House MD

[Soxfan#1]

I love this show.


Did anyone see the epi tonight? Absolutely amazing. Hugh Laurie's performance tonight turned this whole season around. For the first time ever with House I absolutely can't wait till next weeks epi. It was just so brilliant tonight.

[jacksonianmarch]

I cannot stand the show. Too fake. Half the things he diagnoses you see once in a career and the majority of them dont have treatment at the stages the diseases reach in the show. Plus, House is supposed to be an internist, but he does neurgosurgery, cardiac surgery, oncology, general surgery, ID..pretty much everything there is. In order for someone to get to where he practices, he's have to do 25 yrs of residency.

[a700hitter]

Originally Posted by jacksonianmarch

I cannot stand the show. Too fake. Half the things he diagnoses you see once in a career and the majority of them dont have treatment at the stages the diseases reach in the show. Plus, House is supposed to be an internist, but he does neurgosurgery, cardiac surgery, oncology, general surgery, ID..pretty much everything there is. In order for someone to get to where he practices, he's have to do 25 yrs of residency.

But he's so good because he doesn't waste countless hours with fruitless endeavors like Yankee games.

[See Red]

Originally Posted by Soxfan#1

I love this show.


Did anyone see the epi tonight? Absolutely amazing. Hugh Laurie's performance tonight turned this whole season around. For the first time ever with House I absolutely can't wait till next weeks epi. It was just so brilliant tonight.

"Epi"? Do people actually say "epi" or do you just find that typing the "sode" is just a hassle?

[Thumper]

Originally Posted by jacksonianmarch

I cannot stand the show. Too fake. Half the things he diagnoses you see once in a career and the majority of them dont have treatment at the stages the diseases reach in the show. Plus, House is supposed to be an internist, but he does neurgosurgery, cardiac surgery, oncology, general surgery, ID..pretty much everything there is. In order for someone to get to where he practices, he's have to do 25 yrs of residency.

Preach it.

As much as some of you may dislike, or hate Scrubs, atleast it's more realistic. And really all House is is a cheap rip off of Dr. Cox with a limp. And like Jacko said, he's like some super dock with every title under his name. Watch next season he comes back with Pathologist attatched to his title.

[See Red]

Originally Posted by Thumper

Preach it.

As much as some of you may dislike, or hate Scrubs, atleast it's more realistic. And really all House is is a cheap rip off of Dr. Cox with a limp. And like Jacko said, he's like some super dock with every title under his name. Watch next season he comes back with Pathologist attatched to his title.

I agree about the Dr. Cox thing... first time I watched the show that's what I thought.

As for Scrubs, I love the first four or five seasons. I tried watching one of the newer episodes and didn't think it was particularly good. But the first four seasons were the great.

[Thumper]

Originally Posted by See Red

I agree about the Dr. Cox thing... first time I watched the show that's what I thought.

As for Scrubs, I love the first four or five seasons. I tried watching one of the newer episodes and didn't think it was particularly good. But the first four seasons were the great.

Yeah the first four seasons are the greatest. Season 5 you could sorta see them getting tired, Season 6 was SUPPOSE to be the end, thus why they killed some people off and what not... then they're doing season 7 now. Which I was hoping would be it, but they confirmed an 8th season, I don't think they should do it, they need to get out while they're somewhat ahead.

[Jayhawk Bill]

Originally Posted by jacksonianmarch

I cannot stand the show. Too fake. Half the things he diagnoses you see once in a career and the majority of them dont have treatment at the stages the diseases reach in the show.

IIRC, you profess to be a medical doctor. I understand and sympathize with your frustration. I hated JAG and I loathed Supercarrier because of how they portrayed the Navy. They just plain got stuff wrong, and they did it all the time.

House MD at least employs a team to ensure that what's going on could hypothetically happen. The most well-known member is Bobbin Bergstrom, who has a recurring role as a nurse as well as being the on-set medical advisor, but they actually check their script concepts with specialists. Just because the medicine could work doesn't mean that it's likely, but the ideas are possible...if not plausible.

Here's a quote from Andrew Holtz, a medical writer:

First, let me say that something weird must be going on in the Princeton-Plainsboro area. I'd be wary of living in a community where so many really awful things suddenly strike people in the prime of their lives.

The short answer is that while the cases are highly improbable (and that's putting it mildly), they are not completely impossible. Of course, often what appears as one case is really a combination of strange features from several real cases. And some of the reports in medical journals that describe similar cases are autopsy reports; that is, the strange disease happened, but in the real world, doctors didn't figure it out in time, or even if they did, there was nothing they could do to save the patient.

Originally Posted by jacksonianmarch

Plus, House is supposed to be an internist, but he does neurgosurgery, cardiac surgery, oncology, general surgery, ID..pretty much everything there is. In order for someone to get to where he practices, he's have to do 25 yrs of residency.

Do you actually watch the show?

