Inside Duke Medicine
Your diagnosis: Which doctor show is tops?
posted October 23rd, 2008When you need expert medical advice of the make-believe, television variety, which show do you consult?
Perhaps you’re a fan of “House,” featuring the brilliant but supremely abrasive Dr. Gregory House, the Sherlock Holmes of diagnosis.
Award-winning “Grey’s Anatomy” - whose name was inspired by “Gray’s Anatomy,” the venerable medical textbook—also attracts a loyal following.
How about “ER” or even “Scrubs?”
Which is your favorite? Why? And, as folks who work in a health care field, how would you rate them on the reality scale?
Share your thoughts with Inside Online by clicking on “comments” below.
Or you can take two pills and call us in the morning. (Just kidding. We don’t cover that procedure.)
Comments
SCRUBS rocks! The writing is extraordinary——very intelligent humor! And the actors’ roles suit their ‘personality’.
DR. House is the MAN!
Grey’s Anatomy! Hands down the place you want to be if “sick”! Not only do you get medical treatment and advice, you learn a few things that can provide assistance in real life!
Scrubs is the best, not because it’s reality, but because of how it takes a humorous look at life inside the hospital, and how they act out what we are thinking in those crazy situations, but cannot say out loud.
Dr. Erica Hahn from Grey’s Anatomy is my favorite show doc. She can come across as being arrogant and even rude, but she has a caring side that’s really starting to become more evident this season.
Most importantly, she’s very good to her patients.
ER….......that show has been running strong for 10+ years for a good reason….....it’s fantastic! I’m sure I speak for many when I say, I hate this is the last season.
I don’t care for the doctor television shows, but I love to watch Dr. G, Medical Examiner. She figures our why people died when the doctors in the hospitals can’t. It’s a great program. Ann Sloan
100%, walking canes down, HOUSE
I think House is the best doctor show on TV. Other than his bedside manner, and the events not being realistic most of the time, the medical terminology and their thought processes are great! And if you listen there is humor.
‘House’ and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ are equal in my TV viewing.
HOUSE rocks!!
Grey’s Anatomy is the BEST!!!!!I watch it every week. I think House is so unrealistic.
All these TV doctors pale in comparison to Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman. Not even an Honorable Mention? Please, Dr. Quinn puts all these chumps to shame.
Can I get an amen!
House—is the man, you gotta love him!
Scrubs is best. A good blend of comedy, (you simply can’t have enough of it), insight into the pecking order of the hospital world with a touch of pathos every now and then to let you know that hospitals deal with real pain, suffering and tragedy on a daily basis. Although the characters are caricatures in so many ways, there is an underlying depth to them that once again every so often is touched upon without being heavy handed and overly dramatic. Many times the difficulties of the characters resolves into comedy and that makes looking at the human conditions they are dealing with whether with their patients or themselves something we can all relate to very easily and see our own selves more clearly. Oh yes and laugh at our selves. How very healing and healthy for a medical show.
Scrubs! Very intelligent writing that’s just plain belly-laugh funny. But the show also works in warm and moving stories about patient and docs. I’m thrilled ABC has picked it up for this fall. I guess it’s supposed to start airing mid-season. Can’t wait.
Dr. 90210 - you can make fun of all the vapid, self-absorbed Beverly Hills folks - doctors and patients.
Grey’s Anatomy.
Dr. Kildaire or Ben Casey or Marcus Welby
I still miss “St. Elsewhere”. Mark Harmon and Denzel Washington, to name just a few of the stars—how could you go wrong?
“Dr. Quinn” was pretty good. The boyfriend, Sully…he made the show worth viewing.
As you can see, I rate my shows based on how cute the men are.
In that respect, “Grey’s Anatomy” gets my Thurs. night vote as well.
I love ER. It’s so sad that this is the last season.
I like Grey’s Anatomy the best; did enjoy Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman when it was on - but hey, what about Dr. Kildare? He was my favorite when I was a kid….
Scrubs. I am all for the comedy.
*M*A*S*H was the best ever, St. Elsewhere was very good. House and ER are what I watch and enjoy among the new ones. Like ER because it’s in Chicago and I love the city and they mention my previous employer sometimes (Northwestern U).
Love House but he’d be fired anywhere in the real world. Perhaps if they let him speak in his natural British accent he’d seem less abrasive?
Sara H is right on! Drs. Kildaire and Casey were da’ men. They always knew the diagnosis and only had to rely on a good H & P. No CT or MR scans.
House
He is the best of course.. Paging Dr. House! Wish we had one here!
HOUSE!!!!!! ROCKS!!!!!!!!
ER - While Grey’s Anatomy is my favorite Dr. show of all three I think that ER is tops when it comes to the true to life medical field. I remember an episode when the patient was having GI problems, every study and lab test that was ordered were things that were ordered in the GI clinic that I worked for years ago with the same diagnosis. That was funny to me. I guess because these people are actors I don’t think that the people who write the show may actually do homework and write accurate information.
Nip Tuck is the Ultimate!!
House would be next….........
House. I love trying to guess the diagnosis. But I do love watching Grey’s Anatomy too!
