Grey's Anatomy

When this show was advertised, I thought "Why would an intern want to watch a show about interns? Especially ones who look like they actually got some sleep." So, despite the hype, I decided against watching it and ended up getting some sleep.

But, a week later, curiosity got the better of me, and I watched the 2nd episode.

Now, the lives of the interns on Grey's Anatomy bear minimal resemblance to our lives. Our hair is never that neat, neither are we as well made-up. Hospital affairs, well, they happen, but very rarely will they be between a consultant and an intern -- we're too far beneath them. And making out in the lift? Please. Interns don't have time to wait for the lifts. Also, there is no way you'd find the consultant sitting by a patient's bedside, having stayed there overnight.

But, the Grey interns are much more put upon than the ones in other medical dramas (ahem... ER, All Saints). Also, to them are delegated the most menial of menial tasks. No operating for them until they've proven themselves, unlike some interns who perform open-heart surgery in the ER waiting room. No, the most they can do is suture in the ER, and that's because none of the "real" surgeons want to do that. Oh yes, and sorting through lab results. That's too low for the "real" surgeons who should be in the operating theatre.

For the idealistic interns in that other medical drama, "internship is all about waiting. You wait and wait and wait, and then, suddenly, a chance comes and you do something that makes a difference in people's lives." Oh no, idealistic TV-land intern, internship is about filling endless stacks of paperwork, taking bloods, putting in iv lines and catheters, reassuring patients, and charting the medications the powers-that-be want your patient to be on. It's about learning how to be a real doctor by observation (with some participation) and hoping that you don't kill anyone along the way.

As for the interns in Grey's Anatomy: "We're interns, we're not meant to be right. And when we are, it comes as a complete shock." Ah, that sounds more like my life.

So, I will continue to watch Grey's Anatomy and suspend my disbelief. After all, the writers have to have some insight into internship, or they wouldn't have produced this conversation:
"As an intern, are you..."
"Terrified? 100% of the time."
"Good. So it's not just me."