Researchers at Johns Hopkins spent a year of research to determine that the medical practices on shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “House” are often unethical and unrealistic. You can read their report in the new issue of Gigantic Waste of Time Quarterly.
The authors of the review, available online in the April issue of the Journal of Medical Ethics, say they were well aware that their findings would end up stating the obvious. But they nonetheless wanted to provide data that would shed light on the relationship of these depictions on the perceptions of viewers, both health professionals and the general public…
In analyzing the second seasons of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “House,” [Matthew] Czarny counted 179 depictions of bioethical issues, under 11 different topics, ranging from informed consent to organ-transplant eligibility to human experimentation. [Baltimore Sun]
Here’s the train of thought and execution: they knew they were going to state the obvious, but they went forward 
because they thought it was important to collect the raw data. But then they only watched a single season of two shows that are now both in their sixth season. And that took a YEAR. And we wonder why the wait at the doctor’s office is so long.
My problem with “House” is that no doctor on the planet looks like Olivia Wilde. It’s like, why’d I even bother getting syphilis if the person looking at my wang is some Indian dude?
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As soon as I saw the title, I knew you would mention Olivia Wilde. And I thank you.
Yeah, and how come my proctologist doesn’t look like Katherine Heigl or Ellen Pompeo?
Wait a second, are they telling me what we see on t.v. isn’t real?
And why are so many of the doctors women?
Ironically, the doctors’ obsessive tabulating of depictions of bioethical issues resulted in occasionally lax medical care going to their own patients.
That’s right – they were risking their patients lives!
My dad is an oncologist, and he always watches House and then calls me to complain about all the medical inaccuracies.
I’m pretty sure he’s just jealous because House can solve any case just by hearing some random, seemingly unrelated statement and then applying a crazy Hail Mary treatment. That’s how it works, right?
You know who could make these shows more realistic? Joss Whedon!
My mom is an ER nurse in Seattle. The nicknames for her doctors are McHeavy, McSweaty, and McCurry.
I think maybe I should apply for a grant to study whether or not the hospital food portrayed on these programs is an accurate depiction of hospital food in the real world.
@Patty Boots – I understand, my dad is a Phd Engineer, try watching anything like “Speed” or “Die Hard” with him.
“Well, the basic laws of physics say that isn’t possible…”
“We *know* dad, it is a movie, not real life”
ahahahahah – what show is that?
This is why I perform all surgeries on myself.
Not to be a tool or anything, but research that provides evidence what we take for granted is important. You can say “TV is unrealistic” or “Fat people die sooner” all day long, but you need actual data to back yourself up once someone says, “Oh yeah? Prove it. I think fat people lead healthy, long lives and look great in leggings.”
Next you’ll be telling me that teenage geniuses with wise-cracking Italian best friends really CAN’T become doctors!
I know what you guys are talking about, with dads and their complaining of the inaccuracies of tv.
My dad is a full blown alcoholic and every time he sees a guy sitting in a bar, he calls me to tell me that it is impossible to sit that long in a bar without falling down and blacking out on the floor. And then he asks me to pick up my mother before he sends her to her maker.