<POP SPRAYS OUT NOSE>

Oh. My. GOD.

What a terrible, terrible television show.

--
DtH

Ellen K Hursh

2008-05-16 03:04:47 UTC

Post by Dropping The Helicopter
Oh. My. GOD.
What a terrible, terrible television show.

As long as SOME member of the main cast got blowed up real good, there
at the end, I'm happy.

Dropping The Helicopter

2008-05-16 06:22:14 UTC

Post by Ellen K Hursh

Post by Dropping The Helicopter
Oh. My. GOD.
What a terrible, terrible television show.

As long as SOME member of the main cast got blowed up real good, there
at the end, I'm happy.

Too bad that wasn't a Clown Ambulance, and the whole ER crew was inside.

But you know what? I think I know what this shows problem is: it needs
to get laid. Hello, I'm the Sad Sack that passes for a "writer" at ER
central these days!

rhino

2008-05-16 14:56:21 UTC

Post by Ellen K Hursh

Post by Dropping The Helicopter
Oh. My. GOD.
What a terrible, terrible television show.

As long as SOME member of the main cast got blowed up real good, there
at the end, I'm happy.

That was the season finale, right? And according to the spoilers, Pratt dies
in the first episode of the next season, right?

I think we saw him die in the last 30 seconds last night. We just don't know
it _officially_ until the season premiere in a few months.

Of course, The Powers That Be decided to raise the emotional stakes and
leave us guessing all summer. Was it Pratt or Sam that got in the ambulance
with Steve Buscemi's character? I'm sure we're supposed to anguish over
which character got killed.

I wonder if the spoilers were fakes? Maybe Sam actually gets in the
ambulance and _she's_ the one that gets killed. Perhaps the spoilers were
deliberately set up to make us think Pratt was going to die and, instead, it
was meant to be Sam all along. Imagine the shock when we tune in next season
and find her gone instead of him.....

Or maybe Pratt and Sam both talked themselves out of going after all - Sam
couldn't be spared after all and Pratt had to go propose to Bettina - and
both will walk away safe and sound from the explosion.

Or maybe the ambulance was empty and no one died. After all, it was sitting
parked at the side of the road. Why? Wouldn't you expect it to be either
getting loaded in the ambulance bay or moving in the direction of Buscemi's
next destination?

So why is it that I really don't care? It's just like last season's finale
when Neela was getting trampled by the demonstrators: I didn't feel any real
tension or suspense at all, nor did I give it more than a few seconds
thought throughout the summer. Once upon a time, I might actually have
wondered and worried from time to time. Am I just getting jaded? Or have
they done things to this once fine show to make us indifferent to what's
happening? How did they kill it for us?

I know the cast changes are a big part of it for many people but I like the
newer characters in ER well enough. I just don't care about them all that
much. The actors seem competent enough for the most part. The plots
certainly don't pack the same punch they once did. Maybe because they all
seem to have been done before.

Take for instance last week's shootout in the ER. That episode seemed to
have little dramatic tension in it, even though, on paper, it should have
had plenty. By the end, I should have been wound up tight in anxiety for
whether our cast members were going to come out of the hostage-taking in one
piece yet my only real reaction was some indignation that the hostage-taker
was killed when he appeared to be giving up. That offended my sense of
justice in a general way but I didn't really care about the characters or
breathe any huge sigh of relief that they had all come through okay.

What did the writers, director and actors do to make me - and apparently
many others - so indifferent about many episodes in the last few seasons?
--
Rhino

i***@yahoo.com

2008-05-19 19:35:43 UTC

Don't forget the possiblity that Abby got killed by flying ambulance
parts. She walked right by it moments before.

Ellen K Hursh

2008-05-19 21:34:04 UTC

Post by i***@yahoo.com
Don't forget the possiblity that Abby got killed by flying ambulance
parts. She walked right by it moments before.

Yeah, but she's got those mad Matrix ninja skillz, why not, with the
bullet-time rotating camera as she ducks and weaves around the
shrapnel. Look closely at the bottom of her lab coat in the season
premiere, and you'll see a little torn patch where a piece of jagged
metal caught on the hem as she was twisting out of the way.

