I’ve always said that what goes on in JD’s head is closer to what actually goes on in my head, in a similar situation, than anything a character might be heard to utter aloud on any of the other doctor shows.

After reading the lead, I got to thinking, If Scrubs portrays what the hospital is really like in between crises (and I think that’s not an unreasonable description) the other shows portray only the uncommon juicy gobbets – taking the one or two really interesting things that might happen at a hospital in a month, or over a year, or even over the course of a whole career, and compact them into every single episode. The distortion makes it appear as if life is sexy 95% of the time, and banal only 5% of the time, when actually just the reverse is really true. But this is just the standard form for all television drama: “TV is like life, except with all of the boring parts cut out.”

When JD navigates an awkward situation I often feel like I’m right there with him, at least in spirit.

In contrast it’s somewhat more unusual for me to commit felony breaking and entering into a hospitalized patient’s home so that I can rummage through his medicine chest.

And honestly, even during residency, only rarely did I have hot steamy sex with a beautiful nurse or intern just behind a curtain in the emergency department.