By Sanjana Ray
Doctors form the backbone of society, and while most holidays don’t apply to them — given that they’re working ‘round the clock — let’s celebrate National Doctors’ Day this year by peeking a glance into their challenging lives through these 10 binge-worthy series (dramatised as they may be).
National Doctors’ Day: 10 addictive medical dramas on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video & more that will break and heal you
1. Grey’s Anatomy — JioStar
Currently on its 21st season, Grey’s Anatomy is the longest-running medical drama on television, and with good reason. For over 20 years, loyal fans of the Shonda Rhimes-show have watched the doctors of Seattle Grace Hospital (later called Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital) navigate their career, messy love lives (MerDer forever!) and some miracle-inducing surgeries. But heads up: be ready for some Game of Thrones-level killing offs (still not over what they did to George), and unbelievable, nail-biting, action and drama.
2. House — Netflix
Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) is the sort of doctor you wouldn’t dare wish Happy National Doctor’s Day too. Sardonic, narcissistic, cynical and lacking patience, the troubled surgeon doesn’t play by the rules in the least. However, it’s his unorthodox measures that end up saving the lives of the most critical patients, and that’s why everyone needs him. And over the course of seven seasons, he does get softer and rootable.
3. Scrubs — Disney + Hotstar
This one’s more of a medical sitcom than drama, but it’s one of the most beloved titles on the list. Starring Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison, Neil Flynn and more, Scrubs follows the lives of a group of young doctors at the fictional Sacred Heart Hospital in California, as they navigate their medical careers, competitive but all-heart friendships, and hilarious inter-personal relationships, with a special focus on the ultimate bromance between J.D. (Braff) and Turk (Faison) — one of the very best in television history.
4. Dr Romantic — Netflix
Dr Romantic is a popular K-drama that revolves around Boo Yong-Joo, a highly skilled but eccentric surgeon who goes by the alias ‘Teacher Kim’. After leaving his prestigious position at a renowned hospital, Teacher Kim ends up in the small, financially struggling Doldam Hospital, where he becomes Chief Surgeon and mentor to two young doctors, Kang Dong-Joo and Yoon Seo-Jung. The story delves into the challenges and triumphs he faces as he adjusts to a de-glamorised, but more fulfilling life as a medical practitioner, while focusing on the personal journeys and growth of the main characters.
5. Operation MBBS — Youtube
A popular Indian medical drama, Operation MBBS follows the journeys of three first-year medical students, Huma (Sarah Hashmi), Sakshi (Anshul Chauhan) and Nishan (Ayush Mehra), as they navigate the pressures of being an MBBS student, including the syllabus, practicals, and the desire to enjoy college life. The second season sheds light on the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the medical community through these characters.
6. The Good Doctor — Amazon Prime Video
This binge-worthy medical drama focuses on Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore), a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, who opts out from his peaceful, quiet life in the country for the more chaotic wings of the surgical unit at San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital, California. Although initially subjected to skepticism and prejudice from his colleagues due to his own medical conditions, Shaun’s extraordinary medical skills and unique perspective earn him the respect of his peers, and a reputation as one of the city’s most sought-after doctors.
7. Hospital Playlist — Netflix
Set in Yulje Medical Center, the popular K-drama series follows the lives of five doctors who met in medical school and now work in different departments at the same hospital. This includes Lee Ik-Joon (Jo Jung-suk), an empathetic and talented hepatobiliary surgeon; Ahn Jeong-won (Yoo Yeon-seok), a skilled paediatric surgeon; Kim Jun-wa (Jung Kyung-ho), a perfectionistic cardiac surgeon; Yang Seok-hyung (Kim Dae-myung), a kind-hearted obstetrician, and Chae Song-Hwa (Jeon Mi-do), a wise and compassionate neurosurgeon. The captivating storyline follows their individual (and interconnected) personal and professional journeys, with the focus on the larger theme of friendship.
8. Dill Mill Gayye — JioStar
This medical drama series starring Karan Singh Grover as Dr. Armaan Malik was an early 2000s favourite. The Hindi-language show spotlighted the complex and intriguing lives of a group of young interns at Sanjeevani Hospital, with the enemies-to-lovers love story between Dr. Malik and Dr. Riddhima Gupta (Ohanna Shivanand and Jennifer Winget), taking centre stage.
9. ER — Amazon Prime Video
ER can be referred to as the Grey’s Anatomy of the ‘90s, a timeless medical drama series starring a young George Clooney as Dr. Doug Ross and Anthony Edwards as Dr. Mark Greene. Highlighting the challenging lives of the emergency room staff at County General Hospital in Chicago, the show follows the journey of each character as they navigate the intense and chaotic environment of the ER, dealing with critical medical cases and ethical dilemmas.
10. New Amsterdam — Netflix
This medical drama series, based on the 2012 book Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital by Eric Manheimer, follows the charismatic Dr. Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold), who is appointed as the new medical director at the New Amsterdam Hospital, and his attempts to dismantle the hospital’s bureaucracy and to provide exceptional patient care, despite the challenges of a neglected and underfunded facility. A new sequel titled New Amsterdam: Tomorrow, which is set 30 years in the future and centers on Max’s daughter, is currently in the works.