Is ‘Physician Odyssey’ for actual? Get a behind-the-scenes look from an precise cruise ship medic

“That may by no means occur!” I yelled at my TV display screen as I watched the primary episode of “Physician Odyssey,” Ryan Murphy’s new sequence a few group of cruise ship medical professionals who behave something however professionally.

Inside the first couple of minutes of the present, which takes place on fictional cruise ship The Odyssey, you will see a number of breaches of safety and etiquette, in addition to elaborations about cruise medical services. Because the episodes progress, the present depicts every thing from the vessel’s first officer by accident tripping on psychedelic sweet to the onboard physician performing an emergency appendectomy on one in every of his nurses whereas the ship battles a hurricane.

Certain, it is OK to droop actuality for the sake of leisure, however as a result of there are already so many incorrect cruise stereotypes floating round, I known as an precise cruise medic to assist me set the file straight.

Liz Baugh, lead medical guide for Scenic Luxurious Cruises and Excursions’ oceangoing expedition ships, is a well being, security and atmosphere offshore medic and former Royal Navy medic with greater than 25 years of experience in maritime drugs. In an interview, she confirmed that a lot of what you will see on the present is a misrepresentation.

“We’re a lot extra conservative than that,” Baugh stated. “Every little thing’s very calm and measured after we observe drugs at sea, however that does not make for thrilling TV, does it?”

Why do passengers search onboard medical consideration?

On the present, folks go to the medical group — Dr. Max Bankman (Joshua Jackson) and nurses Avery Morgan (Phillipa Soo) and Tristan Silva (Sean Teale) — to treatment botched cosmetic surgery and iodine poisoning from consuming their weight in shrimp on the buffet. However Baugh informed me emergencies are uncommon, with most individuals looking for remedy on ships for much extra minor illnesses than what the present would have you ever consider.

“The vast majority of those that come to a cruise ship medical heart, in my expertise … are [there] for issues like ear, nostril and throat infections; minor musculoskeletal [issues resulting from steadying themselves on a moving ship]; and seasickness.”

To push back seasickness, which Baugh stated is the most typical of these three, she advises passengers to hunt out medical recommendation from their docs earlier than crusing and to return ready with any movement illness medicines prescribed. She additionally suggests contemplating cabin location when reserving, as rooms decrease on the ship and nearer to the center are likely to expertise much less motion.

What cannot cruise ship medical services do?

Dr. Odyssey will make you consider that cruise medical facilities have limitless capabilities, starting from pores and skin grafting to working on penile fractures. It is simply not true. On a cruise ship, medical services are largely designed to deal with aches, pains, bumps and bruises.

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“There have been a few issues that occurred — complete cringe — you realize, the penile fracture,” Baugh chuckled. “I used to be speaking about this with my colleagues, and … in your profession, in all probability as soon as each seven or eight years you would possibly come throughout one thing like that, however you actually would not be doing surgical procedure on that on a ship.”

After all, efforts are made to stabilize passengers within the occasion of an emergency, however onboard medical workplaces are too small to deal with all of the gear mandatory for each scenario. The extent of the capabilities and the dimensions of the medical heart differ by ship. Typically, the bigger the vessel, the extra medical employees are on board and the more room is allotted.

Medical therapies on ships normally don’t embody specialised companies, akin to dialysis or most cancers therapies. Though ship medical facilities are stocked with fundamental medicines, they are not full-service pharmacies. That is why passengers want to verify they bring about a big sufficient provide of their prescription medicines for any journeys they’re planning.

Cruise medical services additionally usually aren’t geared up to carry out greater than probably the most fundamental of life-saving surgical procedures.

“No, we would not be doing something like [an emergency appendectomy], just because there’s an terrible lot of kit and drugs and follow-up that you simply want,” Baugh defined. “However you additionally want anyone who’s a professional common surgeon. … Some docs are … dual-certified surgeon and medical, however some aren’t surgical, so you’ll be able to’t ask them to do surgical procedure.”

What sorts of emergencies can cruise medical facilities deal with?

One sort of minor surgical procedure — a tracheotomy — that appeared within the present is definitely one thing onboard medical employees can deal with, says Baugh. Nevertheless, it is solely employed as a lifesaving measure if medical employees cannot facilitate a affected person’s inhaling some other manner.

