Lists
Top 10 Medical Drama of All Time, Ranked
Not many people might recall ‘Dr. Kildare,’ but it was the OG medical drama show about a young and ambitious intern trying to balance his personal life and hectic work at a city hospital. This show is often credited as the first-ever medical drama to air, opening the doors for countless others to follow. Since then, we binge-watchers can’t seem to get enough of medical dramas. Why? Part of it is that we love watching smart, genius doctors saving lives and dropping medical jargon we can barely keep up with.
But these medical drama shows go beyond just life-saving moments—they also explore the personal lives of doctors, showing us how they juggle their busy schedules and relationships and the impact those long hours have on everything else. Whether it’s the intense hospital scenes or the heart-wrenching character arcs, one thing’s for sure—our love for medical dramas isn’t going anywhere. So, with that in mind, here are the ten best medical drama shows of all time.
If you ever wanted to firsthand witness the reality of the American Healthcare System, ‘The Resident’ is your holy grail. Here, we meet Dr. Conrad Hawkins, who is a highly skilled but obstreperous resident working at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital.
The Resident, unlike other medical dramas on our list, not only shows doctors saving patients’ lives but also how the hospital management favors unethical practices and rich clients for profits. This will, most of the time, break your heart, but seeing Conrad, Devon, and Austin waltzing over all the management rules to do what is right will leave you in awe.
You can stream the show Here.
‘Nurse Jackie’ follows the hectic routine of the sleep-deprived and witty nurse of a well-known New York City hospital. As an ER nurse, Jackie gets her fair share of both decent and difficult patients and office politics while also trying to get over her addiction to opiates.
Like Conrad and Devon from The Resident, Jackie doesn’t think twice before breaking hospital rules to save her patients, even if it means getting fired from her job. However, the real highlight of the show is witnessing Jackie dealing with a very real, unfiltered, and very human conflict while trying to save as many lives as possible.
You can stream the show Here.
Not many hospitals put patients first over profits, and this is exactly what Max Goodwin tries to change in ‘New Amsterdam.’ From day one, as the new Medical Director at a renowned hospital, he shakes things up and makes patient care the hospital management’s first and only priority.
Max’s own life is on the line due to a serious illness, so he plans to turn the hospital into a true sanctuary for patients before he succumbs. A doctor or not, New Amsterdam reminds us to cut through the red tape and put people before the cash and that healthcare should be about healing, not just making money.
You can stream the show Here.
With St. Elsewhere, you’ll have front-row seats to witness the unvarnished chaos that takes place amid the halls of St. Eligius, a run-down hospital where the cases are as tough as they get However, the show is not about polished heroes in their pristine white coats but real, flawed doctors, nurses, and residents who are trying to survive in a system that, more often than not, is working against them. Every episode explores personal and professional troubles, proving that even the best of the best can’t escape a terrible day.
You can stream the show Here.
If you’re into medical dramas, ‘Scrubs’ will become the comfort for your soul, but in TV form. It has everything from goofy humor, the heart-tugging moments, and the very famous and loved bromance between J.D. and Turk. Plotwise, the show revolves around JD, a young, ambitious, and full-of-life intern who learns important lessons about love and friendship while treating patients.
We are sure that this is only medical drama where you’ll watch doctors being ridiculously incompetent one minute and then saving lives the very next. Everyone in the Sacred Heart Hospital goes by the mantra “laugh first, panic later!” On a different note, Scrubs has its fair share of emotional scenes that’ll make you shed a tear or two.
You can stream the show Here.
If you loved Scrubs, ‘MASH’ is a must-watch. t mixes sharp humor with emotional moments, centering on a band of surgeons who are stationed at a mobile army hospital amid the Korean War. At the center of MASH is quick-witted Hawkeye Pierce and his team, who make use of jokes, pranks, banter, and other absurd antics to tolerate the harsh realities of the Korean War.
The show has its fair share of stitching and patching the wounded, dodging enemy fire, and the aftermath of a bloody war. MASH was well-received at its release not only for its comedic value but also for its contention that, in a society gone mad, the only thing that makes you human is your compassion, kindness, and the smile you bring to others’ faces.
You can stream the show Here.
‘ER’ is a highly successful medical drama that ran from 1994 to 2009. This Michael Crichton creation takes place in the fictitious Chicago hospital and mostly centers on the staff’s emotional and everyday struggles as they handle a steady stream of trauma cases, severe medical concerns, and, of course, their personal problems.
