The series, the action of which takes place in the hospital, has a preventive value. They show good doctor-patient communication patterns. Viewers learn about doctors' problems as well as their everyday concerns, which shortens the distance between the parties. What is the phenomenon of high viewership of series with doctors in the lead role?
Movies with the action taking place in the medical community have existed on the TV program for a long time. But for several years now, serials with background medicine have become hits, watched by millions. Where does this success of medical series come from and what doctors think about it, we ask psychologist Noemi Geller.
What fascinates us in medical series?
NOEMI GELLER: Getting closer to the medical profession is tempting, because it is one of those shrouded in mystery - we do not see surgeons, judges or pilots in their operating rooms, courtrooms or cockpits on a daily basis. According to the typology of archetypes, this profession can to some extent be attributed to the archetype of the Magician. The magician has secret knowledge, seems omnipotent, uses experimental, non-schematic methods of action - like a doctor. In our time, medicine itself has divine possibilities: it peeks into the cell, deciphers the human genotype. At the same time, medical series demythologize the medical profession. They belong to the genre of customs, they talk about interpersonal relations within the medical team, about personal life. In the Western social perception, the medical profession is regarded as prestigious. These are we althy people surrounded by the attributes of high social status - but this is not the case in medical series. There are no show of luxury cars, comfortable places where they spend their holidays, and expensive hobbies. Doctors are people close to us, they make mistakes, they are sometimes unhappy and they succumb to emotions. And it is interesting for the viewer - a prestigious profession is reduced to non-medical and non-professional situations, the image of a doctor is mythologized and accustomed, which makes it easier to identify with him.
The viewer can see the doctor-patient relationship. Maybe it is an attractive testing ground for him - what should it look like?
N.G .: In Poland, the authoritarian model still applies, at least in the public he alth service. Doctors create distance, separate themselves with professional knowledge and terminology. In foreign seriesand in our "For Good and For Bad" this distance is shortened. There is room for honest, clear conversation. We do not see doctors working from dawn to dusk on the next duty, harsh, allowing themselves ironic and cynical comments, but completely devoted to the patient, having time for him. This smooth and polished image, in contrast to real life, makes us nice to watch it and dream of treating it in such a way. Like any fairy tale, it gives us a chance to experience something inaccessible in real life. Sometimes such a desire is the beginning of a change - a doctor who cuts the conversation to the patient's questions about his disease, saying: "It's not a Forest Mountain!" Is the opposite of what we know from the series. We begin to understand that it does not have to be this way - and we often try to postulate a more partner-like relationship between the doctor and the patient through negotiations or categorical demands.
Doctors find it difficult to convey painful news.
N.G .: A doctoral thesis was created, the author of which stated that medical series can be a good instruction on how to teach doctors to communicate difficult information to the patient and his family. The relations shown in them are partnership-based and fair. The patient is presented with an alternative to this or that treatment, he is left with the final decision, e.g. about an operation, the rules of procedure are clearly explained, time for reflection.
The series is also a kind of instruction in collective work: an unattainable ideal, not very real in life.
N.G .: Working on a hospital ward is an ideal example of teamwork - the success of individualism lies in well-functioning collectivism. These are situations where, under the pressure of time, a group of people fulfill a task and are the author of success. In Poland, such teamwork is in the embryo. The fact that there are trainings dealing with such issues shows how important it is to learn its rules. It is very well captured in medical series. The success of the patient's well-being and successful surgery depends on the actions of many people. When, for the benefit of the patient, doctors negotiate with each other, for example, the order of certain procedures, there is also instructions on how to get along at work, how to deal with a lack of unanimity.
Do the series serve a kind of catharsis by the fact that they deal with difficult and ultimate topics?
N.G .: Indeed, this is how we tame existential contents and cleanse ourselves of difficult emotions. Maybe the presented stories of patients and families, attitudes and reactions of doctors are also used to look at one's own life. They often show the metamorphosis that the family, patient or his doctor undergo as a result of the crisis resulting from the disease. Peoplethey stop for a moment, become a bit more reflective, revalue the current system of values and the hierarchy of priorities. Every day we are not close to the final topic, we hear about various cases, but we do not watch them, we do not tie in with the fate of the characters as in the series, which is why they engage so strongly.
Unlike routine, predictable reality, we want a change, we want something to happen. And in these series there is a great promise of dynamics, tension and surprise.
N.G .: Medical series generate a very high level of adrenaline: "Surgeons", "ER" or "Dr. House" are associated with strong emotions. We watch how, under time pressure, a decision is made, on which the patient's life depends, and trust is put to the test. For the same reason, crime series and those about pilots of the "Catastrophes in the Sky" type are popular - it is nothing more than a suspenseful thriller. It probably has to do with the T personality type (characterized by the desire to take risks, looking for strong stimuli and a thrill of excitement) - some of us are looking for situations that trigger adrenaline. Medical series would be somewhere at the end of its "triggers", but the sensitivity of viewers is different, not everyone can watch catastrophes in the skies and bloody operations.
Is the educational aspect of the series important for the viewer?
N.G .: More than 30 countries around the world have their original series "Hospitals on the periphery", which proves the universality of the topic and the attractiveness of its layers - both in terms of medical and moral issues. These series often deal with current topics, become part of the discourse, for example, about abortion, etc. Many viewers do not know the terminology used in them, but at the same time, although they do not take real knowledge from watching a medical series, they gain familiarity with it. Caring for the reality and substantive correctness is a standard in them. Thanks to the Internet, patients' medical awareness is growing, they know a lot about their diseases. In the series, they follow a process: from symptoms to diagnosis to treatment - this gives them a better insight. They participate in something that as patients do not have a chance to participate - in making a diagnosis.
What other features of these series may be attractive to the viewer?
N.G .: Many episodes have a happy ending. In any case, successful endings are more common than disasters. To some extent, the medical series illustrates the concept of a just world: good people meet good things, bad people meet bad. It applies to patients or it happens privately to doctors - hence the happy love threads orsocial in the social layer of serials.
"Dr. House" - an absolute hit - is it a phenomenon in itself?
◗N.G .: There is no other hero like this: sassy, sarcastic, contradicting all the ideals of practicing medicine in other series. He experiments, goes beyond the norms with almost no limitations, and only does controversial things. At the same time, he is brilliant, witty and witty, at the same time he suffers from a human perspective, he lies, he errs, he is complicated and ambiguous. His character is intriguing and fascinating because of the intellect, dialogues, sharp retorts and polemics - it is known that they are improvisations of the actor himself. In addition, each episode is a mystery, an intellectual rebus in the formula of a detective story, which is why it is so addictive. Hugh Laurie is said to have recovered from depression thanks to his role in the series, which must be credited to the merits of medical series.
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We have a permanent medical consultant Katarzyna Borycka-Kiciak (specialization in surgery), who watches over the substantive correctness of the episodes at the stage of the scenario and, to a large extent, at the implementation stage. We also have a group of friendly experts in specific fields. Ideas for topics are brought by life itself, screenwriters and our expert background. We have three ideological assumptions: to bring hope, make dreams come true and inspire. The hospital in Leśna Góra is the embodiment of the dream of an ideal hospital, the stories told give hope, and the characters try to be better and better people. Our doctors are noble, they fight adversities for each patient, each patient is treated subjectively - Katarzyna Golenia, editor of the series
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