NikonNurse

2008-05-16 21:34:30 UTC

Post by Dropping The Helicopter
Oh. My. GOD.
What a terrible, terrible television show.
--

Its already been announced on many a site who actually dies.

r***@emailprivate.com

2008-05-16 22:25:47 UTC

On Fri, 16 May 2008 16:34:30 -0500, "NikonNurse"

Post by NikonNurse

Post by Dropping The Helicopter
Oh. My. GOD.
What a terrible, terrible television show.
--

Its already been announced on many a site who actually dies.

Where? Who? Please tell me Abby is among the ones to shuffle off
this mortal coil.

sharon

2008-05-17 02:49:09 UTC

Post by r***@emailprivate.com
On Fri, 16 May 2008 16:34:30 -0500, "NikonNurse"

Post by NikonNurse

Post by Dropping The Helicopter
Oh. My. GOD.
What a terrible, terrible television show.
--

Its already been announced on many a site who actually dies.

Where? Who? Please tell me Abby is among the ones to shuffle off
this mortal coil.

S
P
O
I
L
E
R

S
P
A
C
E

It is Pratt who dies of injuries received in the explosion last night.

Abby works all of one shift at her new job as ER attending. She then
resigns and moves to Boston with Luka and Joe in episode 3 next season. And
guess where Abby gets a job? Why Mass General, AKA Man's Best Hospital, of
course! Nothing less than Harvard will do our Special Princess!

No explanation given for how a middle aged ER doc, fresh out of residency
with a history of having a bad attitude, with multiple prolonged leaves of
absence from her training and a penchant for sleeping with her bosses is in
such demand. Or why Harvard, or County or anyplace else, would be so eager
to hire a doc with a history of repeated alcoholic relapses whose latest
stint in rehab ended just a couple of months ago. And who has admitted that
she came to work and cared for patients while intoxicated and hung over. Oh
yeah, and then there's the part where she accepted a job at that hospital
last week only to change her mind and leave them in the lurch. And how she
supposedly beat out 14 others for an attending position at County only to
resign after working a single shift, at a time when the ER is severely short
handed due to the horrific death of another attending. Harvard ain't what it
used to be if she's the best candidate they found for the job. Anyone who
thinks that a real life doc with Abby's history and qualifications would be
at the top of ANY hospital's short list for a job, let alone hired to work
at an Ivy League teaching hospital must've been sharing their crack with the
writers of this dreck.

Sharon

Lily Moore Tyler

2008-05-17 03:10:03 UTC

Post by sharon
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S
P
A
C
E
Abby works all of one shift at her new job as ER attending. She then
resigns and moves to Boston with Luka and Joe in episode 3 next season. And
guess where Abby gets a job? Why Mass General, AKA Man's Best Hospital, of
course! Nothing less than Harvard will do our Special Princess!

Ok this should be good.....as someone who lives in Boston. how prey
tell does that have anything to do with Harvard which is in
Cambridge?)

The only connection Mass General has to Harvard is the red line that
runs from Mass General to Harvard.

Harvard is affliated with Harvard Medical which is near Brigham
Circle.

Post by sharon
No explanation given for how a middle aged ER doc, fresh out of residency
with a history of having a bad attitude, with multiple prolonged leaves of
absence from her training and a penchant for sleeping with her bosses is in
such demand.

MT dad was a big wig in polictics in Boston?

sharon

2008-05-17 16:08:31 UTC

Post by sharon
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S
P
A
C
E
Abby works all of one shift at her new job as ER attending. She then
resigns and moves to Boston with Luka and Joe in episode 3 next season.
And
guess where Abby gets a job? Why Mass General, AKA Man's Best Hospital, of
course! Nothing less than Harvard will do our Special Princess!

Ok this should be good.....as someone who lives in Boston. how prey
tell does that have anything to do with Harvard which is in
Cambridge?)
The only connection Mass General has to Harvard is the red line that
runs from Mass General to Harvard.
Harvard is affliated with Harvard Medical which is near Brigham
Circle.