In addition, this was the medical drama that made the careers of many well-known actors, including Noah Wyle, George Clooney, and Juliann Margulies. When it comes to medical drama series, this one definitely sets the standard, and as opposed to Gray’s Anatomy, which many critics describe as a “romantic drama series” bereft of medical substance, you actually get to see what really goes inside an emergency room.
You can stream the show Here.
If you’re a die-hard medical drama fan, you’ll know that ABC’s ‘Good Doctor’ is actually a remake of a Korean drama by the same name. The story is about a brilliant doctor named Shaun Murphy who joins San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital to become a surgeon. However, since Shaun suffers from Savant Syndrome, he faces criticism and resistance from fellow doctors and nurses.
They all believe that Shaun isn’t cut out for the profession because of his condition. It takes time, but Shaun proves that his Savant Syndrome isn’t a hurdle in his profession. ‘Good Doctor’ will entice any medical drama fan, and to be honest, this is the only drama where you’ll see a socially awkward genius surgeon who can save lives by suggesting procedures others can’t even think of but can’t figure out small talk.
You can stream the show Here.
Similar to Shaun Murphy, the protagonist of this highly-loved medical drama, is sluggish when it comes to social skills, but we can all agree that Gregory’s skills do more than just make up for it. ‘House’ revolves around a genius diagnostician, Dr. Gregory House, who gives baffling and accurate diagnoses just by looking at his patients and sometimes asking, “What did they have dinner last week.” However, House’s lack of social skills, odd comedy, and candor find him in trouble more often than not.
‘House’ is one of the best medical dramas out there. You won’t get to see Gregory opening up a patient using his scalpel but seeing him playing Doctor while battling his dependencies on painkillers is something you don’t get to see often.
You can stream the show Here.
All credit to ABC, but it’s hard to argue that ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ isn’t the most successful and longest-running medical drama show to ever hit our screens. Just been greenlighted for its 21st run, the show enticed couch potatoes all over the world by exploring the dual lives of doctors, who balance their intense medical careers rife with complicated and tragic cases with their equally convoluted and hectic personal lives. It’s been nothing short of rousing to watch Dr. Grey and her colleagues dealing with everything from divorce to the loss of loved ones—all while keeping their calm in the iconic white coats.
For those new to the world of medical dramas, be forewarned that Grey’s Anatomy doesn’t shy away from emotional gut punches. The show is packed with more twists, heartbreaks, and tragedies than you might expect.
You can stream the show Here.
10. The Resident
If you ever wanted to firsthand witness the reality of the American Healthcare System, ‘The Resident’ is your holy grail. Here, we meet Dr. Conrad Hawkins, who is a highly skilled but obstreperous resident working at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital.
The Resident, unlike other medical dramas on our list, not only shows doctors saving patients’ lives but also how the hospital management favors unethical practices and rich clients for profits. This will, most of the time, break your heart, but seeing Conrad, Devon, and Austin waltzing over all the management rules to do what is right will leave you in awe.
You can stream the show Here.
9. Nurse Jackie
‘Nurse Jackie’ follows the hectic routine of the sleep-deprived and witty nurse of a well-known New York City hospital. As an ER nurse, Jackie gets her fair share of both decent and difficult patients and office politics while also trying to get over her addiction to opiates.
Like Conrad and Devon from The Resident, Jackie doesn’t think twice before breaking hospital rules to save her patients, even if it means getting fired from her job. However, the real highlight of the show is witnessing Jackie dealing with a very real, unfiltered, and very human conflict while trying to save as many lives as possible.
You can stream the show Here.
8. New Amsterdam
Not many hospitals put patients first over profits, and this is exactly what Max Goodwin tries to change in ‘New Amsterdam.’ From day one, as the new Medical Director at a renowned hospital, he shakes things up and makes patient care the hospital management’s first and only priority.
Max’s own life is on the line due to a serious illness, so he plans to turn the hospital into a true sanctuary for patients before he succumbs. A doctor or not, New Amsterdam reminds us to cut through the red tape and put people before the cash and that healthcare should be about healing, not just making money.
You can stream the show Here.
7. St. Elsewhere
With St. Elsewhere, you’ll have front-row seats to witness the unvarnished chaos that takes place amid the halls of St. Eligius, a run-down hospital where the cases are as tough as they get However, the show is not about polished heroes in their pristine white coats but real, flawed doctors, nurses, and residents who are trying to survive in a system that, more often than not, is working against them. Every episode explores personal and professional troubles, proving that even the best of the best can’t escape a terrible day.
