Grey's: The Grey's Anatomy Effect
I have to admit. Last night's Grey's Anatomy was a challenge for me to get through. The doctor in me had trouble abandoning all sense of reality.
We all realize, I think, that no one can be under water for that length of time and live -- even if our brain metabolism comes to a screeching halt due to freezing cold water. But let'' just put that aside.
They get her out of the water and commence to bring her back to life. As they should have. But it goes on and on and on. Honestly, after 30 minutes or so of trying to resuscitate someone, chances are slim that they'll survive. Much less survive without serious brain damage.
And 3 hours without a heartbeat? Then her heart starts beating, they pull out the breathing tube, she's talking in minutes, and everything's well in the world. Oh brother!
Then I decided to sit back and enjoy (something I should have done 30 minutes earlier). And I actually got caught up in the interesting way that the writers had Meredith's mother bring her back to life.
But the whole storyline made me think about a recent article I saw referring to the "Grey's Anatomy Effect." A poll from Junior Achievement Worldwide and Verizon showed that "Doctor" was a top career choice among teen-aged girls.
And someone made a comment that this may at least partly be due to medical shows like Grey's Anatomy or House.
There's no way to prove that, but if true, that's just scary.
The personal and professional lives of the doctors, the interns particularly, have very little to do with reality. When you're an intern, an 80 to 100 hour work week is normal -- and oftentimes more than that.
Interns frequently work shifts of 24 hours or more. While it's a very exciting time of your life, you're often wiped out. It's all you can do to stay awake at times -- much less think straight -- and when you're not working your butt off, you're sleeping.
We don't make a habit of having sex in a hospital bed. Or sitting at a bar in between seeing patients. Well, let's hope not.
My point is that if young boys and girls are seeing the lives of TV doctors and that makes them want to be a doctor, they're in for the shock of their lives.
There's no doubt that being a doctor is extremely rewarding -- just not in that way.
If your child is truly interested in being a doctor, have them spend some time talking to or actually spending a day with a doctor. See if your local hospital has programs for children interested in medicine.
And then if they still like what they see, send them on their way for years of hard --but fulfilling -- work.
Related Links:greysanatomy, meredithgrey, juniorachievement
8 Comments:
I don't think you're giving teenage girls enough credit. My guess? Teenage girls are looking at that as an option because they finally realize it's not only a field for men. I remember walking into my pediatrician's office when I was younger and all the physicians were men and the nurses were women (it really wasn't that long ago). Now I take my son to the doctor and it's about 50/50 (to the same office, even!)
When I was a teenage girl, I wanted to do something to "help." My interests fell more toward animals - I was interested in marine biology or veterinary medicine - but I also volunteered with the Red Cross at a local hospital. My friends often considered being teachers or nurses (if they had any idea what they wanted to do at all). Again...this wasn't that long ago. 10 years maybe.
As the girls mature and figure out what's available to them, many of them may change their minds. By the time they enter college, I'm sure they'll have realistic views of what it takes to become a doctor. At the ages described, however, it's probably more of a desire to help others than anything involving current TV shows.
(I personally wised up and realized that as much as I adore animals...science isn't for me. ;) So I study English and Journalism!)
I agree that it is great to see young girls realizing that they can become an intergral part of the medical world, where men have dominated for quite some time. BUT I also think that seeing the janitorial room sex scenes, nightly bar excursions and crazy love triangles, romanticizes all of it a bit too much! If these young girls (or boys) want to be doctors, awesome, they should look into the life of REAL LIFE doctors. But watching a cast of beautiful people play doctor every week may not accurately represent the road that lies ahead. On the other hand, if it takes a show like Grey's Anatomy to spark the interest of today's youth--more power to them!
Re: Dr. Smith's comments, especially concerning interns. I thought the days of working interns for hours on end on 24 plus hour shifts were a thing of the past. I have a neice who completed her internship about six or eight years ago and generally worked no more than a 60 hour week and usually less, and certainly no 24 hour shifts. If that is no longer the case then I sure pity the patient that has a "bleary eyed intern who hasn't slept for 24 hours and can't think straight" taking care of their medical needs. Sure, it's good training for the intern to learn to operate under fire so to speak, but it can't be to the patients benefit.
Ed C.