You're obviously not in the medical profession. Geographical location of
the hospital to the med school campus or other medical facilities is
irrelevant to the discussion. Mass General has a long history of affiliation
with Harvard, is staffed by multiple graduates of that prestigious school
and is widely considered to be one of the top hospitals in the country due
to it's strong academic focus, research and faculty. Harvard Medical is
the name of the med school, there is no hospital of that name at which Abs
could practice. Mass General is the place to go for an ER doc who wants a
prestigious job at a teaching hospital.

Ever read 'The House of God'? Written by a Harvard Medical grad who did his
internship at Beth Israel, AKA The House of God. In the book, there are
constant comparisons to Man's Best Hospital, a thinly veiled reference to
Mass General.

Take a look at Mass. General's website which prominently features the
Harvard Med School logo:

http://www.massgeneral.org/
Or, take a look at Harvard Medical School's site which lists Mass General as
one of its affiliated hospitals:

http://hms.harvard.edu/hms/home.asp

Every other hospital on the list either doesn't have a multi-service ER or
is smaller, not in the city or has no name or rep in the field. Hence, TPTB
chose the most prestigious hospital where Abby might apply for a job,
affiliated with one of the nation's top schools.

No explanation given for how a middle aged ER doc, fresh out of residency

Post by sharon
with a history of having a bad attitude, with multiple prolonged leaves of
absence from her training and a penchant for sleeping with her bosses is in
such demand.

MT dad was a big wig in polictics in Boston?

I think you are confusing Maura Tierney, an actress, with Abby Lockheart, a
fictional character. TPTB told us Abby was from Minnesota and her father
deserted the family when she was a kid and she hasn't seen him in years. No
reason to send Abby to Boston now, except it allows TPTB to finish off their
hallucination that somehow Abby is the greatest doc in the history of the
world, deserving of a coveted position at a top hospital where 95% of all
med school graduates in the country would never even be able to get an
interview, let alone be hired.

Sharon

Lily Moore Tyler

2008-05-17 17:45:22 UTC

Post by sharon
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S
P
A
C
E
Abby works all of one shift at her new job as ER attending. She then
resigns and moves to Boston with Luka and Joe in episode 3 next season.
And
guess where Abby gets a job? Why Mass General, AKA Man's Best Hospital, of
course! Nothing less than Harvard will do our Special Princess!

Ok this should be good.....as someone who lives in Boston. how prey
tell does that have anything to do with Harvard which is in
Cambridge?)
The only connection Mass General has to Harvard is the red line that
runs from Mass General to Harvard.
Harvard is affliated with Harvard Medical which is near Brigham
Circle.

If you want a good look at Mass. General, turn on cable news. While
they await word on Ted Kennedy they'll show lots of stuff from Mass.
General.

Post by sharon
Ever read 'The House of God'? Written by a Harvard Medical grad who did his
internship at Beth Israel, AKA The House of God. In the book, there are
constant comparisons to Man's Best Hospital, a thinly veiled reference to
Mass General.

House of God? I'd think that would be Carney which at one time was
owned by the Archdioces of Boston.

They've since sold it but that is the closest to "House of God."

But I never read the book.

Post by sharon
Take a look at Mass. General's website which prominently features the
http://www.massgeneral.org/

I know I worked at Mass. General many years ago.

Post by sharon
Or, take a look at Harvard Medical School's site which lists Mass General as

Boston has many "teaching" hospitals.

Many of them are trauma centers.

Post by sharon
http://hms.harvard.edu/hms/home.asp
Every other hospital on the list either doesn't have a multi-service ER or
is smaller, not in the city or has no name or rep in the field. Hence, TPTB
chose the most prestigious hospital where Abby might apply for a job,
affiliated with one of the nation's top schools.

Boston Medical would take issue with that. Boston Medical now
runs what used to be known as Boston City Hospital.

Last time I looked Boston had a bunch of ERs. Mass. General was not
the only one.

