Television isn’t as thrilling as it used to be. Many shows are simply rewrites of each other, no originality to be seen. Everything is cookie cutter and tied up in a nice little bow at the end.
Fox’s new medical drama, The Resident, aims to change that. This gritty show pulls back the curtain on the medical industry and shows us a world that many of us have never seen before.
As such, there are several hard-truths that the audience has had to face. Some of them include:
1. Doctors are not immune to making mistakes
Humans, no matter how skilled, are infallible and mistakes do happen. In the first episode of season 1, we see Dr. Randolph, the Chief of Surgery at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital, performing an appendectomy. However, his hands are so shaky, there’s no way he can perform effectively. Undeterred by his tremors, he plods on and eventually severs one of the patient’s major arteries. Shortly after, the unlucky patient is dead on the operating table. This isn’t to say that this will happen in every situation. There are many skilled and responsible doctors who would never put themselves in such a situation. Instead of going ahead with the surgery, these professionals take the high road and opt-out. After all, the patient’s life is more important than their ego. But, it’s important to note that there are irresponsible people in every industry. So, it’s important that we understand the risks we take when we put our lives in someone else’s hands. Just give he or she is more educated than you doesn’t mean you should heed their advice. If you think something is wrong, get a second opinion. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
2. There are three sides to everything – the good, the bad, and the ugly
Although The Resident shines a light on the medical industry that many of us feel uncomfortable about, it doesn’t mean this is happening everywhere. Instead, the show is simply highlighting some of the things that happen but the audience was unaware of. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s simply a different perspective. The show is not trying to make it make it seem like every doctor is bad or that every hospital is making terrible mistakes and covering it up. There are amazing hospitals and doctors who put their patients before profits and do the right thing on a consistent basis. The show is simply trying to show that everything about the medical industry may not be as rosy as it seems.
3. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know
During the second episode of season 1, the doctors are faced with a dilemma. Two patients are in need of heart transplant but, who’s going to have the life-saving surgery? Patient 1 is Micah, a young school teacher with a history of heart disease. Patient 2 is a congressman who’s the personal friend of the Head of Oncology at the hospital. We can guess what happens next. Thankfully, things work out in the end but, still, it’s the principle that counts here.
4. Good intentions pave the way to hell
In the third episode of the season, we are introduced to Louisa Rodriguez, a talented medical transport worker. Unfortunately, we don’t learn much about her because she soon collapses due to severe back pain. When taken to the doctor, it’s revealed that she has cancer. However, not only is she uninsured, she’s an undocumented immigrant as well. How can the doctors help? Turns out, they do so by disobeying hospital administration and finding a surgical team to operate on Louisa. Her procedure is a success but will cost the hospital $2 million. To cover the costs of Louisa’s surgery, the budget for the emergency room is cut. The lesson here isn’t that you should stop helping others. However, it’s important that you are aware of any repercussions that may happen as a result. If it may end up hurting you more in the long run, perhaps you should rethink your good deed.
5. If you must poke a snake, remember safety first
In the 12th episode of Season 1, it’s revealed that one of Dr. Hunter’s patients died of a chemo overdose while in her care. To hide this tarnish on her record, she practices under her maiden name.
Try as she might, she was unable to run from her actions and one of her coworkers soon found out the truth. Unfortunately for this co-worker, Dr. Hunter has friends in low places. When she arrives home from work, a strange and threatening man is on her porch waiting for her. This behavior escalates until the good intentioned doctor is framed for a crime she didn’t commit and eventually arrested. Sorry to say it but sometimes we must learn to live well alone or, at the very least, find a better way to go uncover the truth. If you notice that someone is unscrupulous, never put yourself in the line of fire. Instead, find a way to deal with the problem in a safer way. If someone is as nefarious as you think and they find out that you’re trying to hurt their way of life, chances are they’re going to use their evil powers to destroy you.
The Bottom Line
The topics that the Resident explores are controversial, to say the least. However, it is only with dealing with uncomfortable topics that we can move past them and find solutions.
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