To debunk certain medical myths featured in popular TV series, let’s compare the fictional medical world to that of reality. Presented by AIMS Education

2. With the success of TV hospital
shows such as ER, Grey’s Anatomy,
House and Private Practice, medical
occupations are becoming ever
more popular. Although most
fictional dramas aim for authenticity
in depicting particular occupations,
fiction and reality inevitably clash.

3. The fictional hospital environment is
often very different from reality.
Even though most situations in
medical dramas seem quite realistic
– and usually are, since producers
have medical and technical advisors
who help to develop plots – the
small-screen depiction is usually
more sanitized and romantic.

4. Common sense tells us that an
attractive, 30-something, world-
renowned neurosurgeon, who enjoys a
zero mortality rate among his patients,
is extremely unlikely. Yet viewers tend
to buy into such fictional stereotypes.
To debunk certain medical myths
featured in popular TV series, let’s
compare the fictional medical world to
that of reality.

5. Medical dramas usually depict a
surgeon’s lot as a glamorous one.
On the small screen, surgeons don
charming smiles, fit perfectly into
their scrubs and look well-rested
and serene.

6. The reality, however, is altogether
less exciting and idyllic. Surgery is
the most demanding, stressful, and
yet humble, discipline, within the
medical profession. How could it be
otherwise when surgeons hold
patients’ lives in their hands?

7. Surgeons spend long hours on their
feet, are on call 24/7, and have
residencies that last many years.
Many find that their personal lives
suffer under the strain.

8. Dr. Brian Bethea, cardiothoracic
surgery fellow at Johns Hopkins,
defined the problem well for the
documentary series Hopkins:
“There is a joke among the wives of
surgical residents – they are
referred to as widows because they
are married to a physician.”

9. Surgeons are usually portrayed as
heroes – and so they are. However
TV dramas peddle the myth that
surgeons perform complex
procedures single-handed.

10. Real-life surgeons rely not just on
their skills and expertise but also on
other professionals in the operating
room – the anesthesiologist, nurses
and surgical technicians.
They are all an essential part of the
team, working together towards the
best possible outcome for patients.

11. Fictionalized nurses perform many
similar tasks to their real-
life counterparts. Even the best TV
drama seldom does justice to their
role. In reality, nurses are always
busily monitoring a patient’s vital
signs and overall condition.

12. In contrast to what is shown on
television, nurses in a real hospital
or emergency room have a pivotal
role. And because physicians
spend comparatively short periods
with the patient, it is nurses who
deliver the care.

13. Emergency medical technicians
(EMTs) and paramedics feature on
TV less frequently and are
portrayed even more
unrealistically. Granted, dramas
depict EMTs and paramedics
providing emergency treatment to
patients.

14. Yet such shows tend to dwell on
the “miraculous” recovery patients
enjoy at the hands of EMTs and
paramedics who administer
cardiopulmonary resuscitation
(CPR).
On TV, almost all patients who
receive CPR recover completely.
In reality, it is less than 50%.

15. In recent years, enrollments for
EMT and paramedic programs
have significantly increased. The
training includes up to two years of
instruction and requires formal
certification.

16. The unrealistic fictional portrayals
quickly hit home to those whose
career choice was even partially
influenced by prime-time
television.
The realities of the occupation
include physical and emotional
challenges and irregular working
hours, both of which are a major
source of stress in real life.

17. However, upon completion of
such training, the unrealistic
fictional portrayals quickly hit
home to those whose career
choice was even partially
influenced by prime-time
television.

18. We hope you liked our
presentation.
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