Post by sharon
I think you are confusing Maura Tierney, an actress, with Abby Lockheart, a
fictional character. TPTB told us Abby was from Minnesota and her father
deserted the family when she was a kid and she hasn't seen him in years. No
reason to send Abby to Boston now, except it allows TPTB to finish off their
hallucination that somehow Abby is the greatest doc in the history of the
world, deserving of a coveted position at a top hospital where 95% of all
med school graduates in the country would never even be able to get an
interview, let alone be hired.

I'm still hoping that she died at the end of last season.

(I know i've seen the spoilers but hey I can dream can't I?)

Now a hospital like Mass. General is going to take the cream of the
crop, the top bananas in the profession, they can afford to be
extremely picky about who they take. They would not take a troubled
woman who is an alcholic. They'd pass her over for much better
choices. Abby would most likely end up at one of the other
hospitals but not Mass. General.

Now Mass. General might take some one like Luka but that is not
on the table is it?

TPTB at ER are living a dream if they think Abby would even get an
interview much less a job at Mass. General.

sharon

2008-05-17 19:14:21 UTC

S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S
P
A
C
E

Ever read 'The House of God'? Written by a Harvard Medical grad who did his
internship at Beth Israel, AKA The House of God. In the book, there are
constant comparisons to Man's Best Hospital, a thinly veiled reference to
Mass General.

House of God? I'd think that would be Carney which at one time was
owned by the Archdioces of Boston.

Nope, he was referring to Beth Israel. The book was a black comedy, a
satirical look at how the best and brightest med students develop as interns
at one of the top hospitals in the nation.

Post by Lily Moore Tyler
They've since sold it but that is the closest to "House of God."

Samuel Shem would beg to differ, apparently Beth Israel got dibs on the
nickname.

Post by Lily Moore Tyler
But I never read the book.

Post by sharon
Take a look at Mass. General's website which prominently features the
http://www.massgeneral.org/

I know I worked at Mass. General many years ago.

Post by sharon
Or, take a look at Harvard Medical School's site which lists Mass General as

Boston has many "teaching" hospitals.

Of course it does, but that doesn't negate the fact that Mass General is
affiliated with Harvard, a school synonymous with top notch excellence in
the eyes of the general public and Mass General is probably one of the very
few Boston Hospitals that people outside of New England might recognize.

Post by Lily Moore Tyler
Many of them are trauma centers.

No shit. But, once again, since you seem to be missing the point. TPTB
didn't write Abby as going to any old trauma center in the Greater Boston
area. They wrote her as going to Mass General, which is not only a trauma
center, but recognized as a top notch teaching hospital with close ties to
one of the most respected learning institutions in the country. They
could've sent her back to Podunk, Minnesota (weird that they didn't tell us
the Mayo Clinic came calling) if all they wanted to do was get Abby off the
show so they wouldn't have to continue paying MT her ridiculous salary.
Susan ended up in Missouri, Benton went to suburbia, even Kerry, arguably
one of the best qualified docs on staff, ended up in Miami. It is only
Abby, the bestest, most specialist, most wonderfulest doctor evah on the
show who ends up at one of the most respected teaching hospitals in the
nation. BTW, not a word as to where Luka will be working, I am sure he
wasn't good enough for Hahvahd in the eyes of TPTB and they figure the
audience wouldn't care as long as the Special Princess was recognized for
her fabulosity.

Boston Medical would take issue with that. Boston Medical now
runs what used to be known as Boston City Hospital.

And Boston Medical is NOT affiliated with Harvard, it is a part of the
Boston University School of Medicine, which, in the eyes of TPTB, at least,
would probably not be nearly good enough for Abby. She's much too pretty
and much too special for anywhere but the Ivy League.

Post by Lily Moore Tyler
Last time I looked Boston had a bunch of ERs. Mass. General was not
the only one.

