When my family first got our Netflix subscription, I started to make good use of it and watch shows available on this streaming service. One of the first shows I watched was “Grey’s Anatomy“ because I saw many clips about how the show was relatable, catching my interest.
I started watching Grey’s Anatomy in 2018 when there were already 15 seasons. It did not take me long to finish the 15 seasons, as all the episodes were very entertaining. I got hooked on the show due to the unique drama and how it emphasizes many important issues.
This binge-worthy show is a medical drama that focuses on a group of interns: Meredith Grey, Cristina Yang, Alex Karev, George O’Malley and Izzie Stevens. The overarching storyline is their development from interns to surgeons, which has a lot of twists and turns that will keep you hooked.
In each episode of Grey’s Anatomy, there is usually one main abnormal medical case, and a lot of drama in their hospital relating to the unusual romantic relationships, especially the relationship between Grey and Derek Shepherd, who was an attending, a person who is primary responsibly over the treatment of a patient and supervising treatment given by other staff, while Meredith was an intern in training.
One positive side effect of the show is getting some basic lessons in medicine and health care concepts. I learned from this show how tumors can be extremely harmful but also completely harmless. I have also learned many medical terms, such as LVAD, which is a medical pump that is used for patients that have heart failure, and appendectomy, which is a surgery that removes the appendix.
Without watching Grey’s Anatomy, I would have never learned these medical terms, and I’m sure this knowledge will be helpful to me in the future because everyone should know something about health care to take care of themselves and their family.
Not only was I able to learn medical terms while watching Grey’s Anatomy, but I was also able to learn about many major issues regarding mental health. In fact, while people would expect a show about medicine to focus primarily on physical ailments, this show actually spent a lot of time on mental health topics.
In one episode, Jo Wilson, a surgeon in Grey’s Anatomy, found out about some disturbing things about her mother that gave her up due to the fact that she was raped. During this episode, Grey’s Anatomy showed what it is like for someone to be depressed, while also seeing how getting treatment for it is extremely helpful.
Another mental health issue that was shown in Grey’s Anatomy is PTSD, known as a post-traumatic stress disorder. Owen Hunt, a surgeon that went to Seattle Grace Hospital after his job as an army trauma surgeon, had PTSD that caused many issues in his relationship with Cristina Yang. In their relationship, Hunt exhibited night terrors, which resulted in him strangling Yang.
Grey’s Anatomy brings attention to how many people can suffer from PTSD, and that they often struggle alone with its challenges.
Aside from mental health, the show also presents societal problems that we can see that America is currently dealing with. For instance, this show brings attention to how victims of sexual assault deal with difficult decisions.
In one episode, a patient was sexually assaulted by her husband, and she did not want to report or press charges against her husband. However, Jo Wilson, the surgeon treating her, told the patient that reporting rape is important, as it can help others gain the courage to report about their experiences.
Grey’s Anatomy is a show that people definitely should watch as it is binge-able with many unique story plots presenting lots of useful knowledge along with exploring many important problems in our society. It may be known as “dark and twisty,” but as I watched the show, I was thrilled and excited with all the unexpected turns and was entertained and learned a lot from watching it.
