Grey’s Anatomy is perhaps everyone’s favorite medical drama, but that doesn’t mean it’s immune to honest mistakes. Meredith Grey and her fellow interns have won the audience’s hearts since they first set foot in Seattle Grace Hospital. Since then, the viewers have seen everything from the main cast’s first surgeries to their post-traumatic events, marriages, kids, and even deaths. Despite Grey’s Anatomy being one of the few medical TV shows that are somewhat medically accurate, there are times when the show tries to focus more on the drama than the medical part.
Understandably, there are things that TV shows must do for the sake of entertainment and character building. This can include showcasing cases that are too “advanced” for real-life medical science or portraying surgeons as glorified heroes dedicated solely to their profession. Although Grey’s Anatomy has tried to hail the medical side of things, even this great show has some flaws that can’t be missed.
Real Surgeons Don’t Often Interact With the Families
It’s a violation of patient privacy to discuss confidential information in public.
Grey’s Anatomy doctors are mostly chatting away their live stories in waiting rooms.
Bad or good news should be delivered in private.
It’s a common trend in the Grey’s Anatomy world that on-call surgeons meet up with families and break the news. While there’s nothing wrong with that, that’s often not the case in real life, especially the way doctors discuss crucial information about the patient to their families. The bad news about the patient isn’t delivered to loved ones in a noisy and crowded waiting room. It’s a part of patient confidentiality to discuss their condition and options only with immediate family members and in private.
Grey’s Anatomy doctors often jump into conversation with the families, giving them personal advice and sharing their stories, which is usually not the case. An empathetic approach is important, but the “Anatomy” doctors take it a step further.
MRI Gone Wrong
The MRI machine is like a giant, powerful magnet.
Absolutely no metallic objects are allowed before the scan.
An MRI for a fork in the neck would be a huge real-life blunder.
The truth of the matter is that medical shows have become a source of general information about hospitals and medicine for the masses. That’s why most viewers are aware of the common fact that all metal accessories must be removed before taking the patient for an MRI since the machine is essentially a giant magnet, so it’s understandable what would happen if a patient is taken for a scan with a metal fork sticking out of their neck.
Yes, Derek Shepherd received a freak accident case where a fork was protruding out of a patient’s neck. Despite his best efforts and intentions at heart, the famed Doctor McDreamy forgot basic protocols and allowed an MRI to take place as it is. If this were to happen in real life, the damage would have been irrevocable since the machine would have pulled the fork right off.
Constantly Bringing People Back From the Dead
Defibrillators are used to bring back irregular heartbeats to normal.
They are not used to revive patients or correct flat lines.
Doctors on Grey’s Anatomy often incorrectly use this medical procedure.
If there’s one thing that Grey’s Anatomy doctors are better at than real-life medical professionals, it is bringing back flat-lined patients from the dead. It’s a common practice in the popular drama to call “Code Blue” to induce adrenaline and excitement in the viewers about the emergency situation that’s about to unfold. However, the way the show pulls off its defibrillator scenes is extremely inaccurate and dramatic at best.
The vibe of listening to a doctor saying “clear, charge” is exhilarating since it gives hope of revival, but Grey’s Anatomyoverexerts this reality-based process. For instance, defibrillation isn’t used to bring back a flat-lined patient or a dead pulse, but it’s used to correct heart rhythm. The electrical pulse is used to restore regularity to a person’s heartbeat, not to shock it back from nothing; the trope is mostly used for the excitement factor.
Meredith Forgot About Her Liver Transplant
People with liver transplants have to be careful when it comes to drinking.
Meredith donated part of her liver to her sick father.
Meredith is shown as a heavy drinker throughout the seasons.
There’s nothing Meredith Grey hasn’t been through in her time at the Seattle Grace Hospital. She has had multiple near-death experiences and perhaps has been on the table more than any other character. However, one of the times she went under the knife was voluntarily when she agreed to donate a part of her liver to her father. As per regular precautions for patients who have undergone such a procedure, it’s necessary to stay “careful” for as long as they can, and this also includes taking a step back from severe drinking.
However, knowing Meredith, she hasn’t once held back on her alcohol and was seen frequently downing her sorrows in expensive bottles. Either she’s one of those magical beings who heal from everything almost instantly, or the show completely forgot about her liver.