But it's the only one that is good enough for Abby. She would never waste
her talents at 'lesser' hospitals when she could be spreading her magic to
the best and the brightest. Didn't you watch last week when Brenner fell
all over her with praise because she answered a question that the med
students couldn't? Because we are supposed to think that there is something
really exceptional about a senior resident, months from graduation, with a
decade of ER experience, who knows more than a med student who has worked in
the ER less than a month. The show has consistently told us again and again
that Abby is somehow a smarter and better doc than anyone else who has ever
been on the show, even when she isn't.

Post by sharon
I think you are confusing Maura Tierney, an actress, with Abby Lockheart, a
fictional character. TPTB told us Abby was from Minnesota and her father
deserted the family when she was a kid and she hasn't seen him in years.
No
reason to send Abby to Boston now, except it allows TPTB to finish off their
hallucination that somehow Abby is the greatest doc in the history of the
world, deserving of a coveted position at a top hospital where 95% of all
med school graduates in the country would never even be able to get an
interview, let alone be hired.

I'm still hoping that she died at the end of last season.
(I know i've seen the spoilers but hey I can dream can't I?)
Now a hospital like Mass. General is going to take the cream of the
crop, the top bananas in the profession, they can afford to be
extremely picky about who they take. They would not take a troubled
woman who is an alcholic. They'd pass her over for much better
choices. Abby would most likely end up at one of the other
hospitals but not Mass. General.
Now Mass. General might take some one like Luka but that is not
on the table is it?

Of course not, he's not that pretty, he's not that special. And his
extensive job history as well as his management experience count for nothing
when compared to the glittery hoo ha of his skanky wife.

Post by Lily Moore Tyler
TPTB at ER are living a dream if they think Abby would even get an
interview much less a job at Mass. General.

Which is what I've been saying about the writing for Abby as God's gift to
medicine for the past decade. In real life, she is nothing special and her
poor work history, her lousy attitude and her inability to get along
professionally with coworkers would make her low on any list for an
attending job. In real life, Anspaugh would be glad to be rid of her, he'd
be offering to help her clean out her locker.

Sharon

Lily Moore Tyler

2008-05-17 19:50:22 UTC

S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S
P
A
C
E

Nope, he was referring to Beth Israel. The book was a black comedy, a
satirical look at how the best and brightest med students develop as interns
at one of the top hospitals in the nation.
Samuel Shem would beg to differ, apparently Beth Israel got dibs on the
nickname.

Many hospitals are much more religious than Beth Israel.

But then i'm jewish and so i'm biased against others shoving their
religion down my throat.

And catholics around here do that alot.

Post by sharon
Of course it does, but that doesn't negate the fact that Mass General is
affiliated with Harvard, a school synonymous with top notch excellence in
the eyes of the general public and Mass General is probably one of the very
few Boston Hospitals that people outside of New England might recognize.

I'd beg to differ with the excellence taG on mass. general. I had a
friend who had a brain tumor years ago and got less than quality
treatment.

Trevor Smithson

2008-05-17 20:58:51 UTC

S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S
P
A
C
E

House of God? I'd think that would be Carney which at one time was
owned by the Archdioces of Boston.

Nope, he was referring to Beth Israel. The book was a black comedy, a
satirical look at how the best and brightest med students develop as interns
at one of the top hospitals in the nation.

Post by Lily Moore Tyler
They've since sold it but that is the closest to "House of God."

Samuel Shem would beg to differ, apparently Beth Israel got dibs on the
nickname.

Post by Lily Moore Tyler
But I never read the book.

Post by sharon
Take a look at Mass. General's website which prominently features the
http://www.massgeneral.org/

I know I worked at Mass. General many years ago.

Post by sharon
Or, take a look at Harvard Medical School's site which lists Mass General as

Boston has many "teaching" hospitals.

Post by Lily Moore Tyler
Many of them are trauma centers.

Boston Medical would take issue with that. Boston Medical now
runs what used to be known as Boston City Hospital.

Post by Lily Moore Tyler
Last time I looked Boston had a bunch of ERs. Mass. General was not
the only one.

