Grey's Anatomy is an extremely popular medical drama that first appeared in 2005 on the American Broadcasting Company, better known as ABC. The TV show is based on Meredith Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo, and her journey through internship, residency, and ultimately her role as a nurse in the surgery department at Seattle Grace Hospital. The show isn't just about Grey, there are five other doctors who also start out as interns that the show focuses on, as well as going through all the surgical specialties found in a hospital. Grey's Anatomy is filled with many last-minute trysts in on-call rooms throughout the hospital, which leads to many problems that would never be seen in a real hospital. Many people argue that Grey's Anatomy is not a good TV show because over time most of the main characters die or leave. However, some individuals are so invested in the characters' love lives that they are terribly saddened when main characters die or leave the show. I think the Grey's storyline is fantastic and Shonda Rhimes, the executive producer, does a fantastic job integrating the viewer into the lives of the characters. Many people have differing opinions on the plot of Grey's, but it is evident throughout the show that the medical cases and portrayals of doctors are overly dramatized. Although the popular television show Grey's Anatomy has a great, sometimes very intense plot, especially in the first three seasons, many medical cases and portrayals of doctors are extremely inaccurate and do not describe what it is really like to work in a real hospital. .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay I initially started watching Grey's Anatomy because I am very interested in all things medical. I thought that since I had only heard good things about the show, it would at least show what it's like to work in a hospital. I was wrong in thinking it would always be medically consistent, but in the end I got invested in the characters' lives and loved the show's plot. The first season of the show was extremely entertaining watching the interns adjust to hospital life and watching Gray fall in love with her married man and surgical assistant, Dr. Derek Shepard, played by Patrick Dempsey. Seth Freilich, a television program critic, reviews the first season of Grey's and its interesting plot. Freilich says, "The medical plots are quickly becoming totally ridiculous, and the relationship drama (particularly between annoying Meredith and Dr. McDreamy) is totally drawn out and cheesy." He also goes on to talk about how, even though the relationship drama is drawn out, there's something about the show that keeps him watching. Freilich concludes his review by stating, "...I don't mind any of its flaws and actively await new episodes." I agree with Freilich, even if some components are drawn out, I can watch it again and again. In season two, intern Izzie Stephens becomes overly involved in the life of her heart patient Denny Duquette. Duquette's heart is failing and he desperately needs a heart transplant; Izzie falls in love with Denny and spends most of her work days in his room visiting, which doesn't happen in a normal hospital environment. As Duquette's surgeon goes to get a heart for transplant, drama arises and it's possible the heart will never reach him. Stephens eventually cuts the wire to the LVAD, the only thing keeping Duquette from dying. Stephens cuttingthe LVAD wire is a great example of inaccurate medical portrayal in the show. If a medical professional had intentionally cut the patient's lifeline in real life, the patient would surely have lost his license to practice medicine and been imprisoned. There are also restrictions on the attachment of medical professionals to their patients. Stephens and Duquette were considered "dating" while he was hospitalized. In real life, you would never be allowed to take care of your partner while he or she is seriously ill. The end of season 2 left all watchers excited to see what season 3 had in store. Debi Enker, television critic for The Age, an Australian newspaper, believes that Rhimes did a great job in the season two finale. Enker says, "Rhimes's big ending does exactly what it's supposed to do: It leaves you wanting more." Aside from the inexactness of the drama between Stephen and Duquette, the second season was certainly very intense and left watchers ready for the third season. Season 3 didn't have many major events, which made it a bit vague and boring in my opinion. However, not every season can be perfect, and I don't think this season took anything away from Grey's Anatomy as a whole. At the beginning of the third season, Stephens inherits a large amount of money from Duquette after his death. The relationship drama continues throughout the season, as do the bizarre medical cases. Season 3's most bizarre medical case involved a cancer patient who was taking herbal supplements that made her blood toxic. Once the surgeons cut the woman open and were exposed to her blood, they all fainted. Doctors tried wearing oxygen masks to complete the surgery, but ran out. The team of surgeons then decided