Movies about Medicine

[canucks_14]

Hey so I'm trying to find some good medical movies to watch. I've seen Patch Adams and loved it, I want to know what are some others? I've heard about Awakenings too but haven't seen it yet.

 

If people could chime in with their favorite medical movies, it'd be much appreciated!

[A-Stark]

Well, if you loved Patch Adams I'm not sure what to suggest (I despise that film). All told there are few if any good "medical" movies, but if you haven't seen The Fugitive, that would be the best place to start (also because it's a great - and iconic - movie).

 

Otherwise most medicine on film (let alone TV) is sufficiently annoying and terrible that it's not worth your time. On the other hand, some of Steven Soderbergh's recent movies are definitely worth checking out: Contagion and, especially, Side Effects. There's also Outbreak from 1995 about a hemorrhagic fever from Africa spreading to a California town (oddly the movie came out before the Ebola outbreak that year). For more of a docu-drama, there's And the Band Played On, which is an HBO TV movie from 1993 chronically the early years of HIV-AIDS. Not sure how easy to find it is, though I managed to torrent it in the past without a problem.

[Renin]

I watched "White Coats" (also called Interns Academy) - it's stupid, Canadian and like silly comedy. Fun to watch with a bunch of med buddies over pizza +/- beers.

 

I also liked the Fugitive, as suggested, as it is classic and amazing and my dad to this day asks me why I'm not a doctor like Dr. Kimble in the movie

 

John Q ...

 

Extraordinary Measures with Harrison Ford (again) playing a researcher about a rare disease and trying to develop a cure for it to save some kids ... it's on Netflix and I enjoyed it on a post-call day.

 

There is a psychotherapy/psychoanalysis movie too, A Dangerous Method ... I don't know, it was kind of really strange. Haha, I didn't learn anything from it, except you probably

don't need to have sex with your psychodynamic supervisor in order to "get it" ...

[12345c]

Gifted hands is an excellent movie, especially if you are interested in neurosurgery...

[A-Stark]

The only thing about The Fugitive that doesn't quite hold together is the "conspiracy" plot. At least I don't think it does. But I won't spoil and it's still a great ride (even on many, many repeats).

 

It has some pretty realistic OR scenes near the beginning, though, mainly since the OR team engages in normal workplace conversation rather than the TENSE DRAMA of the likes of Grey's Anatomy.

 

For TV, there's always Scrubs, or if you're more inclined to grittiness with an early 80s sensibility, St Elsewhere.

[lokiki]

Contagion, I liked it.

 

Lorenzo's Oil was one I watched as a kid and loved it. I think it was from the early 90s.

 

Dallas Buyers Club was really quite good too, but the journey of the character being accepting of the LGBT people in his new circle was really the crux of this.

[lokiki]

Oh! And I have just started watching Emergency Room (6-part series on the Knowledge Network, filmed at VGH). It's pretty great. I keep thinking that I want to work there (and hey, I just might be there in a few months! Awesome!)

[canucks_14]

 

 

Oh! And I have just started watching Emergency Room (6-part series on the Knowledge Network, filmed at VGH). It's pretty great. I keep thinking that I want to work there (and hey, I just might be there in a few months! Awesome!)

Emergency Room is awesome! Love that show!

I just rented gifted hands, hopefully i'll like it!

[Sarvish]

The only thing about The Fugitive that doesn't quite hold together is the "conspiracy" plot. At least I don't think it does. But I won't spoil and it's still a great ride (even on many, many repeats).

 

It has some pretty realistic OR scenes near the beginning, though, mainly since the OR team engages in normal workplace conversation rather than the TENSE DRAMA of the likes of Grey's Anatomy.

 

For TV, there's always Scrubs, or if you're more inclined to grittiness with an early 80s sensibility, St Elsewhere.

 

I'll second Scrubs! All 8 seasons of it. A good mix of comedy with some moments that hit you hard to remind you what working in a hospital is probably like.

[a1b1]

I forget if these are exactly the names of these movies, but they are definitely worth a watch

 

Something the lord made

Awakening (with robbin williams)

 

On a similar topic, here are a few good medical shows

 

boston and ny med

scrubs

PBS nova doctor's diaries

[prometheus321]

Cider house rules was OK and I also enjoyed Dallas buyers club.