Dr. House is dual certified in infectious disease and nephrology. He doesn't DO much of anything, though: he has a team of three fellows who do the work for him. He also uses a variety of surgeons to assist him--he has a habit of walking into their Operating Rooms and contaminating the sterile environment to stop the surgery he's ordered because he's just realized that it would kill his patient.

The first season his three fellows did more than they should have--that's a valid criticism. House is a diagnostician, though: he gets patients with unknown ailments, and the show's climax is when they're diagnosed and referred to the appropriate specialist. Of course he'll see patients with widely differing issues. Furthermore, in Seasons Two, Three, and Four they've gotten better about restricting the work of every doctor except Dr. Chase, who seems to be able to do anything, perhaps because he's Australian and perhaps because he attended Divinity School. In any case, what you're saying here doesn't really hold true, at least not for a few years.

***

A TV show that just showed life as we know it would be boring. Seinfeld was supposed to be "a show about nothing," but it had wildly contrived plot devices after the first six episodes or so. Perhaps Murder She Wrote was a case where it got a little too bizarre--250 people in Jessica Fletcher's circle of friends die mysterious deaths and she solves the crimes, begging the question of why anybody would want to remain in her circle of friends unless they had a death wish--but all TV shows involve greater-than-average numbers of exciting things happening to the protagonists. At least in Greg House's case he's a world-famous diagnostician who allegedly attracts tough cases...even then these cases stretch the boundaries, but, hey, it's TV.

***

I like House, MD. One reason is superb acting by Hugh Laurie with a solid supporting cast. A bigger reason, though, is the screenwriting. The scripts capture what it's like to deal with a brilliant professional suffering from Asperger's, IMO.* I've known three individuals whom I consider probably to have had Asperger's, and they're all brilliant folks with significant challenges in interpersonal relations. The episodes capture that well. Few TV shows correctly portray what it's like to have geniuses around--House MD does it well, capturing both the drama and, more often, the humor.





* An episode of House MD strongly alluded to Dr. House's probably suffering from an autism spectrum disorder.

[jacksonianmarch]

Originally Posted by Jayhawk Bill

Do you actually watch the show?

Dr. House is dual certified in infectious disease and nephrology. He doesn't DO much of anything, though: he has a team of three fellows who do the work for him. He also uses a variety of surgeons to assist him--he has a habit of walking into their Operating Rooms and contaminating the sterile environment to stop the surgery he's ordered because he's just realized that it would kill his patient.

I watched the first two seasons. They started when I was a second yr in medical school. The show has him doing a brain biopsy. Only neurosurgeons (7 yrs of residency) do brain biopsies. They try to pass that off by having a neurologist on the team, but neurologists do NOT do brain biopsies. There was also a part of the show where House is the one manuevering the cath in a cardiac catheterization to get a myocardial biopsy. Once again, you either need to be a CT surgeon (5 yrs of gen surg and 2-3 yrs of fellowship) or Interventional Cardiologist (3 yrs of Internal med, 3 yrs of card fellowship, 1-2 yrs of interventional fellowship). Now I get your point about the idea that all these symptoms "could" happen, but the majority of the symptoms that some of his classic diseases present with are the ones that you see once in a million. I understand the concept of trying to outsmart the public, but some of these diseases are way out there. For one, Erdheim Chester in season 2 is so exceedingly rare, how the hell would he make the leap to that when he hears the non-specific findings of bloody diarrhea in a 6 yr old? Cmon now. The fact that he made that diagnosis from the start while hearing those symptoms is just silly. Also, the majority of his pathology tests that he runs, A. take days to weeks to run, and B. would also NOT be read by House.

The first season his three fellows did more than they should have--that's a valid criticism. House is a diagnostician, though: he gets patients with unknown ailments, and the show's climax is when they're diagnosed and referred to the appropriate specialist. Of course he'll see patients with widely differing issues. Furthermore, in Seasons Two, Three, and Four they've gotten better about restricting the work of every doctor except Dr. Chase, who seems to be able to do anything, perhaps because he's Australian and perhaps because he attended Divinity School. In any case, what you're saying here doesn't really hold true, at least not for a few years.

***

A TV show that just showed life as we know it would be boring. Seinfeld was supposed to be "a show about nothing," but it had wildly contrived plot devices after the first six episodes or so. Perhaps Murder She Wrote was a case where it got a little too bizarre--250 people in Jessica Fletcher's circle of friends die mysterious deaths and she solves the crimes, begging the question of why anybody would want to remain in her circle of friends unless they had a death wish--but all TV shows involve greater-than-average numbers of exciting things happening to the protagonists. At least in Greg House's case he's a world-famous diagnostician who allegedly attracts tough cases...even then these cases stretch the boundaries, but, hey, it's TV.

***

I like House, MD. One reason is superb acting by Hugh Laurie with a solid supporting cast. A bigger reason, though, is the screenwriting. The scripts capture what it's like to deal with a brilliant professional suffering from Asperger's, IMO.*

They may be trying to sell him off as Aspergers, but they arent doing a good job. Asperger's kids usually are clumsy (which his motor skills are impeccable, like when he does brain biopsies). And typically, kids with Aspergers lack non-verbal communication, which House once again is VERY good at. House actually fits more into a personality disorder category (anti-social comes to mind) than an autism spectrum disorder.

