Does portraying a doctor count as clinical experience?

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Trismegistus4

Trismegistus4

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Could, say, Ellen Pompeo apply to medical school and cite her experience on Grey's Anatomy as evidence that she knows what it's like to be a doctor? What do you think?
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It sounds funny but you are probably correct. Although they are just reading and memorizing scripts they probably still learn more than people shadowing (where you learn nothing). A funny thing for me was watching an interview with the guy from House M.D. He did know what any of the things he says on the show meant! This is funny cause he seems so knowlegable. :laugh:
 
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Considering those shows are horribly unrealistic, I doubt it would do anything. More likely, her "star power" would help if anything.
 
Mr. McDuck said:
Considering those shows are horribly unrealistic, I doubt it would do anything. More likely, her "star power" would help if anything.
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I agree with this. I also wonder about the fascination of pre-meds with these shows. I tend to avoid them like the plague, as they seem to be more like soap-operas/dramas (Grey's Anatomy) or sit-coms (Scrubs) that just happen to be set in hospitals. And while House and ER tend to actually present patient cases, they still seem more like showcases for the actors/characters than anything else. As such, I just can't enjoy them.

Just my two cents. :)
 
Scrubs is the most realistic medical show on TV.
 
StringerBell said:
I agree with this. I also wonder about the fascination of pre-meds with these shows. I tend to avoid them like the plague, as they seem to be more like soap-operas/dramas (Grey's Anatomy) or sit-coms (Scrubs) that just happen to be set in hospitals. And while House and ER tend to actually present patient cases, they still seem more like showcases for the actors/characters than anything else. As such, I just can't enjoy them.

Just my two cents. :)
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What's funnier is that some people actually expect television to be realistic. Come on! It's entertainment.
 
baylormed said:
What's funnier is that some people actually expect television to be realistic. Come on! It's entertainment.
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Lol no kidding. If you want realistic, watch discovery health.

I personally enjoy watching hot redheads walk around in white coats and stilettos
 
Trismegistus4 said:
Could, say, Ellen Pompeo apply to medical school and cite her experience on Grey's Anatomy as evidence that she knows what it's like to be a doctor? What do you think?
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All I know is that Katherine Heigl is gonna have a lot of explaining to do on her personal statement...

*I will now go shoot myself for hating the show, yet knowing enough about the plotline to comment on it.
 
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Panda Bear said:
I like it...but it's not.
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well if you were one of the docs in the show ER, then yeah you'll probably learn quite a bit about the job, procedures etc. But they're not real patients in those shows anyway, so I'd say no.
 
If she had the prereqs, Ellen Pompeo would likely get into any number of med schools.
 
Falco2525 said:
scrubs is simply amazing
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i love scrubs too - and i do think that it is more realistic than the other shows...it's got all the real medicine/residency stuff but they simply portray it in a cartoon/silly fashion.
 
Uh oh, sounds like L2D is admitting that free time is spent watching these television shows :D
 
Lol idk, might lend more to the imagination. Otherwise, why do you think so many girls dress up as nurses in scrubs on halloween lol
 
PepperMD said:
All I know is that Katherine Heigl is gonna have a lot of explaining to do on her personal statement...

*I will now go shoot myself for hating the show, yet knowing enough about the plotline to comment on it.
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That was ridiculously clever. It took me a minute, but when I got it I laughed out loud.
 
I always like the scenes when 2 docs are seriously discussing a case and behind them are 2 chest x-rays hanging upside down.
 
braluk said:
Lol idk, might lend more to the imagination. Otherwise, why do you think so many girls dress up as nurses in scrubs on halloween lol
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This may just be a CA thing, but the nurses I see on Halloween look like they should be treating themselves for the clap... don't see too many in scrubs.

Just a thought.
 
xylem29 said:
i love scrubs too - and i do think that it is more realistic than the other shows...it's got all the real medicine/residency stuff but they simply portray it in a cartoon/silly fashion.
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SCRUBS!! :thumbup:
 
While trying not to break anyone's dreams...for those that think you learn anything as an actor on these shows should pay attention to the way the actors on Grey's Anatomy put their stethascopes in their ears. At least half of them do it backwards. House in terms of information is probably the most realistic, but still has fairly serious issues.
 