Gee wizz, Grey's Anatomy is a TV show and all this happens in an hour representing a full day, Meredithcan certainly survive, but talking right away was hard to comprehend(for me)
Why crush the dreams of teenagers now? Eventually they'll go to school and have to decided if this is something they are serious about. For whatever reasons their interest started - they will have that interest and as they grow they will shape and define that interest. So! I agree with jennifer, and I hope that parents encourage their daughters (and son's) dreams... who cares if T.V. is stretching the truth? It always has - we've seen awesome parents raising awesome kids and being a huge part of their life - the Cosbys, Family Ties, etc. I kind of feel like an architect, and doctor and lawyer would be MUCH busier than how they were depicted... or Dawson just video taping, Carrie just writing all the time, Rachel Joey Monica Chandler Phoebe and Ross just hanging out at a coffee shop... It's T.V. it might inspire a dream (as will pro sports, movies, singers, the president of the United States) and somewhere along the line our kids are going to learn to work for whatever they want, and recognize their own strengths. If parents are going to do anything... why dont we encourage them to teach their kids how to treat others, respect themselves, not sleep around...teach them to be moral, and to know the difference between right and wrong. Why discourage them from something that might be hard... what are their other options? I'd rather have my girls hoping to be a doctor than trying to immitate brittany spears.
Sure, Grey's Anatomy may not exactly represent the daily reality of doctors; but what I think is most interesting is that Dr. Smith seems to assume the only reason a girl would want to be a doctor is because of all the unrealistically portrayed relationships, sexcapades, and otherwise non-medical aspects of the show.
All sorts of unrealistic depictions of firemen and policemen and other stereotypical 'male' professions have been portrayed on television for decades, and I've never heard anyone chastising little boys for being inspired by these depictions.
Oh, but wait... I guess girls are simply too fragile and unable to either physically or mentally understand the demands required of such a profession.
Give me a break!
How am I coming to WEBMD and finding the drama of (perceived) chauvinism, and sexist remarks?
The author said the survey was about girls:
But the whole storyline made me think about a recent article I saw referring to the "Grey's Anatomy Effect." A poll from Junior Achievement Worldwide and Verizon showed that "Doctor" was a top career choice among teen-aged girls.
He did not say he did the survey, he said he read it. Then he goes on, to include some (IMHO sound) advice for todays young adults (notice the use of boys and girls, and We):
when you're not working your butt off, you're sleeping.
We don't make a habit of having sex in a hospital bed. Or sitting at a bar in between seeing patients. Well, let's hope not.
My point is that if young boys and girls are seeing the lives of TV doctors and that makes them want to be a doctor, they're in for the shock of their lives.
I see nothing in here that demonstrates Dr. Smith thinks boys can handle being an Intern/Doctor better than girls.
In fact, the only sexism I see here is in the replies:
"but what I think is most interesting is that Dr. Smith seems to assume the only reason a girl would want to be a doctor is because of all the unrealistically portrayed relationships, sexcapades, and otherwise non-medical aspects of the show.
So if he is assuming that, why leave out the boys? Dr. Smith did not. Are you focusing so much on girls that you missed the boys?
And here:
I don't think you're giving teenage girls enough credit.
Both of these comments imply that the warning to young adults (boys and girls) was only directed to the girls. But worse, (and here's the sexism) the quotes above from the replies seem to imply that while the warning does not give enough credit to young women, it is entirely appropriate to think that way about men.
Personally, I think that both young men and young women, of my generation or younger, for the most part couldn't handle medicine, much less the hours. They have been too spoiled, have had everything handed to them, and have not learned the value of hard work and doing your job right. Dr. Smith was referring to the lie of the popular doctor shows on TV. And this could hold true for anyone, of any age, but I don't think you'll find someone in their thirties or older decide to give up everything and become a doctor, just because they saw it on TV. Young adults however, are in the decision stage, and if they mess up here, they may be the ones having to give up everything and do something else in their thirties. This is what I think the author was getting at, not that "men can do it, but women can't".
When I hear people say things like that, I always feel that person who said it is older, because of all the people I know in my age group, the men treat the women better than themselves or each other. I understand sexism has existed in the country for a while, and is still around in other parts of the world, but in America, I see it dying out with the generation that came 2 before mine.
Lastly, If you want some insight into why young people REALLY want to be doctors, I've only ever heard two reasons:
1:"I want to help people"
2:"MONEY"
I've never heard anyone cite sex and alcohol as reasons for becoming a doctor. Today's young adults use those as reasons to go to college.
Adding a different perpective,
I actually happen to be a teen-aged female who aspires to being a doctor. While I am always tremendously entertained by Grey's Anatomy, the only show I take time away from homework for rather than utilising my Tivo and watching on the weekend, this television drama is completely irrelevant to my desire to be a doctor. I want to help people, be intellectually stimulated, and continue to challenge myself in a meaningful manner. I think that young people deserve more credit, especially as we work harder academically that the youth of yesterday and more young people are acheiving higher, which can clearly be seen in the competetive pool of qualified applicants we all try to top as we apply for "first-rate" education.
The "Grey's Anatomy Effect" may be a reasonable hypothesis, but I think you are misguided in such a notion.
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