Scrubs is not just a silly series about the everyday life of doctors, it is also surprisingly realistic. This is mainly due to the roommate of the creator, who is the real J.D.
Is Scrubs really realistic? When looking at Scrubs with J.D.’s daydreams and the silly events, it initially does not seem like a series that is more realistic than Dr. House or Grey’s Anatomy. However, Scrubs seems to depict the everyday life in the hospital for doctors quite realistically.
This is what the Medical Training Institute of New York writes:
Medical professionals have often pointed out that Scrubs realistically portrays the emotional burden on healthcare workers as well as the friendships and mentorships that develop in a high-pressure environment. The series’ commitment to realism also extends to medical procedures and terminology, making it a valuable insight for aspiring healthcare professionals.
Source: mtiofnewyork.com
The agency Preferred Healthcare Staffing
, which connects doctors and other healthcare personnel, placed Scrubs at number 2 on its list of the most realistic doctor series (Source: Preferred Healthcare Staffing).
They emphasize that Scrubs well depicts the emotions within a doctor’s career but also the hierarchies in the hospital. Moreover, the series highlights the relevance of professions in the hospital beyond doctors.
As a sole criticism regarding realism, they mention the simplistic details and the over-the-top humor. Looking at the background of Scrubs, it quickly becomes clear why the series feels so close to everyday life: There is a real J.D.
The roommate of the Scrubs creator
Who was the real J.D.? At its core, Scrubs is a workplace comedy. Like in The Office or Superstore, the everyday life of an industry is presented in a silly way. However, for Scrubs, Bill Lawrence, the creator of the series, had an important source of inspiration: his roommate.
He lived with Jonathan Doris, who went through medical studies. Hence the name J.D.
His stories were the basis for the series, but also the drama. To the Austin Chronicle, Lawrence revealed: He would meet us in a bar or at a basketball game, and if he was 15 minutes late, he was sometimes shaken because he had faced death of people and broken families at a very young age every day.
Jonathan Doris worked alongside Dolly Klock as a medical consultant for the series. If Dolly Klock sounds familiar: she is the inspiration behind Elliot and named behind the character Molly Clock.
As Sarah Chalke explains in a behind-the-scenes of the series (Source: YouTube), the two were present during scenes that showed medical processes. Additionally, they helped with the pronunciation of complex terms.
You can even see the real J.D. in the series
In the last episode of season 8, My Finale – Part 2
, J.D. passes by a doctor. This is played by Jonathan Doris, his inspiration. If you watch the episode on Disney+, you can spot the doctor at about 9 minutes and 40 seconds.
By the way, he also meets Bill Lawrence in the episode. He plays a janitor at the end who tells J.D. Good night
. Scrubs is coming back soon, and a trailer has Nikolas Hernes of MeinMMO optimistic: A single sentence from Dr. Cox in the trailer for the Scrubs revival gives me hope that they won’t repeat the mistakes of the last season