Scrubs, IMO, gets to a lot of the core issues of residency and health care in general and just portrays them in a humoristic manner, of course with exaggeration.

Greys/ER/yadda is all about the dramatic flatliner who suddenly is resucitated with the magic "Charge to 90, Clear! Nice work Dr!". I mean the interns on Grey's go in after its light outside, that should be the first clue that this show has nothing to do with a surgical internship.
 
ESzczesniak said:
While trying not to break anyone's dreams...for those that think you learn anything as an actor on these shows should pay attention to the way the actors on Grey's Anatomy put their stethescopes in their ears. At least half of them do it backwards. House in terms of information is probably the most realistic, but still has fairly serious issues.
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If you're a fan of ER do this as well. Most likely the actors will put the stethoscopes in backwards (you do realize you can put them in only one way, right? ;)). It bugs the crap out of me.
 
Dr.Watson said:
Scrubs is the most realistic medical show on TV.
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As far as the actual relationships in a hospital, yes.

Obviously not so much with the medicine though. But that's not the point of the show.

Scrubs was the best show on TV, but I feel like it's dropped off. The Office has passed it.
 
Code Blue or Trauma: Life in the ER on TLC is the best. The acting on these shows are so realistic. It's like they aren't even acting at all. I asked some of my medical school friends and they say it is the most realistic by far:thumbup:
 
Pansit said:
Code Blue or Trauma: Life in the ER on TLC is the best. The acting on these shows are so realistic. It's like they aren't even acting at all. I asked some of my medical school friends and they say it is the most realistic by far:thumbup:
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I know! Those actors are the best at playing doctors! I don't know how they do it so realistically. :eek: They must have some really excellent acting coaches and medical consultants. :idea:
 
Law2Doc said:
Wouldn't matter. As far as I'm aware, she doesn't have any of the prereqs yet so she has plenty of time to shadow.
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:laugh: trudat!

Plus it's probably better if you don't have video evidence of using a stethoscope backwards.
 
Trismegistus4 said:
Could, say, Ellen Pompeo apply to medical school and cite her experience on Grey's Anatomy as evidence that she knows what it's like to be a doctor? What do you think?
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Thats how i got in.

I once played a child victim in ER 10 years ago.

The rest of my C.V. was blank.

:D
 
ESzczesniak said:
While trying not to break anyone's dreams...for those that think you learn anything as an actor on these shows should pay attention to the way the actors on Grey's Anatomy put their stethascopes in their ears. At least half of them do it backwards. House in terms of information is probably the most realistic, but still has fairly serious issues.
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House drives me crazy... since when do doctors break into people's houses? And since when can the ID doc perform eye surgery? And doctors don't run their own lab tests either, the people working in the lab do! I get so annoyed when I'm watching that show.
 
diosa428 said:
House drives me crazy... since when do doctors break into people's houses? And since when can the ID doc perform eye surgery? And doctors don't run their own lab tests either, the people working in the lab do! I get so annoyed when I'm watching that show.
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wow, all you people that get mad at tv need to CHILL OUT. It's entertainment, not a mini-course on health.

it's funny how i only hear this about medical shows (sometimes crime shows)... do you think tv is accurate about anything? really? if you havent noticed football movies are nothing like the real thing (there arent really plays called 'pass left' in the pros) and kids in high school never seem to be in class and when they are they have the same teacher for every subject. now if they cant get the intricate details of high school life down why would they go all out about the complex world of medicine??

and what would the producers gain by making these already insanely popular shows absolutely accurate anyway? the respect of some nerdy pre-meds with too much time on their hands? no thanks.
 
diosa428 said:
House drives me crazy... since when do doctors break into people's houses? And since when can the ID doc perform eye surgery? And doctors don't run their own lab tests either, the people working in the lab do! I get so annoyed when I'm watching that show.
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I don't know about you but I plan on breaking into all my patients' houses to make my diagnoses.

