Professionalism, Ethics, and Realism of Television Medical Dramas as Perceived by Saudi Medical Students

OBJECTIVES: Since their debut, medical dramas have been popular, particularly among medical students. This study examined how much time medical students spend watching medical TV shows and their impressions of the shows’ professionalism, ethics, and realism. METHODS: A survey on medical students’ medical drama viewing behavior and perceptions with regard to bioethics was given to 341 first- to fifth-year undergraduate medical students at a university in Al Majmaah, Saudi Arabia. The poll gathered demographic information, TV medical drama watching habits, bioethical and professional concerns in medical dramas, and the sources of bioethical knowledge. RESULTS: The most popular medical dramas were The Good Doctor, Grey's Anatomy, and House M.D. Compared with English-language television medical dramas, Arabic ones were less popular. Ninety-one percent of students watched television alone. There was no statistically significant difference in respondents’ perceptions of ethics accuracy based on year of study, gender, or whether they discussed it with friends. In comparison to students who had not seen any medical dramas, those who had were more inclined to view them as a credible source of ethical advice (P-value .04). CONCLUSIONS: There is a high interest in medical programs among medical students, and these programs can be used to teach them about the ethical aspects of practicing medicine.