Post by sharon
I think you are confusing Maura Tierney, an actress, with Abby Lockheart, a
fictional character. TPTB told us Abby was from Minnesota and her father
deserted the family when she was a kid and she hasn't seen him in years.
No
reason to send Abby to Boston now, except it allows TPTB to finish off their
hallucination that somehow Abby is the greatest doc in the history of the
world, deserving of a coveted position at a top hospital where 95% of all
med school graduates in the country would never even be able to get an
interview, let alone be hired.

I'm still hoping that she died at the end of last season.
(I know i've seen the spoilers but hey I can dream can't I?)
Now a hospital like Mass. General is going to take the cream of the
crop, the top bananas in the profession, they can afford to be
extremely picky about who they take. They would not take a troubled
woman who is an alcholic. They'd pass her over for much better
choices. Abby would most likely end up at one of the other
hospitals but not Mass. General.
Now Mass. General might take some one like Luka but that is not
on the table is it?

Post by Lily Moore Tyler
TPTB at ER are living a dream if they think Abby would even get an
interview much less a job at Mass. General.

It's a TV show. Don't conflate real life with fiction.

sharon

2008-05-18 01:13:12 UTC

Post by Trevor Smithson
It's a TV show. Don't conflate real life with fiction.

Too bad TPTB spent years touting the 'realism' of ER. With the onset of the
sanctification of Saint Abby the Miserable, TPTB completely gave up any
semblance of reality when it comes to ER.

Sharon

Dropping The Helicopter

2008-05-19 01:07:57 UTC

Post by Trevor Smithson
It's a TV show. Don't conflate real life with fiction.

Too bad TPTB spent years touting the 'realism' of ER. With the onset of
the sanctification of Saint Abby the Miserable, TPTB completely gave up
any semblance of reality when it comes to ER.
Sharon

...and it of course did not. Color me gobsmacked.

EYE ROLL.

Dropping The Helicopter

2008-05-19 01:07:54 UTC

[mega-snip of sharon(s)' seething Abby-Hate, good to see she's off her
meds again]

Post by Lily Moore Tyler
TPTB at ER are living a dream if they think Abby would even get an
interview much less a job at Mass. General.

Which is what I've been saying about the writing for Abby as God's gift to
medicine for the past decade.

Has it been ten years already, sharon(s)? Oh how time flies! I
wouldn't have guessed it was more than a decade.

Post by sharon
In real life, she is nothing special and her
poor work history, her lousy attitude and her inability to get along
professionally with coworkers would make her low on any list for an
attending job.

In real life, Maura Tierney is an actress, sharon(s), not a doctor.
Surely you of all people are familiar with the concept of people
pretending to be physicians, no?

Post by sharon
In real life, Anspaugh would be glad to be rid of her, he'd
be offering to help her clean out her locker.

Yeah, see, Anspaugh is a fictional character just like "Abby". The guy
who plays him, a man by the name of John Aylward, is an actor. "Abby"
and "Anspaugh" are fictional characters sharon(s). Fictional means
"made up", "not real", "unworthy of a real-life decades-long obsession
with".

Post by sharon
Sharon

It's a TV show. Don't conflate real life with fiction.

<MORE POP SPRAYS OUT NOSE>

Ok, let's see if the above advice has any positive impact...

Natalie Teeger

2008-05-19 16:52:15 UTC

On Mon, 19 May 2008 01:07:54 GMT, Dropping The Helicopter

Post by Dropping The Helicopter
[mega-snip of sharon(s)' seething Abby-Hate, good to see she's off her
meds again]

She is not the only one. I also hate what they've done with the
character. There are alot of great women in the medical profession
and they deserve a much better role model than Abby.

I find her the worst character on the long run of ER.

i***@yahoo.com

2008-05-19 19:42:18 UTC

Post by Natalie Teeger
She is not the only one. I also hate what they've done with the
character. There are alot of great women in the medical profession
and they deserve a much better role model than Abby.

Stories full of great people who can do no wrong don't make for
interesting drama.

Ellen K Hursh

2008-05-17 23:19:13 UTC

S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S
P
A
C
E

TPTB at ER are living a dream if they think Abby would even get an
interview much less a job at Mass. General.