Me: So, how are you feeling today?
Patient: I have a headache and I took some Tylenol but it still hurts like hell.
Me: Hmm...hold on a second, where do you live again?
Patient: 345 East Bay Street, why?
Me: Oh, that's a nice neighborhood. Could you hold on a minute? I just need to double check to make sure I can diagnose you properly today. I'll be right back.
Patient: Oh, ok.
Me: *drives off to break into patient's house*
 
Trismegistus4 said:
Could, say, Ellen Pompeo apply to medical school and cite her experience on Grey's Anatomy as evidence that she knows what it's like to be a doctor? What do you think?
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Well, if that's evidence, then Ewan McGregor is the best Jedi Knight ever.

On the other hand, in my opinion, with the preparation actors sometimes have to go through, I am rather more impressed by the empathy that actors have in portraying patients. Our drama students (none of whom I'm sure are premed) recently staged the play Reckless by Craig Lucas which features various interesting pathologies (not to tip off the story). After the show, I asked the actors (all of them undergrads) how they prepared for displaying the level of hardship and pain involved in their roles, and I'll say I was impressed at the lengths a couple of them went to.

Sure, I doubt that Tom Hanks is an expert in HIV/AIDS, but he certainly had to become much more empathetic when he was preparing for his Oscar-winning role in Philadelphia. So I don't think that acting the part of a scientist makes you an expert in anything scientific, but the ability to put yourself in someone's body or perspective, that's a quality I do value.
 
baylormed said:
What's funnier is that some people actually expect television to be realistic. Come on! It's entertainment.
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I think what frustrates med students most is that we know that a lot of the general public gets their medical information or perception from these crap TV shows. So when the shows really go on the ridiculous or impossible route (which is most of the time), we have to address friends and strangers about their questions they garnered from the show.
 
excalibur said:
I think what frustrates med students most is that we know that a lot of the general public gets their medical information or perception from these crap TV shows. So when the shows really go on the ridiculous or impossible route (which is most of the time), we have to address friends and strangers about their questions they garnered from the show.
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But stupid people are everywhere, there's nothing you can do about that. Feeling frustrated about it won't help.

For example, I don't know anything about law and yet I know that Law & Order and The Practice aren't very realistic and that there is a big probability that the witness breaking down and confessing on the stand happens one in a bluemoon.

Also, I'm not a forensic scientist yet I laugh at the ridiculous way in which CSI and Bones solve crimes.

Now, if you watch a medical schow and expect it to be more than a "show" then it's more your problem than the show's.
 
baylormed said:
But stupid people are everywhere, there's nothing you can do about that. Feeling frustrated about it won't help.

For example, I don't know anything about law and yet I know that Law & Order and The Practice aren't very realistic and that there is a big probability that the witness breaking down and confessing on the stand happens one in a bluemoon.

Also, I'm not a forensic scientist yet I laugh at the ridiculous way in which CSI and Bones solve crimes.

Now, if you watch a medical schow and expect it to be more than a "show" then it's more your problem than the show's.
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Yeah, but since you don't know anything about those areas, you can blissfully watch and not care that it's not right. Before I was in med school, I ignored the errors in the medical TV shows too, mostly because I didn't know what was right and what was wrong, and I didn't really care. But now that I know more about medicine, the errors become painfully obvious - trust me, spend all day, every day learning about medicine and then watch a bunch of actors portray it completely incorrectly on TV and you'll get annoyed too. It's either that, or, when they get it right, you'll feel like you're studying for a test. That's why I like Grey's Anatomy - very little medicine, lots of drama :)
 
baylormed said:
But stupid people are everywhere, there's nothing you can do about that. Feeling frustrated about it won't help.

For example, I don't know anything about law and yet I know that Law & Order and The Practice aren't very realistic and that there is a big probability that the witness breaking down and confessing on the stand happens one in a bluemoon.

Also, I'm not a forensic scientist yet I laugh at the ridiculous way in which CSI and Bones solve crimes.

Now, if you watch a medical schow and expect it to be more than a "show" then it's more your problem than the show's.
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Well, with the age of technology (like webmd.com for example) stupid people are given information that shouldnt be given to stupid people. I had this girl in my class (your stereotypical blonde) who was CONVINCED that she had a rare combination of anthrax and meningitis. It had to be, because she had the symptoms that she read on webmd. :rolleyes:
She was hungover. That was it. It lasted for about 6 hours.
 
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