 

It's not really a "medical" movie, but 'The Unbearable lightness of being' movie adaptation with Daniel Day Lewis is great (he plays a physician).

 

will post more as i remember them

[Birdy]

The medicine isn't a big focus of it, but I love the main character's time helping in the infirmary in Empire of the Sun, which is my favourite movie ever anyway. Highly recommend it.

 

Patch Adams is cute, but the unfortunate thing is that the real Patch Adams has so far removed himself from real medicine. He uses homeopathy on people with serious diseases, for frig's sake. It sours the movie for me.

 

I'll second Scrubs! All 8 seasons of it. A good mix of comedy with some moments that hit you hard to remind you what working in a hospital is probably like.

 

My husband and I watched all of Scrubs in two weeks. Then we got to season 9 and didn't even finish the first episode.

[Larrivee]

Highly Highly recommend "Something The Lord Made". Movie about the first cardiac surgery by Alfred Blalok and the African American Vivian Thomas who basically pioneered it. Its both interesting from a medicine perspective and from a social perspective highlighting how medicine was quite unwelcoming to colored folk.

[bikekp]

Hard Rock Medical, it is a show based somewhat off of NOSM. There is only 1 season, but it is the only show I have seen based on medical students. The acting is bad, but interesting content....maybe more so if you are going to NOSM...

http://aptn.ca/fullepisodes/hardrockmedical/

[GT1]

Hey so I'm trying to find some good medical movies to watch. I've seen Patch Adams and loved it, I want to know what are some others? I've heard about Awakenings too but haven't seen it yet.

 

If people could chime in with their favorite medical movies, it'd be much appreciated!

 

The Last King of Scotland is one that comes to mind. Amazing movie.

[Falling]

Motorcycle Diaries.

[canucks_14]

Just watched Gifted Hands. It was quite good.

 

Did Carson seriously come within 5 seconds of the 1 hour window when he was operating on the twins? that is seriously amazing. Also can't believe the surgery took 22 hours. Guess if i ever become a world expert I'm gonna learn how to do a surgery that long:D .

 

Also kind of wish there was more about his undergrad and medical school years, but I thought the progression was good.

 

Overall a solid movie.

[KraftD]

The Doctor

Malice

[canucks_14]

Thanks for all the replies! I'm looking to compile a list of medical movies and tv shows that I'm going to watch before medical school.

 

Also a side note, they should really make a movie about Dr. Wilder Penfield. From what I've read, he is a pioneer and seems like he had an amazing life. Also who can forget the Canadian Heritage minute moment of the burnt toast commercial. Haha I remember being 3 years old and seeing that.

[bikekp]

I didna project on wilder penflied for my history of med class this year. His autobiography is pretty amazing, it is called No Man Alone: A Neurosurgeon's Life. It was an amazing book, but I am also really interested in neuro, give it a read if you have time after watching your list of movies!

[mimi.mtl]

mindy project? not a movie but I'm just gonna put it out there because I love this show lol..

[Renoir]

Not a movie, but I loved the series "911: Bronx ER", which was a legit doco of St. Barnabas Hostpital ED - they had tons of release forms to fill, but gives you a good picture of what an ED is like

[noncestvrai]

The Last King of Scotland

50/50(from a patient perspective)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

 

To name a few.

[A-Stark]

Hah, it's fair to say that the "reality show" series lose their appeal if not by clerkship then certainly by residency.

 

I do agree with 50/50, though.

 

As for Cuckoo's Nest, it's a great movie, but it's yet another example of a movie that grossly misrepresents ECT. (Requiem for a Dream is another one, actually.)

[rmorelan]

I'll second Scrubs! All 8 seasons of it. A good mix of comedy with some moments that hit you hard to remind you what working in a hospital is probably like.

 

you know I still think that was the most realistic show in many ways despite the comedy. If you look closely you can see bad things happen all the time on that show and in fact good outcomes for chronic disease is relatively rare. People are sick, often die, there is a lot of stress, and the staff are actually human.

 

Ema Thompson's Wit was an interesting take from a patient's point of view and based on the play of the same name.