Grey's Anatomy vs Real Life

[whats-up-doc]

What are some of the similarities and differences between Grey's Anatomy and real life on what it's like to be a surgeon?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Southplains]

Surgeons really do wear scrubs. That's about it.

 

[eteshoe]

You know not that many terror attacks/natural disasters occurred when I was on my surgery rotation.

 

[Mad Jack]

What are some of the similarities and differences between Grey's Anatomy and real life on what it's like to be a surgeon?

Well, for one thing, the cast isn't nearly as diverse as real life. Way more foreign graduates from all over as attendings/residents, and there's a whole lot of South Asians, which I don't think the show had any of. It's one thing that always bugs me about medical shows- they really sell short how diverse the hospital environment is, it's a very unique and interesting place.

There's a lot less drama, and the drama there is is really petty more often than not.

There's a lot more charting, and a lot less doing stuff- the whole job is a lot more mundane than television would have you believe.

Hospital administration is a constant malevolent force.

Insurance is a thing and is quite annoying to deal with (though this isn't a big deal during residency).

Basically the whole show is wrong on so many levels that I don't even know where to begin. Shadow a doc for a week, you'll see.

 

[Domperidone]

It's from a nursing meme but..

Also, nurses far outnumber doctors, in any field on the wards etc.
Except maybe family med.

Pharmacists, physiotherapists, social workers etc. seem to be non-existent. Which I find amusing. My friends in these sectors find it less so. there's also no medical students to speak of. they never do consults in other departments or likewise, make referrals to non-surgical fields.

To put it in perspective, it's a bit like asking what are the similarities and differences between Glee the show and actual high school Glee clubs. IMO anyway.

There's also documentaries which are more accurate. But are more like BBC documentaries about 'nature'. They film them over a year and edit out the excruciatingly 'boring' things to watch into an hour.

They do throw around medical terms on the show.
But it gets painful to watch (or the 'magic' stops) when the actors can't pronounce them the way real surgeons or doctors do.

And then also get the diagnosis or something wrong.

 

[Smurfette]

1. There is not nearly as much dating among surgeons as portrayed on the show. If anything, there is more surgeon-nurse dating and affairs.
2. Pagers go off far more often than just for new traumas and crashing patients. All pages are made to look emergent, whereas the reality is the opposite.
3. They always seem to be able to make dinner plans despite events during the day that would clearly make them stuck there overnight.
4. General surgery residents don't go on to specialize in neurosurg, ortho or OB, and don't rotate on those services routinely.

 

[TraumaLlamaMD]

Ugh yes. Nothing as grating as hearing a "surgeon" on one of those shows pronounce fascia like "face-ia"

Gotta love those patients with necrotizing face-its!

 

[Psai]

Ugh yes. Nothing as grating as hearing a "surgeon" on one of those shows pronounce fascia like "face-ia"

Or when they say centimeter when it's clearly sontimeter

 

[Winged Scapula]

I hear a lot less indie rock when I'm walking around the hospital.

Of course they are in Seattle.

 

[ram006]

I saw a name on their list of medical consultants I recognized. It made me laugh out loud. Worst intern ever.

 

[LucidSplash]

I've only seen one episode. But I did notice that both the residents and the attendings arrived at work in the daylight and left in the daylight on the same day. That's not remotely realistic.

I did learn that if you are a female surgeon and someone points a gun at you and asks if you are a doctor, you should say you are a nurse. Then they will not shoot you.

 

[LucidSplash]

I was also going to say that there's a lot less call room sex in real life. But then I started thinking maybe that's just me.

 

[ConfusedChemist]

4. General surgery residents don't go on to specialize in neurosurg, ortho or OB, and don't rotate on those services routinely.

This is probably my biggest pet peeve. Like I'll just decide one day that I want to be a plastic surgeon and then off I go! Who needs to apply. Or interview across the country on your own dime.

 

[ConfusedChemist]

ORs usually have the lights on, to start with

 

[sinombre]

This goes for every medical TV show I've ever seen: eye protection. No one ever wears eye protection in the OR on TV.

 

[AdmiralChz]

Grey's Anatomy is just like real life! I hook up with coworkers on the reg (docs, nurses, patients) in back stairways and closets - it's awesome that I have so much free time and such aerobic activities to fill it with!

... C'mon man.

Also if the anesthesiologist is even mentioned, he/she is either drunk, high, sleeping or running away from a bomb inside a body cavity. Woo

 

[WinslowPringle]

Call rooms
Similar - We do have call rooms. Sometimes they even get napped in
Different - I nap alone in my nice, private call room. No bunk beds or guests.

Attire
Similar - I wear scrubs. Sometimes white coats.
Different - The AORN hasn't visited Seattle Grace in a long time. They still get to wear surgeon's caps and masks around the neck. And nobody has hat hair or bouffant band-marks across the forehead. They never show the unbearable strain of when your mask is just...wrong...and your nose itches and you're sweating and then it slips down and then some circulator has to tape it to your nose, and then you get a horrible pimple breakout.

