TV Shows That Nailed Healthcare—And Those That Didn't

Let’s Be Honest—Most Medical Dramas Are More ‘Drama’ Than ‘Medical’
You’re watching a scene:
The monitor flatlines. The doctor rips off their mask.
“Time of death—12:01.”
Cue dramatic music. Fade to black.
You, a real doctor, sitting on your couch: “That’s not how any of this works.”

Medical professionals can’t help but spot the inaccuracies in TV shows—whether it’s a 20-second CPR miracle, a neurosurgeon treating cardiac arrest, or a surgical resident who somehow has time to date, solve crimes, and journal.

But once in a while, a series gets it right. It shows the exhaustion, the ethics, the heartbreak, and even the dark humor of real medicine.

Let’s dive into the top shows that portray healthcare accurately, and the ones that miss the mark—sometimes hilariously—and examine what makes the difference.

Shows That Got It (Mostly) Right
1. ER (1994–2009)
Accuracy Level: 8/10

Before Grey’s Anatomy, there was ER—a show that actually hired real doctors as consultants. It portrayed:

• Time pressure in trauma care
  
  
• Multi-patient juggling
  
  
• The reality of documentation
  
  
• Burnout and moral injury
  
  
• Emergency department chaos
  

While some dramatic liberties were taken (a helicopter blade decapitation?), the series nailed the emotional weight of patient care and team dynamics.

What it got right: The pace, the procedures, the hierarchy, and even the exhaustion. The doctors were flawed, human, and believable.

2. Scrubs (2001–2010)
Accuracy Level: 9/10 (Yes, really)

Despite being a comedy, Scrubs is shockingly realistic in its portrayal of residency life:

• Imposter syndrome
  
  
• Emotional rollercoasters
  
  
• The ridiculousness of hospital politics
  
  
• The bond between interns
  
  
• The unspoken coping mechanisms (like sarcasm)
  

Many doctors cite Scrubs as “the most emotionally accurate” series—even if the janitor was… less than realistic.

What it got right: The internal monologues, the fear, the friendship, and the fact that death is never easy, even after your 100th patient.

3. The Good Doctor (2017–present)
Accuracy Level: 7.5/10

While some surgeries are unrealistic (would a resident really do that many cutting-edge procedures?), this show earns credit for:

• Accurately portraying autism and savant syndrome with nuance
  
  
• Addressing hospital politics and hierarchy
  
  
• Highlighting ethical dilemmas
  

What it got right: The protagonist’s struggle for acceptance in a rigid system, and the way team dynamics evolve when one member communicates differently.

4. Call the Midwife (2012–present)
Accuracy Level: 8.5/10

This period drama set in post-war London offers a deeply researched look into:

• Home births
  
  
• Public health nursing
  
  
• Socioeconomic influences on maternal care
  
  
• Antibiotic shortages, TB, polio
  

What it got right: Historical accuracy, authentic medical challenges of the 1950s–60s, and the deeply human side of midwifery.

Shows That Took… Creative Liberties
1. Grey’s Anatomy (2005–present)
Accuracy Level: 4/10

Where do we begin? Interns who operate solo, doctors having sex in on-call rooms during a mass casualty event, and CPR bringing back patients from flatline after minutes.

It’s entertainment, not education.

What it got wrong:

• Roles are blurred—residents do everything
  
  
• Unrealistic timelines for recovery and surgeries
  
  
• Overly dramatized interpersonal chaos in sterile areas (seriously, why are they always fighting in the OR?)
  

What it got right: The emotional arcs of grief, loss, and burnout. The struggle to balance humanity with medicine.

2. House, M.D. (2004–2012)
Accuracy Level: 6/10

House is essentially Sherlock Holmes in a lab coat. While the medicine was often plausible, the way it was practiced? Not so much.

What it got wrong:

• Doctors doing every test themselves (MRI, biopsy, even home visits)
  
  
• Medical ethics being disregarded for drama
  
  
• Always solving rare zebras in dramatic fashion
  

What it got right: The diagnostic reasoning process, even if dramatized. The emotional detachment and cynicism seen in burned-out doctors.

3. The Resident (2018–2023)
Accuracy Level: 5/10

The show tackled themes like corruption in healthcare systems and hospital funding—but with a lot of dramatic overlay.

What it got wrong:

• Unrealistic procedures for level of training
  
  
• Some ethical decisions played purely for shock value
  
  
• Glossing over day-to-day patient loads
  

What it got right: Burnout, billing fraud, and the tension between healthcare and profit—topics many doctors know too well.

The Core Differences Between Accuracy and Fiction
Accurate Portrayals Faulty Portrayals
Realistic pacing of patient care Unrealistic timeframes for complex cases
Emotional nuance and ethical dilemmas Overdramatized relationships
Respect for hierarchy and protocol Doctors doing everything themselves
Depiction of burnout, fatigue, complexity Endless energy and romantic drama
Human-centered stories, not superheroism Doctors as gods, magicians, or villains
Why Accuracy Matters (Even in Entertainment)
TV is powerful. Many people get their first impressions of healthcare through it—including patients, families, and even aspiring med students.

Inaccurate portrayals can lead to:

• Misunderstanding of CPR outcomes
  
  
• Unrealistic expectations of recovery
  
  
• Confusion about roles (e.g., residents vs. attendings)
  
  
• Diminished empathy for real doctors’ limitations
  

But shows that tell the truth, even fictionally, can foster:

• Appreciation for emotional toll
  
  
• Insight into ethical gray areas
  
  
• Better understanding of teamwork and constraints in real hospitals
  

A Doctor’s Wish List for Medical Shows

• Stop shocking flatline patients (you cannot defibrillate asystole)
  
  
• Show residents charting, not just cutting
  
  
• Don’t resolve trauma in a single scene
  
  
• Let characters grieve properly
  
  
• Portray fatigue and frustration realistically—not as flaws, but as facts
  

Final Thought: Let Art Reflect Medicine, Not Distort It
We don’t expect perfection from TV. But as doctors, we do wish for stories that reflect not just our scalpels, but our souls. Shows like Scrubs and ER remind us we’re not alone. Shows like Grey’s Anatomy remind us how far fiction can stretch.

Both have their place. But when the screen gets it right—it can teach, heal, and connect.