I've known three individuals whom I consider probably to have had Asperger's, and they're all brilliant folks with significant challenges in interpersonal relations. The episodes capture that well. Few TV shows correctly portray what it's like to have geniuses around--House MD does it well, capturing both the drama and, more often, the humor.





* An episode of House MD strongly alluded to Dr. House's probably suffering from an autism spectrum disorder.

Once again, the problems with interpersonal relationships is not necessarily part of aspergers. It is the fact that communication is difficult. House communicates very well.

[One Red Seat]

I'm not a fan of the show. Not that I have any criticisms of it, as I haven't watched it to any degree other than it is on while my wife watches it and I tune into the Sox on mlb.tv, it probably has more to do with it falling into a genre I typically avoid. I don't typically watch network tele-drama, and when/if I do, it will usually be on HBO. Their one-hour dramas put everything else to shame, IMO.

That said, given Jacko's criticisms of House, I'm inclined to agree with him. Another former favorite of my wife's annoyed the crap out of me for similar reasons. She used to love CSI and watched it all the time. First run, rerun, didn't matter. I couldn't get beyond the sheer absurdity of the show. They would have me believe that a CSI detective is a master of balistics, chemistry, blood chemistry, blood spray patterns, fracture analysis, mechanical and electrical engineering, bioelectricity, biomechanics, forensic pathology, you see where this is going. While I'm not in the field, like Jacko is, I do know enough about it to know that each of those disciplines requires a unique specialist. The CSI detective does not sit in with ME during his examination. The CSI, if trained in balistics, does not also do DNA mapping in the lab and vice versa. And what he hell is with the flashlights? They appear in every episode. It's like the power goes out in the building where the person died....every time.

[Jayhawk Bill]

Originally Posted by One Red Seat

I'm not a fan of the show. Not that I have any criticisms of it, as I haven't watched it to any degree other than it is on while my wife watches it and I tune into the Sox on mlb.tv, it probably has more to do with it falling into a genre I typically avoid. I don't typically watch network tele-drama, and when/if I do, it will usually be on HBO. Their one-hour dramas put everything else to shame, IMO.

That said, given Jacko's criticisms of House, I'm inclined to agree with him. Another former favorite of my wife's annoyed the crap out of me for similar reasons. She used to love CSI and watched it all the time. First run, rerun, didn't matter. I couldn't get beyond the sheer absurdity of the show. They would have me believe that a CSI detective is a master of balistics, chemistry, blood chemistry, blood spray patterns, fracture analysis, mechanical and electrical engineering, bioelectricity, biomechanics, forensic pathology, you see where this is going. While I'm not in the field, like Jacko is, I do know enough about it to know that each of those disciplines requires a unique specialist. The CSI detective does not sit in with ME during his examination. The CSI, if trained in balistics, does not also do DNA mapping in the lab and vice versa. And what he hell is with the flashlights? They appear in every episode. It's like the power goes out in the building where the person died....every time.

With you on the dislike of CSI, etc...Mrs. JHB likes them and I don't, but they're on in the background several hours a week.

House M.D. is different, at least in recent seasons.

Originally Posted by jacksonianmarch

I watched the first two seasons. They started when I was a second yr in medical school. The show has him doing a brain biopsy. Only neurosurgeons (7 yrs of residency) do brain biopsies. They try to pass that off by having a neurologist on the team, but neurologists do NOT do brain biopsies.

Are you referring to Euphoria II, where House wants to do a brain biopsy on a corpse? The biopsy on the live patient later in the episode is not done by House.

There was also a part of the show where House is the one manuevering the cath in a cardiac catheterization to get a myocardial biopsy. Once again, you either need to be a CT surgeon (5 yrs of gen surg and 2-3 yrs of fellowship) or Interventional Cardiologist (3 yrs of Internal med, 3 yrs of card fellowship, 1-2 yrs of interventional fellowship).

Given your last comment and my responding clarifying question, could you state the episode--I don't remember that.

They may be trying to sell him off as Aspergers, but they arent doing a good job. Asperger's kids usually are clumsy (which his motor skills are impeccable, like when he does brain biopsies). And typically, kids with Aspergers lack non-verbal communication, which House once again is VERY good at.

Once again, the problems with interpersonal relationships is not necessarily part of aspergers. It is the fact that communication is difficult. House communicates very well.

I may know Asperger's adults better than you do, Jacko.

House actually fits more into a personality disorder category (anti-social comes to mind) than an autism spectrum disorder.

Better? Dunno...either could be the case.

[Soxfan#1]

You guys ruined my thread.

[The Dustball]

Originally Posted by Soxfan#1

You guys ruined my thread.

I don't want to interrupt this hot debate, but i must say that House is badassssss

[Thumper]

Originally Posted by The Dustball

I don't want to interrupt this hot debate, but i must say that House is badassssss

[Soxfan#1]

House>Scrubs.