Houston Medical
I'm really enjoying the ABC reality-drama summer series, Houston Medical. Enjoying is probably an understatement -- I'm hooked on the show.
Part of the appeal is that it showcases the Medical Center here in town, which is truly an amazing complex, and one of the really positive things about Houston. And some of the night skyline footage shot from helicopter, even though a minor part of the show, has been spectacular. This is a show that reflects well on Houston.
But the real appeal of the show is that med students and professionals, especially the ones in trauma, are some of the most fascinating people. ER is fine television, but most of the fictional characters on that show aren't half as interesting as the REAL people of Houston Medical, or even some of the medical students I have known.
I used to date a med student in Galveston who loved her trauma rotation so much that she had trouble deciding between surgery and trauma specialties (and who sometimes still reads the ramblings here *wave*). Her ability to soak up knowledge was amazing, but what always impressed me was that she managed to have a life outside of med school despite its demands. I've never known any female who could pound martinis like her -- which seem to be an unofficial requirement for med school! And then there's another friend who's nearly done with med school in Shreveport (and who also sometimes reads the ramblings here *wave*) who occasionally sneaks away during breaks, sometimes at night (!?!), on solo backpacking trips. Those are just a couple of examples, but I think they're representative. I've long thought of med students as almost superhuman.
So watching the professionals of Houston Medical is great. The medicine itself is so-so, but the lives of the people are what make the show. Because even though many of them are superhuman and can juggle a million balls, there's one love in their lives: medicine. Watching them -- and the people in their lives -- try to manage that fact is interesting. It's compelling reality television, unlike the underachieving, angst-ridden slackers one might see on, say, MTV-style reality shows.
I think I also like the show because the old pre-med student in me still sort of wonders what might have been. I started college as an eager pre-med student, and managed to acquire enough hours for a minor in chemistry and nearly a minor in math before realizing that I just didn't have the commitment to shut out everything but medicine and related studies for anywhere from 6-10 years of my life; or maybe the love of medicine, since I used that term above. At some point along the way, I discovered I had more passion for political philosophy and analysis of politics -- and that those disciplines were broad enough that I could roam all over intellectually without "cheating" my main discipline. And that was that -- pre-med was history, and I was (and still am) happy as could be with my new studies.
After watching Houston Medical and talking to my med school friends, I'm convinced I made the right decision for me, because I just couldn't focus on medicine to the exclusion of most everything else. But it sure is fun to have a peek into their lives, and see how they manage it.
And it sure as hell is more compelling than Ken Lay!
[Posted at 19:31 CST on 06/26/02] [Link]
