Analysis Of From City Hospital To Er The Evolution Of Television

Mike Rueda

Dr. Callis

Writing in Medicine

2/11/2023

The Evolution of TV Doctors

Gregg Vandekeift’s essay, “From City Hospital to ER: The Evolution of the Television Physician," investigates the changes in how doctors are portrayed in American television shows throughout the 20th century. Vandekeift’s essay argues that physicians on TV changed or evolved with the changes in American society. Some aspects of Vandekeift’s analysis can still be true today, his interpretation of TV physicians could still hold valuable insight into how television portrayed medical personnel throughout the decades. This essay will examine Vandekieft’s findings about television physicians, and how medical personnel changed from 2004 till now, and it will explore

A significant change is a focus on nurses and their experiences and other people who work alongside them. An example of this would be the show “Hawthorne (2009-2011),” the show revolved around a nurse named Christina Hawthorne who tries to be a nurse who is caring towards her patients, as well as a single mother. There have also been more advances in technology in the shows as well, There have also been more ethical dilemmas for the characters in the show too. In “Hawthorne” season 2 episode 2, Christina is faced with a dilemma where she must consult with the ethics committee about a woman who has an addiction and needs to be treated but Christina states, “You this woman out here who needs a new valve, and now you wanna play God?” This made the committee member reverse their original recommendation which was just to let the woman pass. There has also been a greater focus on diversity and representation in medical shows. Hawthorne is a great example of this since it has a female lead character who is black. There are other shows who have more diversity than the white male lead actors from the 1960s to 70s. The shows would focus on how the unrepresented communities could also be in the medical field and it is not only white people who can be doctors but anyone

The show is about a group of doctors and therapists who work in a mental health facility. The doctors and therapists in the show treat patients with many different mental health conditions. Some of these patients are suffering from anxiety, depression, and relationship problems. These doctors in “In Treatment” could be represented as the flawed, and relatable characters in Vandekieft’s essay. In the show, the characters go through decisions about the ethical implications, and; how their choices messed with the emotional toll they receive from their profession. These dilemmas were meant to focus on the degree to which the doctors in the show can have a closer appearance of a “human” and a friend of the patient as well. The main character, Dr. Paul Weston is a relational psychotherapist who has become very popular; this allows him to have more patients than normal as well. The increase in the number of patients and in episode 3 of season 2, “The Code,” there is a patient who is obsessed with Dr. Weston and wants to have him all for herself and grows jealous of his relationship with his new girlfriend name Laura. There is just dialogue from both the therapist and the patient exchanging words and no action throughout the scene. Some psychologists also use the show to help students talk to their patients and try to understand and counsel their patients when they become a psychologist (Schwartz,