"In reality, we can't even wash or sleep"... A doctor-turned-writer discusses the unrealistic nature of medical dramas

A doctor-turned-writer expressed the view that the settings in medical dramas have a gap with the actual appearance of medical sites. According to a tvN 'You Quiz on the Block' video, writer Lee Nak-jun mentioned that the physical appearance of characters in dramas, their relationship settings, and the operating room environment differ from reality.

"I woke up from a night shift, but why is my skin so good?"... Doubts about character appearances

Citing the past drama 'Life' as an example, the writer pointed out that the physical appearance of characters in the drama does not match the actual lifestyle patterns of doctors. In the conversation in the video, the writer raised questions about the setting where a character's skin condition is excessively good after waking up from a night shift. He added an explanation to the effect that in actual medical sites, there are many cases where they work in a mess because they can hardly wash or sleep.

"This is almost stalker syndrome"... Interpretation of romance settings

He also presented a different perspective regarding the romance settings between professors and residents that are commonly handled in dramas. Regarding the setting where professors and residents fall in love within the drama's worldview, the writer compared it to "almost stalker syndrome." Regarding the dramatic license where affectionate feelings can arise from going through difficult tasks together, he explained it was like feeling love while being held like a hostage, mentioning the difficulties of realistic relationships.

"In the operating room, students are struggling so they give warm saline"... Unrealistic operating room environments

Points were also made regarding the description of the environment inside the operating room based on actual experience. According to the video content, while scenes appear in dramas where warm saline is delivered when students are struggling during surgery, he emphasized that the actual hospital environment is not such a warm place. The writer added that these settings differ from the hardships experienced by actual doctors or the atmosphere of the field.