You may not be shocked to study that the most typical life-threatening sorts of emergencies are heart-related, based on Baugh.

“Fortunately, within the 4 years I’ve labored with Scenic, we’ve not had any deaths on board, which is unbelievable,” Baugh stated. “If there have been to be a loss of life occurring on board, the most typical cause is heart problems, which has led to some kind of cardiac arrest.”

Most, if not all, cruise ships — even river cruise vessels, which do not usually have medical services on board as a result of they’re all the time so near land — have defibrillators to assist a passenger having a coronary heart assault whereas crusing. Many cruise ships even have X-ray and lab capabilities on board.

How typically do emergencies require passengers to disembark?

You may should droop perception to just accept the present’s appendix-removal storyline. Bankman and Silva had been pressured to conduct an appendectomy on Morgan as a result of the Caribbean-bound ship was too far offshore to evacuate her. Typically, until a vessel is in the course of an ocean crossing voyage or an expedition crusing, the ship can ship a passenger to a land-based hospital within the occasion that enough remedy is not out there on board.

“Medical evacuations are carried out after we’ve received a significant emergency, as in that is doubtlessly life-threatening,” Baugh stated. “These are literally very, very uncommon. With Scenic within the final 4 years, we have in all probability had one medical evacuation per 12 months.

Versus a medevac by helicopter or Coast Guard ship, “a medical disembarkation is often [for] anyone who requires … intervention that we’re unable to offer [on board],” defined Baugh. In these instances, the affected person is steady sufficient to attend till the ship docks and will be taken to a land-based medical facility.

Even these conditions aren’t frequent. “We possibly have three or 4 of these per 12 months,” Baugh informed us.

Within the case of most expedition sailings, passengers’ docs are required to fill out varieties indicating that these company are wholesome sufficient to journey. It is essential to ascertain a baseline of well being and health for expedition cruisers earlier than they board as a result of these sailings will be each bodily demanding and distant. There are few hospitals close by and few medevac choices out there if one thing goes improper.

If emergencies are uncommon, what do ship docs and nurses do all day?

Baugh assured me that, regardless of an absence of frequent emergencies, a day within the lifetime of a cruise ship medic remains to be busy. And it is not the wining, eating and dancing by which the present’s characters appear to revel extra typically than they do their jobs.

A typical day includes opening the medical heart and checking that each one gear is in working order earlier than the clinic opens. After the employees sees sufferers for the day, they observe up with earlier sufferers — altering dressings, checking blood strain and the like. Stock and ordering come subsequent so medics can take inventory of provides that could be working low.

That does not imply docs and nurses are carried out for the day as quickly as the power closes. They’re on name 24 hours a day, they usually produce other shipboard duties, too.

“They do not simply do doctoring and nursing on board,” Baugh stated. “They’re additionally a part of the well being and security group. They [conduct] coaching … to make it possible for crew, particularly in passenger areas, are understanding what a medical emergency appears like and easy methods to elevate the alarm.”

And, in fact, they’ve obligatory relaxation intervals to permit them to carry out their greatest when passengers want their assist.

And what about crew etiquette?

No self-respecting cruise ship captain could be caught lifeless taking part in strip poker along with his officers on board, however “Physician Odyssey” might need unsuspecting viewers pondering in any other case. As Bankman peeled off his shirt, I as soon as once more rolled my eyes.

Earlier scenes noticed members of the medical group lounging by the passenger pool, responding to emergencies of their swimsuits and hooking up with one another — and with company.

“The medical group will be invited to dine with the company, however that is on the permission of the captain,” Baugh stated after I requested her simply how cozy docs and nurses will be with passengers. “In the event that they’re invited to dine, then they should achieve permission to do this, however with that comes all of the skilled accountability of not consuming alcohol and staying applicable in your dialog. … There needs to be no crossing of these boundaries.”

However crossing boundaries is precisely what “Physician Odyssey” does. So, the following time you observe the characters asking passengers to bounce or saving a visitor from an ailment that is uncommon even on land, keep in mind: It is not likely a cruise ship clinic. It simply performs one on TV.

Learn extra about cruise-related leisure, well being and security right here: