Hollywood does a lot of things in movies to make them more entertaining, but unfortunately this also makes them less believable at times. In terms of how doctors are viewed in the movies and how they truly behave in real life one must remember that actors are not doctors in any way, shape, or form. They may play the role of a physician, surgeon, or other healthcare professional, but they are there to play a part and nothing more. This is why many that do work in healthcare might cringe when they watch a Hollywood film depicting doctors at work.
Honestly, would you want to see someone performing your job in a haphazard manner?
5. Doctors deal with a lot of bodily fluids not shown on screen.
It’s not just blood and urine that they get to deal with. Patients sometimes have a few other fluids that can become troublesome during their stay. Vomit, bile, and other nasty substances can become an issue for doctors on duty and the nurses that have to deal with the patients on a regular basis. These other fluids aren’t always so nice to see on screen however and this is likely why you won’t see them as often.
4. Doctors can’t do everything.
In some shows and movies it seems like a doctor can do anything. They’re skilled to handle almost any situation that has to do with an emergency or otherwise obscure treatment or disease that no one else has even heard of. In reality doctors are specialists and must rely on the skills of others just like in any other profession. There is no one doctor that knows absolutely everything, there are many that contribute their particular skills to the care of a patient.
3. Most doctors won’t go out for a drink after their shift.
A lot of times in movies you’ll see a group of doctors go out for a beer or just to hang out in a bar and knock back shots after a stressful shift. While some might do this, most doctors won’t dare because there’s no telling if they’ll be called back for an emergency or they worry how it will affect their performance for the next day. A hung over doctor is not what most patients would like to see.
2. Doctor’s don’t typically deal with a lot of rare diseases.
In their lifetime most doctors won’t see the type of rare and exotic diseases that are shown in movies. If anything they’ll misdiagnose common diseases because they don’t appear as they’re taught in their text books. A real doctor needs to learn on the fly and has to try and anticipate the most common diseases when they show up in different ways.
1. The connection with the patients is not always as constant as it is in the movies.
Unfortunately doctors do try but don’t always get to know their patients. In the movies doctors are of firm belief that to cure the disease you must get up and personal with a patient. In real life this is not the case. It is far more clinical and more business-like. Doctors do attempt to make a patient comfortable and more relaxed by talking to them, but they typically have a large number of people to deal with and must be on their way quickly and efficiently. This doesn’t leave a lot of time for small talk.
Doctors in the movies are often very personable and take the time to get to know their patients. What they don’t do is anything all that realistic when it comes to the job.
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