"Do you need a ride to the bus depot?" :D ("Oh, and by the way... that
job offer from Mass General? That was just an elaborate practical joke
pulled off by the nurses. We're all going to the lounge to laugh about
it now - have a nice day!")

TBerk

2008-05-18 20:10:21 UTC

<snippage, major>

Post by Lily Moore Tyler
Now Mass. General might take some one like Luka but that is not
on the table is it?

Ah; hoo ha. hoo ha, hoo ha, hoo ha. mmmmm.

Glittery hoo ha. Glittery, glistening, pulsing, gently aromatic hoo
ha.

<sigh>

TBerk

Mrs. Dud

2008-05-18 21:54:14 UTC

On Sun, 18 May 2008 13:10:21 -0700 (PDT), TBerk

Post by TBerk

Post by sharon
Of course not, he's not that pretty, he's not that special. And his
extensive job history as well as his management experience count for nothing
when compared to the glittery hoo ha of his skanky wife.

Ah; hoo ha. hoo ha, hoo ha, hoo ha. mmmmm.
Glittery hoo ha. Glittery, glistening, pulsing, gently aromatic hoo
ha.
<sigh>
TBerk

I would have thought that if you're hiring at a hospital that Luca
would be a much more desireable candidate. Hasn't he had many
years more experience than Abby?

Hasn't he been a doctor for 20+ years more than Abby?

Sharon Too

2008-05-18 22:00:42 UTC

Post by Mrs. Dud
I would have thought that if you're hiring at a hospital that Luca
would be a much more desireable candidate. Hasn't he had many
years more experience than Abby?
Hasn't he been a doctor for 20+ years more than Abby?

Well, yes. But he has also expressed his desire not to work in a hospital
environment any more. I would suspect that Luka would have not applied, and
Abby had.

But then again, TPTB want Abby to be the saint and Luka just her halo
holder.

-sharontoo

sharon

2008-05-18 23:05:38 UTC

He's been a doc for many more years than Abby. He's also served as faculty
at a teaching hospital, trained residents (I think he was program director
at one point), must've participated in research and published, and doesn't
have a substance abuse history and hasn't been to rehab just a couple months
ago.

In real life, Abby's bosses would've been required to report her substance
abuse to the state medical board as well as the fact that she was treating
patients while under the influence. The state board would then rule on her
status as well as issue guidelines for her.

The medical board in Ohio automatically suspends the license of a doc in
this situation for a minimum of 6 months, pending a hearing and reports on
the status of the addiction. While it isn't necessary to have a medical
license to work as a resident, it is absolutely essential to get an
attending job. That means Abby doesn't have an Illinois license presently
and will only have one if the State Board agrees that she has shown effort
to control her addiction and is undergoing ongoing treatment and testing,
sometime in July at the earliest. Abby would need a license to practice in
Massachusetts in order to go to Boston. The first question on any
application for a medical license would be whether she is licensed in any
other state and the status of that license. Oooops!! Most likely,
Massachusetts would tell her they will not be issuing her a license to
practice until she has regained valid licensure in Illinois and to reapply
at that time. No way the medical board in Mass. is going to take a chance on
a doc with a suspended license elsewhere.

In real life, Abby is not currently qualified to practice medicine anywhere.

Sharon

Ellen K Hursh

2008-05-19 21:27:41 UTC

One assumes, considering how much harping on that subject occurred
when Susan was in charge of the ER (that is, that she *wasn't*
publishing or bringing in the cash).

Post by Mrs. Dud
and doesn't have a substance abuse history and hasn't been to rehab just a couple months
ago.

He did bang a bunch of hookers and a ho-mommy or two a few years back,
though, before he was finally healed by the divine power of Abby's Hoo-
Ha.

In real life, Abby's bosses would've been required to report her substance
abuse to the state medical board as well as the fact that she was treating
patients while under the influence. The state board would then rule on her
status as well as issue guidelines for her.
The medical board in Ohio automatically suspends the license of a doc in
this situation for a minimum of 6 months, pending a hearing and reports on
the status of the addiction.