Closets
Similar - Supply rooms do exist
Different - Badge access only and they have windows.

ER
Similar - We do have an ER. Ambulances and helicopters do arrive. Sometimes I have to wear the ridiculous PPE gowns in the ER.
Different - The ER is staffed (except for traumas that arrive directly to the trauma bay) by actual ER physicians, not surgery residents.

The ICU
Similar - We also have an ICU. Lots of fancy machines and monitors. It looks important.
Different - Our machines and monitors do actual things. And patients without a respiratory drive get intubated, not put on nasal cannula

Drama
Similar - Sad things happen. Crazy things happen occasionally.
Different - A lot less musical background and cinematic shots and careful lighting and overall attention to a heart-wrenching and ridiculous story-line. A lot fewer STDs. Much more drudgery.

Day to day life
Similar - Things take place in a hospital. There is a cafeteria.
Different - Much more time is spent in the hospital than demonstrated, much of it on the computer or peering at the (electronic) OR board pestering the front desk if they think things will change and we can maybe go early. There may be a cafeteria, but the whole resident cohort doesn't sit down to eat together; a lot of food is sneaked crackers, peanut butter and diet sprite from certain stashes...

 

[deleted547339]

Call rooms
Similar - We do have call rooms. Sometimes they even get napped in
Different - I nap alone in my nice, private call room. No bunk beds or guests.

Attire
Similar - I wear scrubs. Sometimes white coats.
Different - The AORN hasn't visited Seattle Grace in a long time. They still get to wear surgeon's caps and masks around the neck. And nobody has hat hair or bouffant band-marks across the forehead. They never show the unbearable strain of when your mask is just...wrong...and your nose itches and you're sweating and then it slips down and then some circulator has to tape it to your nose, and then you get a horrible pimple breakout.

Closets
Similar - Supply rooms do exist
Different - Badge access only and they have windows.

ER
Similar - We do have an ER. Ambulances and helicopters do arrive. Sometimes I have to wear the ridiculous PPE gowns in the ER.
Different - The ER is staffed (except for traumas that arrive directly to the trauma bay) by actual ER physicians, not surgery residents.

The ICU
Similar - We also have an ICU. Lots of fancy machines and monitors. It looks important.
Different - Our machines and monitors do actual things. And patients without a respiratory drive get intubated, not put on nasal cannula

Drama
Similar - Sad things happen. Crazy things happen occasionally.
Different - A lot less musical background and cinematic shots and careful lighting and overall attention to a heart-wrenching and ridiculous story-line. A lot fewer STDs. Much more drudgery.

Day to day life
Similar - Things take place in a hospital. There is a cafeteria.
Different - Much more time is spent in the hospital than demonstrated, much of it on the computer or peering at the (electronic) OR board pestering the front desk if they think things will change and we can maybe go early. There may be a cafeteria, but the whole resident cohort doesn't sit down to eat together; a lot of food is sneaked crackers, peanut butter and diet sprite from certain stashes...

Your hospital has diet sprite!?!???!! All we have is diet Shasta twist....

 

[whats-up-doc]

Thank you all for the responses! Are there any more similarities and differences?

 

[Winged Scapula]

Thank you all for the responses! Are there any more similarities and differences?

No.

Its a tv show and as such, almost all tv shows about professional lives are wildly inaccurate. Lawyers used to complain about LA Law, investigators about NCIS, etc. Grey's Anatomy is a drama devised for entertainment. Most people's work days are pretty boring even surgeons.

If you want to watch a show that's *somewhat* accurate in terms of residency, watch Scrubs.

 

[sinombre]

If you want to watch a show that's *somewhat* accurate in terms of residency, watch Scrubs.

Scrubs may be the most accurate show, but they somehow managed to get the gender and the specialty of the most important character wrong. If they're going to name a character after you, they at least should've gotten one of those two things right

 

[Winged Scapula]

Scrubs may be the most accurate show, but they somehow managed to get the gender and the specialty of the most important character wrong. If they're going to name a character after you, they at least should've gotten one of those two things right

All a ploy on their part to avoid paying me royalties.

 

[sinombre]

All a ploy on their part to avoid paying me royalties.

It all worked out in the end. Luckily you make that sweet, sweet mod money.

 

[LucidSplash]

It all worked out in the end. Luckily you make that sweet, sweet mod money.

Don't forget all the limitless, corrupting, goddess-like power.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Don't forget all the limitless, corrupting, goddess-like power.

It all worked out in the end. Luckily you make that sweet, sweet mod money.

Don't you know it...sweet sweet mod money, plus the Chief Admin bonus structure and the unrestricted power. Its the stuff dreams are made of; good thing I have surgery as a back up in case this all falls apart.

 

[ThoracicGuy]

It all worked out in the end. Luckily you make that sweet, sweet mod money.

You took the words right out of my mouth!