The most binge-worthy medical TV shows of 2022

Although physicians lead very busy lives, sometimes unwinding in front of the TV can help ease a doctor’s mind, along with entertaining them. Medically themed shows can provide insight to the general population on the real-life issues many healthcare professionals face, even though some scenes may be overdramatized.

Here are some recommendations for the best medical TV shows of 2022. If you’ve not had a chance to watch these yet, you may want to add them to your watchlists for viewing in 2023.

‘This is Going to Hurt’

Based on a memoir written by OB/GYN Dr. Adam Kay, this realistic British dramedy addresses the issue of physician burnout head-on.

Streaming on AMC+, “‘This is Going to Hurt’” portrays the workings of a labor ward in an early 2000s National Health Service hospital where Dr. Kay (played by Ben Wishaw) practices. It also portrays the experiences of his colleague Shruti Acharya (Ambika Mod) as she trains and studies for exams.

The book and series recount the severe consequences on the medical system due to the lack of adequate funding and the brutal consequences for medical professionals who go years without adequate sleep, support, and time off.

Many medical shows super-humanize doctors, which is far from reality. “‘This is Going to Hurt’” humanizes the main character, portraying his flaws and even his unpleasantries.

Adam does things you would not want your doctor (or a friend) to do. He’s not a hero or a villain, but rather one person being slowly damaged by a career he loves—but one in which he knows he is needed and can help people.

Body Parts

TLC’s “Body Parts” is a reality-based, educational show about anaplastologist Allison Vest, who makes realistic body parts for patients. These parts range from noses, ears, and eyes to fingers and toes and other parts of the body.

Her mission is to make people feel whole again, giving hope not only to her patients but also to viewers of this show. Episodes have focused on topics such as helping a mother who lost her hands to sepsis and wants to hold her son again, and replacing a prosthetic ear that was mistaken for a dog’s chew toy.

Vest shares real-life, devastating cases of people losing their limbs and how she’s made it her life’s purpose to help them regain function and confidence.

SkyMed

This high-drama Canadian medical drama (streaming on Paramount+) has plenty of entertainment to keep you tuned in and on the edge of your seat.

“SkyMed” centers on nurses and pilots who fly air ambulances in remote Northern Canada and navigate high-stakes medical rescues. It tackles some pressing medical and social issues in Canada, such as the challenges faced by the Indigenous people there, while offering plenty of drama, heartbreak, and trials and tribulations among its characters.

This Came Out of Me

This reality television show follows ER doctor Ruby Rose, MD as she navigates harrowing emergency cases where individuals get things stuck where they shouldn't be, and she must figure out a way to get them out.

This Discovery Channel series takes a behind-the-scenes look at such instances as when a monster bug was stuck in a patient’s ear, or a huge piece of concrete was trapped in a patient’s leg.