that they needed to enter the operating room one at a time in twenty-second increments while holding their breath. This is another great example of very unrealistic medical cases. In a real operating room, other people such as instrumentalists, surgical technicians and the anesthesia team are present. These people are not shown and if the patient was left without someone from the anesthesia team for a long time, he would most likely have many serious complications. Also in this season a ferry accident occurred and intern Alex Karev fell in love with the pregnant victim known as "Jane Doe, who suffered from amnesia. This is another example of doctor involvement in patients' lives, which is not acceptable in a real hospital. Dustin Rowles, a critic at Pajiba, an entertainment news source, believes that the third season is the downfall of Grey's Anatomy. He states: “The height is gone, but you keep watching because you really want to see how the bottom is. I see not too far: it's shale.” With this season, I can see where Rowles is coming from; however, I disagree is far from a ruin. As previously mentioned, Grey's Anatomy features several medical inaccuracies and inaccurate portrayals of doctors throughout the television series. An article published on The DO, a medical news site, compares Grey's Anatomy to real life in a hospital. Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Amanda Kirzner, describes her experience in medical school with the experiences depicted on Grey's. While Kirzner was pregnant, she says she "observed the lives of surgical residents and doctors with great interest." She knew many cases and the doctors' portrayals were dramatized, but when she became a general surgery resident, she says, "these discrepancies arebecome even more noticeable to me." Kirzner believes that the show causes medical students to be extremely shocked when they rotate through a surgery and see how an operating room actually works. The show is also incorrect when it shows the interns in operating room assisting in complex surgeries. From his experience he states, “Typically, surgical service interns care for patients in the field. They rarely see the inside of the operating room, and when they do, it is usually for assist in an emergency or common case.” Kirzner believes that Grey's Anatomy is a very interesting show, but he doesn't think that any future medical professional should rely on the show to accurately show what it's like to work in a hospital. An article published by Lily Martis titled "9 Ways Your Work Doesn't Look Like Grey's Anatomy" interviews a former CNN medical correspondent and author of the book The Real Grey's Anatomy. One of the major mistakes I noticed throughout the show is the amount of time nurses are seen caring for patients. At Grey's, nurses are rarely seen caring for patients. Holtz proclaims that nurses are “essential to health care.” Most of the practical procedures performed in Grey's Anatomy are performed only by doctors. In real life, nurses have much more contact with patients than doctors and provide a great deal of hands-on care. Kathy Stephens Williams, a registered nurse, says, “Ninety percent of the things doctors do on the show are things nurses do in real life. Plus there's no time to sit like this in patient rooms.” In Grey's Anatomy, it shows that doctors form close relationships with their patients like in the Izzie Stephens and Denny Duquette saga of season 2. Holtz reminds us that doctors actually monitor patients, but “they don't spend the time they actually spend in the room with patients like nurses do.” Holtz says nurses are the ones who care for patients while doctors “get familiar with their cases and give instructions.” These inaccuracies are a reminder of not believing that everything you see on Grey's Anatomy is actually true. One could argue that Grey's Anatomy is a horrible show in every way due to the dramatic medical cases and plot. Many people say that the plot repeats itself too much, so they decide not to watch it. Everyone might not agree that Grey's is a good TV show; however, it has been nominated thirty-nine times and won five Emmy awards since 2005. Additionally, many students majoring in healthcare fields must remember several diseases and medical terms; several nursing students I know relate the study material to diagnoses made on Grey's Anatomy. One could argue that even though the show doesn't describe exactly what it's like to work in a hospital, it does in fact use the correct terminology when doctors make diagnoses. Please note: this is just an example. Get a customized document from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay I have watched seasons one through three of Grey's twice and the entire show overall once. Seasons one through three were the most interesting to me because it was unique to watch the evolution of the interns from their first day at Seattle Grace Hospital. The plot of Grey's Anatomy is one of the best of all time. Even if the medical cases are dramatized and the portrayals of the doctors are not one hundred percent accurate, this does not detract from the, 1(1), 49-60.