Fiction vs. reality the glamour vs. the grime of medical professionals

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Fiction vs. Reality
The Glamour Vs. The Grime Of Medical
Professionals
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With the success of TV hospital shows such as ER,
Greys 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.
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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.
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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, lets compare the fictional medical world
to that of reality.
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Surgeons Fiction vs. Reality
Medical dramas usually depict a surgeons lot as
a glamorous one. On the small screen, surgeons
don charming smiles, fit perfectly into their
scrubs and look well-rested and serene.
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Surgeons Fiction vs. Reality
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?
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Surgeons Fiction vs. Reality
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.
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Surgeons Fiction vs. Reality
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.
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Surgeons Fiction vs. Reality
Surgeons are usually portrayed as heroes and so
they are. However TV dramas peddle the myth that
surgeons perform complex procedures
single-handed.
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Surgeons Fiction vs. Reality
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.

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NURSES FICTION VS. REALITY
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
patients vital signs and overall condition.
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NURSES FICTION VS. REALITY
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.
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EMTs FICTION VS. REALITY
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.
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EMTs FICTION VS. REALITY
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.
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EMTs FICTION VS. REALITY
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.
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EMTs FICTION VS. REALITY
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.
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EMTs FICTION VS. REALITY
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.
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EMTs FICTION VS. REALITY
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