This question was originally posted on Quora. Here are some of the best answers: NB: You'll notice that medical students and practicing doctors do not agree on this matter. Medical students actually enjoy watching House M.D. and think it adds up to their knowledge. However practicing physicians don't find the series amusing at all. In fact, they think it's unrealistic, and even annoying to watch! Answer 1: Gary Larson, Medical Director - Procure Proton Therapy Center, Oklahoma City, OK My kids liked watching the series and encouraged me to watch as well. The first season or so, the stories had some consistent internal logic as well as some parts that were realistic medically. As time went on, the medicine became further and further from anything resembling reality. The premise was that House was supposed to be good at diagnosing unusual cases, but he was so sloppy that I would have failed any medical student working up a patient the way he did. He would hear part of the patient’s history, then (like a blindfolded monkey throwing darts) order some diagnostic study, imaging, or treatment - all of which took him down the wrong path until, during the last ten minutes of the episode, he miraculously came up with the correct diagnosis. One episode that comes to mind involved making the diagnosis of lung cancer, by looking at the patient’s fingernails - which showed clubbing. After spending $50,000 for diagnostic studies, he finally examined the patient and made the diagnosis - something any medical student would be expected to do during the initial patient encounter. I will say that his character was a moderately accurate portrayal of a drug addict - self centered in the extreme - with a host of enablers whose lives he helped destroy - and no ability to form functional relationships. Answer 2: Ben Howell, GP, ex-RN. Now 1% sarcasm free. By changing the channel. Personally I can't watch any medical shows that are completely unrealistic - the one with the whiny blonde girl that was all about her relationship issues was particular aggravating. And I'm really sorry - the name of it is on the tip of my tongue and I'll edit this when I remember. Addit: Grey's $%^&ing Anatomy. That's it!! That said, House probably takes the cake in terms of being unrealistic - a doctor leaves the operating room after performing a brain biopsy to break into the patient's house to swab the sink and then returns to perform a triple heart bypass. But, for me, the most pointless aspect was that it is presented in the form of a "Whodunnit" show where you're unable to guess the answer because you're given insufficient information until the end when they unleash the solution as a marvellous surprise. Watching a medical show that is unrealistic and provides no opportunity for any sort of medical education because they rob you of diagnostic clues simply isn't entertaining. I know how stupid this sounds but for me personally the only medical show I could watch, because it felt like real life in a hospital, was Scrubs. I know it's a comedy but, really, so is hospital medicine. If you want a realistic show, watch Scrubs. Answer 3: Kal Marchinon, Physican, internist, interested in psychology and sociology I feel all medical students love it! I used to love it as a medical student. Now when I work in the hospital for 14 hours straight without having a minute to relax, I come back home needing to watch something on the TV that can make me laugh. I don't watch medical shows anymore now. Answer 4: Rajat Dahiya, Hugh Laurie fan, USMLE aspirant Well personally it helps me as a good visual-audio case exercise. Where you see the symptoms and guess the diagnosis. Of course, it doesn't work that way, but still its a good doctor's show. I find it better than SCRUBS or GREY'S ANATOMY, simply because they don't have a character like House (Hugh Laurie). Besides...as a medico, i like the plot more a medical one than focusing on personal lives. And the more HOUSE resembles SHERLOCK..the more i like the show. His genius touch inspires me. And to make the show interesting it has to focus on rare diagnostic cases. I remember an episode on INTERMITTENT PORPHYRIA and i can never forget that as a case. So...as a medico..watch it for fun..and at the same time for learning a few cases on the go Answer 5: Supriya Tiwari, A doctor who firmly believes in preventive medicine! Honestly as a medical student I have loved watching house & scrubs & always got interested in diagnostics & medicine but you understand at the end of the day its only for you to enjoy & forget. You cannot deal the same way in real life situations obviously. Answer 6: Jenny Holliday Relaxing. House is so different from day to day medicine. Of course the diagnostic workups are ridiculous. Of course residents don't jump around to different specialties. Of course doctors don't search people’s homes. Of course a doctor is not an omnipotent Godlike being. Dr. House embodies such a fascinating dichotomy. The worst of human frailties. Drug abuse. Cruel behavior to others. Yet simultaneously he is that Godlike mythical doctor who always finds the right answer. Of course I'm not that bad. Of course I'm not that good. I'm human. And that's okay. Source
Dispite what many people say about medical tv shows... I find House to be a very entertaining, although un realistic, show. Some times it makes me wonder if because of shows like this we have so many medical students romming around hospital halls. I must admit... scrubs was one of my biggest influences when it can to picking my speciality. Now, I almost force my husband to watch them with me... he's less tolerant of the bull they show.