Dr. Sloan comes to mind. I wonder how many doctors would also like to have time to help the police catch crooks and have their staff involved as well. Now though, as far as I am concerned, HOUSE gets my vote every time.
“ER” has been mine and lot of my nurse friend’s favorite show for the past 14 years. It is sad that this season is the last season for “ER”. Scrubs is a funny show. However, Gray’s Anatomy is such a fake show. 90% of their act is just not realistic at all with what happens in a hospital setting or the way they extubate a patient after a massive injury!
House is the greatest, He keeps you wondering about what going to happen with him and not the patient. My second choice is Dr. Bombay from Bewitch…... Now he could cure anything with a little magic. Smile.
House!! Unapologetically politically incorrect yet brilliant at the same time!
House, for sure. You have to excuse his attitude because in the end, he’s always right. I’d rather have a jerk doctor than one that can’t figure out the problem.
Dr. House definitely is my favorite. The fantasy that there really is a doctor and his team who will not rest and will troubleshoot until they determine the hidden reason for symptoms is quite exciting. Dr. House (self medicating as needed) and team will resort to any scheme illegal or otherwise to keep the patient in house performing every test possible (insurance or not) to determine the culprit. One of the downsides is that viewing patients may come to expect this same treatment and be sorely disappointed in our “real” world of medicine. As far as the other shows mentioned, I abandoned them long ago…the soap opera aspect drowned out the medical.
House!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will miss ER
HOUSE! The Best! The cases are interesting and who can’t enjoy the fact that he gets away with saying what we’ve all thought once in awhile! Love Him!
M*A*S*H wins for classic!
Dr John Becker—he was the curmudgeon we all love in House, but with the heart to forgo making the fortunes of private practice to open a clinic in his old neighborhood in Brooklyn. Add to that a comedic supporting cast and it ranks as one of the best shows ever aired in my book.
If it isn’t broken… don’t fix it. ER over Grey’s anyday…
Dr. Who! Of course!
I enjoy House and Grey’s Anatomy, but neither show resembles any real life experience I’ve had working in a hospital for many years.
Unlike my husband, who is a nurse as well, I enjoy House, ER, and Scrubs more for the entertainment value. I currently am entralled with the personal interactions, and of course the crass behavior of Dr. House. Now for factual content I enjoy watching Dr. G. Medical Examiner and Mystery Diagnosis.
Dr. Gregory House. I’d rather have a caustic grump cure me than a bunch of flakes who spend half their time fooling around in the broom closets. I prefer blunt honesty over pitying handholding.
Emergency! Anyone remember that one! That one actually furthered the EMT program! Currently, I do enjoy ER and Scrubs though. I wouldn’t last a week at County or Sacred Heart.
House and his staff w/out a doubt. I love to look at the symptoms and try to get the diagnosis before they do. It doesn’t always work out that way. I like the way they give small insight of whats going on in the body. Of course it’s not always accurate, it is TV, but I don’t think they do a bad job.
I also like Medical Mysteries.
Definitely House! He is sexy.
House is the one I watch most often now. It is an intriguing show in many ways. House does what some wish they could do; so and do whatever you want, get away with it, and still be loved but hated at the same time. I might call that respect (I don’t know).
Just like Sara H., Marcus Welby had my loyalty in the “old days”.
I always liked when Bewitched summonds Dr. Bombay. Although, I can’t remember why I liked him (LOL).
As a teenager I watch Dr. Quinn in amazement. I liked the way she healed people with little or no resources or support. I don’t think to many people could survive in her world.
MASH was another one of my favorites because the doctors also worked in the field with limited resources.
I hate that I never got into St. Elsewhere because I love watching Denzel Washington.
I like Grey’s Anatomy. The “medical” aspect is not so great. I like the interpersonal relationships and the gossip. I am in love with Dr. McDreamy. Patrick Demsey?
Dr. Who!! Non-medical, but still the best!!
my favorites are house, greys and scrubs. scrubs is hilarious (but can be VERY serious at times). house is quick witted (which is another way to say something that cant be posted for professional reasons) which is funny too. greys is the more serious one but i do love Dr yangs sense of humor.
What about Private Practice? If you work in primary care, you have to appreciate the calmness they display while they see about 4 patients a day! Honestly - they do address the issues of we face daily while dealing with office issues, meeting RVUs, not using too many supplies, while keeping your patient satisfaction scores up.
Hands down for House.
House! The best! Dr. House and his staff brainstorm by using deductive reasoning (Reasoning in an argument is valid if the argument’s conclusion must be true when the premises (the reasons given to support that conclusion). are true. Dr House and his staff use this method to determine the root cause of the illness. However, they also use inductive reason to determine the probability that a patient may have a particular illness. Once they have determine the likelihood based on the symptoms, they refer to case base reasoning which is the process of solving new problems based on the solutions of similar past problems. They also rely on the expertise of the entire staff to reach solutions. Although, there is some degree of trial and error going on in this show, the risk versus reward to the patient is always considered. This show has brilliant minds at work, not a lot of irresponsible actions in the going on in the broom closet. Dr. House!
I used to watch M*A*S*H when I was a pre-med student. (Note: I am a Business Analyst now.)
What about Dr. Spock from Star Trek? Alien illnesses + advanced technology + LOGIC!
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