From a young age many things may influence our career choices. It may be our family or friends, a teacher or careers adviser at college or it might even be influenced by our role models from TV and film. We've taken three of our favourite TV Doctors to examine what there is you can learn from these slightly farfetched physicians. Dr Gregory House – House MD Who? Head of Diagnostic Medicine at Princeton-Plainsboro Hospital. With an ever changing team of attractive diagnosticians, Gregory House is a pain-killer-addicted doctor who was left lame in one leg after a blood clot caused muscle wastage which had to removed to keep him from losing his leg. Personality House is something of an odd-ball genius, with a penchant for Vicadin, doing things his own way regardless of the consequences and heavily relying on and tormenting his best friend, the long suffering oncologist Dr Wilson. Despite almost always coming up with the correct diagnosis himself through a method of trial and error which often leaves the patient on the brink of death, he recognises the importance of having a team to bounce ideas off and usually interacts directly with them rather than the patients themselves. Inspiration Despite his obvious shortcomings and many personality defects, House is a highly gifted doctor who almost without fail saves his patients from their otherwise impending deaths, whilst himself being in constant considerable pain. His distance from his patients, seeing them as puzzles to solve rather than people to heal, is a good example of objectivity, although his bedside manner and out-of-the-box thinking and methods leave a lot to be desired. One thing that's for sure is that if you followed House to the letter, you would not have a long career as a doctor. Still, if I were dying of an unknown illness, I think that he’d be the best person to contact. Dr Mark Sloan – Diagnosis Murder Who? A senior physician at Community General Hospital, Mark Sloan is the Chief of Internal Medicine. He also likes to spend his time solving murders with his son, Steve Sloan who is a Robbery/Homicide Lieutenant in the LAPD. Personality Mark Sloan comes across from the off as a caring grandparent, but with a keen mind that tries hard to keep up to speed with the latest advances in technology. Played by Dick Van Dyke, his character utilises the actor’s abilities as a musician with a few episodes featuring Dr Mark Sloan singing in a barbershop quartet. Inspiration Despite being nearly at retirement age throughout the 8 series of the show, Dr Mark Sloan is one physician who isn’t going to go quietly. His affluence does not stop him from working long hours in the hospital, helping out in the community and consulting for the LAPD. Dr Sloan is a great example of what a long career in medicine can offer you, and as well as being a great doctor he is a kind man who values his friends and colleagues and is generally liked and respected by all. Dr Perry Cox – Scrubs Who? Attending Physician of Internal Medicine, Residency Director and then finally Chief of Medicine at Sacred Heart Hospital. Perry lives with his ex-wife Jordan and his children Jack and Jennifer Dylan. Dr Cox is seen by many as the go-to guy with their problems, something which he both openly hates and secretly enjoys. He is by no means a kind father figure in the hospital, but for JD and Elliot, he has offered them a lot of support over their careers from their first day until the end of the show. Personality A self-confessed narcissist, Dr Cox has lots of love-hate relationships with almost everybody that he works with, in particular the cantankerous Chief of Medicine, Bob Kelso. More loathing with begrudged respect rather than ‘banter’, Dr Cox likes to look after particular patients that he feels that he can help, regardless of whether they have insurance or what his orders from above tell him. He is predisposed to rants, particularly at the junior doctors, yet in spite this he still finds himself plagued by them. Inspiration As somebody who we see move up the tree to the top branch throughout the 8 series of Scrubs, Dr Cox is a man who will often do the right thing for his patients in completely the wrong way. Dr Cox is an inspiration because of his knowledge, his ability (unwilling or not) to teach other doctors and his dedication to his children and ex-wife. He takes pleasure in simple things, such as watching basketball, and finds time for himself – a valuable lesson for any doctor in the throes of a busy work and family life. Source
