Source: Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
To those of you that are active television enthusiasts the name "Anatomy Jane" might sound a tad bit familiar. It's Meredith Grey's childhood doll in the hit television show Grey's Anatomy. That's exactly where this blog got its name, its reputation for being an outlet for stories, storytelling, and narratives: one of the best medical stories out there. A perfect symbol of the true intentions of Anatomy Jane and how fiction does have a place within the healthcare field, despite what others may say. And yet, that's where the similarities stop.
The real medical world is nothing like Grey's Anatomy, or any of the other television shows and books out there, portrays it to be. With the real life stress, the difficult cases, and the professional encounters, many of the occurrences of Grey's Anatomy would be significantly frowned upon in the real world. Using the specific experiences of Amanda Kirzner, DO, who's career paralleled the interns' careers on the show, one of the biggest contrasts she sees is the fact that interns had the opportunity to do large, extensive, and detailed procedures in the operating room. Realistically, first year medical residents tend to spend most of their time with patients on the hospital floor and very rarely step foot into the operating room.
Another one of the major differences that Dr. Kirzner mentions is the easygoing nature of the punishments given to the doctors on Grey's Anatomy. To be specific, an episode was released (2x25-26) when Dr. Izzie Stevens cut a patient's LVAD wire and stopped his heart from beating properly in hopes of getting him a heart transplant as quickly as possible. The punishments she received in retaliation to this was virtually nonexistent: the worst was her quitting her job and being rehired (WHAT?!??!!!). If this was the real world, Dr. Stevens would be kicked out of the program and essentially blacklisted from ever having a job as a doctor. And yet they rehire her and act as if nothing ever happened? Talk about a drastic difference.
All of this being said, there are still some similarities between this Emmy winning television show and real-life surgeons. I mean, they did hire a few medical advisors to maintain medical accuracy and integrity after all. The visual depictions are accurate ranging from the hospital setting to the organs. This show was filmed in a real hospital, or at least the scenes with the front of the hospital were, so that would be accurate to the real hospital. Additionally, the organs, blood, and bodily structures remain accurate to real organs as cow organs were often used in replacement of human organs.
Overall, this show has had a significant impact on American television for nearly two decades. In fact, some people have even based their career choices and dreams of being a doctor on Grey's Anatomy. However, it is important to distinguish the differences between fictional medicine and real medicine before making such a dramatic decision. It is important to understand that although this show attempts to maintain some realistic aspects, its main purpose is to entertain not educate. It is fun to watch though!
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