We cannot be responsible for any vertigo sympoms brought on by looking at this photo.
I love medical shows. I am unnaturally attached to medical shows. It’s a sickness, really. I will watch a medical show to the end. Take E.R., for example. Set in Chicago, it was fast-paced, emotional, gruesome at times–and there were some great story lines. I loved it! Even when they jumped the shark, I was TOTALLY IN. Given that I’ve been dealing with the medical community intimately since 2001 it’s like I’m almost a certifiable medical professional, with a degree from Google U.
I’m such a complete and total professional when it comes to medical prime-time dramas, I could speak on this topic.
I’ve known since way back in E.R. times that producers embellish things for the story lines. I’ve even seen my kids’ rare kidney disease represented a couple of times. The current medical show of my obsession is House MD, which I have seen since the beginning and let me tell you, I love it. But I’d like to repudiate the notion that House’s world is anywhere close to reality:
- The symptoms that patients have always happen when the doctors are in the room. That is contradictory to the ways of the world. Much like with your car and appliances. How many repair people have looked at us blankly when we say, “It goes, klurplunk, then shizzzz, then knock, knock.”? You KNOW I’m right. Rest my case.
- Doctors routinely go to a patient’s house. Managed care would never allow that. I’m sorry, it would never happen. If it did, my house would be cleaned more regularly.
- The aforementioned doctors are available all hours of the day and night. HAHAHAHAHAHA.
- Doctors administer medication. In surgery, yes. In the room? No. Ask any nurse you know.
- Open spaces. With the exception of an atrium, I know no hospital with the wide hallways, lots of natural light and nearly no privacy curtains on any room (HIPPA, anyone?).
- All doctors are cute, charming and available. With the exception of the um, (cough, cough) awesome bedside manner of Dr. House himself, all the docs are pretty date-able, even if nerdy on the show. Real life? You tell me.
- Hospital time flies by. Before you know it, that rash on the patient has cleared up and they are sitting up in the hospital bed talking. In the real world, it’s a well-documented fact that Hospital Time Ratio is 15:1 which means when they tell you “15 minutes” they mean 1 hour.
Because I spend my fair share of time in the emergency room, I can also tell you 23 ways that every TV emergency room set-up is all kinds of whacked.
But then I’d just be bragging.
About Julia Roberts
YES! I find Private Practice to be the worst! It always bothers me that all of the doctors from the practice seem to find their way into the same surgery. Also – Pete started as a physician with a focus on homeopathic medicine … and then suddenly he’s covering surgeries in the ER? And when did Sam become a CV surgeon? He went from running the group practice to diving right back into heart surgery. Umm…pretty sure it doesn’t work that way.
Twitter Name: mpjeno
Sam did a transplant right? I know! It’s so bogus! But yet, I still watch with so much gusto!
Twitter Name: juliaroberts1
oh, St. Elsewhere, Chicago Hope, Body of Proof, Nurse Jackie, ER, Nip/Tuck. Well not Nip/Tuck really because I never had a thow down with one of my Doctors! What about all the sex between the Dr’s and The Nurses. Again, never happened to me. Ok, maybe one time. But I digress. I’m totally hooked on medical shows too….you would think I would get enought of it in real life!
Twitter Name: Pat Cowan
Yes! All of those, too. I’m sure, every single story on those shows is true though!
Twitter Name: juliaroberts1
What gets me is how the docs perform EVERY procedure… need an ultrasound? they do it. an mri? them. a colonoscopy, gastroscopy, surgery, spinal tap, blood draw, poke an open brain type test… they do it all! you’d think they didn’t have a tech or nurse in the entire hospital! (unless they’re shouting for a crash cart.. 17 times an episode). That said, I can never turn away.