You can stream the show Here.
6. Scrubs
If you’re into medical dramas, ‘Scrubs’ will become the comfort for your soul, but in TV form. It has everything from goofy humor, the heart-tugging moments, and the very famous and loved bromance between J.D. and Turk. Plotwise, the show revolves around JD, a young, ambitious, and full-of-life intern who learns important lessons about love and friendship while treating patients.
We are sure that this is only medical drama where you’ll watch doctors being ridiculously incompetent one minute and then saving lives the very next. Everyone in the Sacred Heart Hospital goes by the mantra “laugh first, panic later!” On a different note, Scrubs has its fair share of emotional scenes that’ll make you shed a tear or two.
You can stream the show Here.
5. MASH
If you loved Scrubs, ‘MASH’ is a must-watch. t mixes sharp humor with emotional moments, centering on a band of surgeons who are stationed at a mobile army hospital amid the Korean War. At the center of MASH is quick-witted Hawkeye Pierce and his team, who make use of jokes, pranks, banter, and other absurd antics to tolerate the harsh realities of the Korean War.
The show has its fair share of stitching and patching the wounded, dodging enemy fire, and the aftermath of a bloody war. MASH was well-received at its release not only for its comedic value but also for its contention that, in a society gone mad, the only thing that makes you human is your compassion, kindness, and the smile you bring to others’ faces.
You can stream the show Here.
4. ER
‘ER’ is a highly successful medical drama that ran from 1994 to 2009. This Michael Crichton creation takes place in the fictitious Chicago hospital and mostly centers on the staff’s emotional and everyday struggles as they handle a steady stream of trauma cases, severe medical concerns, and, of course, their personal problems.
In addition, this was the medical drama that made the careers of many well-known actors, including Noah Wyle, George Clooney, and Juliann Margulies. When it comes to medical drama series, this one definitely sets the standard, and as opposed to Gray’s Anatomy, which many critics describe as a “romantic drama series” bereft of medical substance, you actually get to see what really goes inside an emergency room.
You can stream the show Here.
3. Good Doctor
If you’re a die-hard medical drama fan, you’ll know that ABC’s ‘Good Doctor’ is actually a remake of a Korean drama by the same name. The story is about a brilliant doctor named Shaun Murphy who joins San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital to become a surgeon. However, since Shaun suffers from Savant Syndrome, he faces criticism and resistance from fellow doctors and nurses.
They all believe that Shaun isn’t cut out for the profession because of his condition. It takes time, but Shaun proves that his Savant Syndrome isn’t a hurdle in his profession. ‘Good Doctor’ will entice any medical drama fan, and to be honest, this is the only drama where you’ll see a socially awkward genius surgeon who can save lives by suggesting procedures others can’t even think of but can’t figure out small talk.
You can stream the show Here.
2. House
Similar to Shaun Murphy, the protagonist of this highly-loved medical drama, is sluggish when it comes to social skills, but we can all agree that Gregory’s skills do more than just make up for it. ‘House’ revolves around a genius diagnostician, Dr. Gregory House, who gives baffling and accurate diagnoses just by looking at his patients and sometimes asking, “What did they have dinner last week.” However, House’s lack of social skills, odd comedy, and candor find him in trouble more often than not.
‘House’ is one of the best medical dramas out there. You won’t get to see Gregory opening up a patient using his scalpel but seeing him playing Doctor while battling his dependencies on painkillers is something you don’t get to see often.
You can stream the show Here.
1. Grey’s Anatomy
All credit to ABC, but it’s hard to argue that ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ isn’t the most successful and longest-running medical drama show to ever hit our screens. Just been greenlighted for its 21st run, the show enticed couch potatoes all over the world by exploring the dual lives of doctors, who balance their intense medical careers rife with complicated and tragic cases with their equally convoluted and hectic personal lives. It’s been nothing short of rousing to watch Dr. Grey and her colleagues dealing with everything from divorce to the loss of loved ones—all while keeping their calm in the iconic white coats.
For those new to the world of medical dramas, be forewarned that Grey’s Anatomy doesn’t shy away from emotional gut punches. The show is packed with more twists, heartbreaks, and tragedies than you might expect.
You can stream the show Here.
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