Saved and TRAUMA

[RomeViking09]

With all the bashing of the new show Trauma, who remembers in 2006 when TNT came out with a short lived TV shock called Saved starring Tom Everett Scott and Elizabeth Reaser. The show focused on a medical school drop out, paramedic with tons of issues and baggage. In the first episode he is having sex in the back of the rig with his ex who is a resident in the Emergency Department. Now fast forward 3 years and NBC gives us about the same thing with a bigger budget. Some of the medicine in Saved was spot on, some was way out in left field. Trauma has it's problems but we need to remember that the people writing and creating these shows are not medics, have no medical background and are not looking to give a real world view of EMS (if they did they would not make any money). As someone who works in EMS but has also worked in theater and film on the production side, I think that both of these shows are a lot better than they would be if nobody in EMS was involved at all, advisors on have limited input on projects like a TV show (who would tube the medic or the EMT, what is the name of a drug to give someone with this problem, how many people work on a truck at a time, when do you call a chopper, etc.). Why waste time judging the slip ups in a work of fiction and getting all worked up about something that has no effect on you at all. Saved and Trauma are not intended to be a training tool, they are intended to be entrainment. Personally I enjoy watching some medical shows that are way out in left field at times (ER, Trauma, House, Saved, etc...) I don't see why people have to go looking to bash a work of fiction to the degree that has been going on this site with this show.

[RavEMTGun]

I rather liked Saved. It died after one season... or a half season.

[tniuqs]

With all the bashing of the new show Trauma, who remembers in 2006 when TNT came out with a short lived TV shock called Saved starring Tom Everett Scott and Elizabeth Reaser. The show focused on a medical school drop out, paramedic with tons of issues and baggage. In the first episode he is having sex in the back of the rig with his ex who is a resident in the Emergency Department. Now fast forward 3 years and NBC gives us about the same thing with a bigger budget. Some of the medicine in Saved was spot on, some was way out in left field. Trauma has it's problems but we need to remember that the people writing and creating these shows are not medics, have no medical background and are not looking to give a real world view of EMS (if they did they would not make any money). As someone who works in EMS but has also worked in theater and film on the production side, I think that both of these shows are a lot better than they would be if nobody in EMS was involved at all, advisors on have limited input on projects like a TV show (who would tube the medic or the EMT, what is the name of a drug to give someone with this problem, how many people work on a truck at a time, when do you call a chopper, etc.). Why waste time judging the slip ups in a work of fiction and getting all worked up about something that has no effect on you at all. Saved and Trauma are not intended to be a training tool, they are intended to be entrainment. Personally I enjoy watching some medical shows that are way out in left field at times (ER, Trauma, House, Saved, etc...) I don't see why people have to go looking to bash a work of fiction to the degree that has been going on this site with this show.

I suspect you did not read Seb Wongs reply and the advisor Paramedic quit the show and because of the inaccuracies.

Must disagree the general public believes what they see on TV is the truth, time for true professionals to stand up and call crap when they see it.

[stcommodore]

Saved was a decent summer cable drama, and "trauma" is on the up as a primetime drama. Also, thanks to whoever is turning my reputation points back positive.

Edited October 21, 2009 by stcommodore

[armymedic571]

I have no problem with either show, although I preferred Saved. I just think the acting in Trauma is horrible. If you all want to see a really bad B flick about EMS, go rent "Skid Marks". It is truely horrible.

Cheers

[Dustdevil]

Has anyone ever actually known a field medic who was a med school graduate or drop-out? I been at this since 1973, and I haven't. Known a few who were in med school and eventually graduated. Known a lot of them who said they were going to go to med school, but never even finished pre-med. But I can't say I have ever known of, or even heard of an actual field paramedic who was ever a med school graduate or drop-out.

[NickD]

If for some reason I don't measure up to paramedic school, and even though I liked being an EMT, there's no way I could go back to being one.

At the very least I'd feel like I was walking around with "failure" stamped on my forehead - even if nobody knew it. So it would be career deviation time for me.

Maybe garbage collector or something like that . . .

Edited October 22, 2009 by NickD

[fireflymedic]

Has anyone ever actually known a field medic who was a med school graduate or drop-out? I been at this since 1973, and I haven't. Known a few who were in med school and eventually graduated. Known a lot of them who said they were going to go to med school, but never even finished pre-med. But I can't say I have ever known of, or even heard of an actual field paramedic who was ever a med school graduate or drop-out.

One of the physicians in Baltimore is both a medic and MD - and he displays both on his coat. He functions as the med director for Baltimore Fire (or did I'm not sure if still is or not) but worked shifts as a paramedic as well and was proud of it saying he thought it made him a better ER physician. This was as of a few years ago - as I said, I don't know this is still the case.

If for some reason I don't measure up to paramedic school, and even though I liked being an EMT, there's no way I could go back to being one.

At the very least I'd feel like I was walking around with "failure" stamped on my forehead - even if nobody knew it. So it would be career deviation time for me.

Maybe garbage collector or something like that . . .

You know they make more than us, might not be a bad idea

[Kookaburra]

I saw a statistic somewhere that 96% of people who get into med school graduate. So perhaps it is just that getting <i>in</i> is the hard part.

Edited October 23, 2009 by Kookaburra

[Dustdevil]

If for some reason I don't measure up to paramedic school, and even though I liked being an EMT, there's no way I could go back to being one.

It is not only failure that will do that to you. That's how I feel after returning from Iraq. After that, there is simply no way I could go back to being a civilian medic or hospital nurse. I'd go stir crazy.