I Play a Doctor on TV: Medical Dramas and the Expectations of Health Care

This course will examine the position of the doctor in society through television shows. We will examine how television shows reflect expectations and anxieties about health and the health care industry. We will compare and contrast medical drama tropes and archetypes with relevant literature from disciplines such as anthropology and sociology to understand how these shows reflect how norms and conflicts about health converge at the hospital and how doctors mediate health for both patients and audiences. We will expand this discussion to other health professionals and institutions, such as nurses and insurance.