An expert weighs in on how the show portrays medical treatment on cruises.
“ You ’re the queen of cruising , so youhaveto come out watchingDoctor Odysseywith me so we can discuss it , ” exclaimed my good friend Aly . “ It ’s like a advanced - dayLove gravy holder , and you play along the aesculapian squad around as they handlepassenger emergenciesand sleep with each other , ” she excuse . “ I enquire how precise it is . ”
intrigue , I watched the first sequence that evening , then zoom through a few more . While I certainly expected the fictionalized drama to be more salacious than real life , I was fascinated by just how far it went . This over - the - top portrayal of life on a lavishness cruise ship seemed like a far cry from what I ’ve experienced onboard the 24 cruises I ’ve choose — and that include my own visit to a aesculapian readiness onboard a ship while tail in Barcelona last yr .
In the pilot , one rider gets iodine toxic condition at the seafood buffet , a newlywed endure a penial break during sexuality with his bride , and a man high on molly falls overboard one eventide — but do n’t worry , the ship ’s sword new doc , Max Bankman ( actor Joshua Jackson ) not only bring together the hunt and rescue party , but even dive into the ocean to pull him to safe . Just another day on the Odyssey , seemingly .
Photo courtesy of ABC
In the following episodes , there ’s a syphilis outbreak during “ one week ” that infect dozens of passengers , a rider ’s nose literally fall down off poolside during a post - rhinoplasty cocain bout , and the medical team stuffs a gone passenger into a laundry cart , parade him through the consortium deck , and deposits the body into the flower - chiller - plow - makeshift - morgue .
But just how steeped in realism is this show ? Not very , according to Liz Baugh , run medical adviser for Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours . “ We rarely see strange and unusual thing , and our daylight - to - Clarence Day piece of work is mostly seeing minor issue , ” she says . She helps set the record directly on the medical myths perpetuate inDoctor Odysseysowould - be cruisers , like my admirer Aly , can feel positive in cruising .
Myth 1: Cruise ships face nonstop high-stakes medical emergencies
“ In my experience , these emergencies are not common at all , ” says Baugh . “ In fact , I would say they are very rare . ” For instance , she says that atomic number 53 toxic condition is difficult to detect and not common despite the dialogue on the show importune it “ happens at least once per cruise . ”
As for the syphilis irruption , Baugh says it has an brooding period of 10 sidereal day or more , so an outbreak during one cruise is unlikely to be detect as most of those people discover would be symptomless . However , she does give the show ’s author point for accurately depicting the contact tracing procedure used to track down everyone who kip with patient zero . “ Contract tracing is the right procedure , ” she enjoin .
What Baughdoesappreciate about the show are the moments of actual Department of Education , as was the typesetter’s case with the penile fracture . “ It was sound that the show explained that this is n’t in reality a fracture , as the member is not a osseous tissue and fractures affect bones , ” she allege . “ drive away myth like that is of import in medicine so that we do n’t have any mistake . ”
Photo courtesy of ABC
Myth 2: It’s the medical team’s duty to rescue a man overboard
A man - overboard emergency is reasonably rare ( though one did just happen on aTaylor Swift - theme sail ) , however Baugh says the doctor dead wouldnotbe dive in to make a saving . “ The aesculapian squad would rest on the cruise ship prepare the facilities to pick up a injured party who has potentially drown , or suffer from hypothermia or other injuries cause by the evenfall , ” she explains . “ It is not protocol to have someone dive in to rescue a person from the water . Ship crews are extremely trained in a form of other rescue methods that do n’t involve instantly commit another life at risk of exposure by take in them in the water . ”
Myth 3: There’s nowhere to store a deceased passenger
death onboard do happen and can increase count on the passenger demographic . sail ships usually have a proper morgue facility , explicate Baugh , but there was some the true to the episode about storing the consistence in the bloom icebox . “ On Scenic vessels we have a portable dead room that we would dress up if we require it , but thankfully that has never happened , ” she says . “ If the ship is too small to have one , then they may use one of the chiller rooms . ”
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Myth 4: Cruise ship medical teams can handleanythingthat comes their way
While the medical facility onboard the Odyssey is tremendous and fill with all the latest equipment and engineering science , real cruise ships wo n’t have as much place or as many bells and whistles . For instance , Scenic ship have tenner - electron beam machine , blood analyser , and a variety of pointedness - of - guardianship tests , and can wield an intensive - care patient role on a breathing apparatus — but there ’s no advanced imagery like CT or MRI .
“ I am afraid the show does make it expect like anything is possible medically mouth , ” says Baugh . “ Our facility , whilst pretty comprehensive , can not deal with every individual medical trouble that we are face with , so we do sometimes have to seek help ashore when the ship goes into port . ”
She explains that the teams train unbelievably hard for the bad - case scenario because they must be ready for anything — and part of that training is knowing your limits and when to request extra help from shoreside facility .
Myth 5: Crew members are free to party and have relations amongst themselves and with passengers
In the first sequence , Dr. Bankman hang a interface day beach political party with the intact crew , gets intoxicated , and end up dirty dancing and making out with his nurse , Avery Morgan ( played by Phillipa Soo ) , in front of everyone . In another sequence , Morgan has a make - out session with the other nursemaid onboard , Tristan Silva ( meet by Sean Teale)—and that ’s right before she decides to take a random passenger up on his invitation to go back to his cabin for a nightcap . And in yet another scene , Dr. Bankman and Morgan have a sexual encounter in the medical facility .
“ Our team has a very stern circle of professional bounds that they carry on at all times disregarding of whether they are on or off duty and on or off the ship , ” says Baugh . “ So , I am afraid the partying ashore and family relationship amongst themselves and the guest universe just does n’t happen . medic are there to do a job and take their professional obligation incredibly seriously . ”
Myth 6: Cruise medical teams also handle all off-ship emergencies
In the quaternary installment , a passenger make her arm trapped between rock candy in a cave while on an excursion and the medical team is brought to her for a deliverance missionary station ( which almost involves amputation ) . That ’s notquitehow it would work in real life .
“ We provide medical cover forexpeditionsled by the ship ’s specialist teams , ” says Baugh , “ but if there was an emergency brake , then we would also be necessitate the local Coastguards for assistance as well . ”
countenance ’s look it : Part ofDoctor Odyssey ’s appeal is the far - fetched scenarios it brings to looker — a show about what it’sreallylike onboard would n’t get picked up for season two . As my friend Aly puts it , “ I would n’t be surprised if an upcoming episode somehow handle to undertake an at - sea organ transplant in the heart of a typhoon . ” Here ’s hoping !
