brilliant physician whose bedside manner, while gaining him a substantial fanbase, would make any real patient cringe.
“House would lose his license. They don’t forgive you if the patient gets better,” said Cleary.
It’s not just "House M.D." that fails to create a realistic image of a hospital. According to Davies, the show “E.R.” is also guilty of certain medical faux paus.
“During an emergency, there are all these procedures that need to be occurring. There’s no time to be having a conversation with another doctor," said Davies. "It’s like, ‘Get out of the way.’”
But perhaps more fascinating to audiences than the medicine are the steamy hospital romances that dominate these programs. The sensual relationship between Dr. Meredith Grey and Dr. Derek ‘Mc Dreamy’ Shepherd on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” is famous for its passion both in and out of the doctor's office, with rival coworkers constantly interfering in the couple’s already testy relationship.
Wallace Knapp, a dermatologist at the Corvallis Medical Clinic, says that sexual relationships between medical staff is not the case for most hospitals.
“They jump from bed to bed. That never happens,” Knapp said.
Cleary agreed.
"It’s incredibly unrealistic. There’s nothing special about a hospital that makes people want to date each other," Cleary said.
While viewers may fantasize about hospitals being fantastic places where brilliant doctors badmouth their staff and romances blossom at every corner, fortunately for them their doctors can tell fiction from reality.
Photo by Jose Goulau, couresty of Flickr.com
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