Reality

The infamous television show Grey’s Anatomy has aired for roughly twelve years now. Every want-to-be-surgeon in America has at least heard of it, if not seen each season over a million times (myself included). The series follows the fictional lives of surgical interns, residents, and attending physicians as they manage their affairs both inside and outside of the Seattle hospital operating rooms. For aspiring surgeons looking for an easily accessible, simplistic sneak peak into the life they dream of living, what could be any better?

I will be the first to admit that Grey’s Anatomy is most defiantly my favorite series to binge watch; the enticing medical drama seems to never end and based on my knowledge of surgical procedures, the social hierarchy within a hospital, and logistics of what occurs in the OR, Grey’s is fairly legitimate… fairly. Now, to a certain extent, yes, this show does illustrate what life could be like as a full time cardiothoracic or neuro surgeon, but then again, it’s a television series. Anyone who has grown up reading fairytales or watching cartoons recognizes the fact that television reality and that of which you live on a daily basis are not likely to resemble one another. Some would argue that this sort of false advertising is a cause of disappointment later down the road when the romantic picture you expected is not the gritty one you’re painting. Science is science and facts are facts; the raw principal of reality is a foundation of surgery that not even the most remarkable physicians on the face of the earth will ever be able to escape. Some individuals find that they thrive in this environment, others do not.

The reality not too commonly stressed to aspiring physicians today, arguably because of how intimidating it is and therefore the one I find most important to shed light on, means so much more than what anyone watching from the outside can understand. For starters, the reality of a modern day surgeon means literal stacks upon stacks of hospital paperwork; it means tireless studying for at least ten years after high school; it means sleepless nights and coffee driven days; it means personal sacrifice working on Thanksgiving Day and being on call during your dinner date; it means making inevitable mistakes, some of which are more costly than others; and it can mean painful loss when the person whose family trusted you to save them by performing a heart transplant flat lines on your table and renders you powerless. To say the least, such is not overly depicted in Grey’s as is the romantic allure of elaborate, drawn out medical terms and polished physicians. All of which is surface level comforting, but not sustainable for a successful career in surgery. The one’s who identify with the real reality are not those staged in a show, but the individuals on the hospital floor making rounds and working to save lives.

Take advantage of the wholesome, honest reality that surrounds and not solely that of which is decorated. Whether it be in relation to medicine or not, indulge in learning from every experience and opportunity available, and take advantage of such for all they have to offer. True growth and self-realization stems from understanding and coming to appreciate the blunt reality behind a situation or lifestyle because if one knows they can thrive through it all and still be the happiest, healthiest version of themselves possible, they have absolutely found their calling. In medicine, it is this intimate calling and passion for the mission, not a mock television series, that is the real driving force inspiring physicians everywhere to thrive in their version of reality.