Even setting aside IRL practices (as seems to be SOP for the writers),
it was *how* long after returning from rehab before Carter was even
allowed to dispense an aspirin? Meanwhile (or so I gather, correct me
if I'm mistaken in my impression from what's been said) Abby was right
back into the swing of things, fresh out of rehab, and did she even
finish *that*?

While it isn't necessary to have a medical license to work as a resident,

So "Amanda Lee" only broke the law WRT identity theft, rather than
pretending to be a doctor, or what?

sharon

2008-05-20 13:36:36 UTC

snip

Even setting aside IRL practices (as seems to be SOP for the writers),
it was *how* long after returning from rehab before Carter was even
allowed to dispense an aspirin? Meanwhile (or so I gather, correct me
if I'm mistaken in my impression from what's been said) Abby was right
back into the swing of things, fresh out of rehab, and did she even
finish *that*?

Yep, remember that Carter was restricted to only treating minor cases and
wasn't allowed to work on major traumas for a long while. Meanwhile, Abby,
just days out of rehab and on LOA, is pressed into service running codes in
the ER. Double standard, much?

Also, when Abby admitted she was an alcoholic and went to rehab, you'd
better believe that someone from legal at County was assigned to investigate
her prescribing practices; to make sure that every script for narcotics she
ever wrote was appropriate and that there were no unexplained shortages of
narcotics in the drug lock-up. Cross addiction is extremely common. When
Abby returned, she, too, would not have been permitted to write
prescriptions or order controlled substances without direct supervision.
Just more evidence of how the show has gone downhill and a major part of
that is the way the character of Abby is treated. The special treatment she
gets, the way TPTB pretend she can do no wrong and doesn't ever suffer
consequences no matter what rotten things she does has gotten tiresome.

While it isn't necessary to have a medical license to work as a resident,

So "Amanda Lee" only broke the law WRT identity theft, rather than
pretending to be a doctor, or what?

No, she was ER Chief, which is an attending position. Also, residents have
to be graduates of accredited medical schools and eligible for licensure,
even if they haven't gotten around to forking over the cash to pay for the
license. So, if she had been a resident, Amanda Lee would also have been in
trouble for fraud.

When I was a resident, most interns didn't have their license because there
weren't any moonlighting jobs out there for anyone who hadn't done at least
an internship. By the end of my second year, I and everyone else I knew had
gotten their license so they could moonlight for extra cash at Planned
Parenthood and the like.

Sharon

Sharon Too

2008-05-20 20:49:56 UTC

Post by sharon
Yep, remember that Carter was restricted to only treating minor cases and
wasn't allowed to work on major traumas for a long while. Meanwhile,
Abby, just days out of rehab and on LOA, is pressed into service running
codes in the ER. Double standard, much?
Also, when Abby admitted she was an alcoholic and went to rehab, you'd
better believe that someone from legal at County was assigned to
investigate her prescribing practices; to make sure that every script for
narcotics she ever wrote was appropriate and that there were no
unexplained shortages of narcotics in the drug lock-up.

But Carter was seen mainlining County narcotics on the premises, and his
rehab was arranged through County with the hospital (eventually) knowing
full well the circumstances.

We know that Abby had shown up drunk to work, but had she been reprimanded
or recognized for it in her personell file? Was her rehab public knowledge
through County or only need to know with friends? I assumed that she got off
scott free because she kept all this hidden as well as did her friends in
the ER.

sharon

2008-05-21 22:17:49 UTC

Post by Sharon Too

But Carter was seen mainlining County narcotics on the premises, and his
rehab was arranged through County with the hospital (eventually) knowing
full well the circumstances.
We know that Abby had shown up drunk to work, but had she been reprimanded
or recognized for it in her personell file? Was her rehab public knowledge
through County or only need to know with friends? I assumed that she got
off scott free because she kept all this hidden as well as did her friends
in the ER.

Abby went to rehab voluntarily and apparently arranged it herself. However,
before she returned to work, there was a hearing with a committee that
included Anspaugh and Pratt where they commended her for seeking help,
praised her for her honesty and told her what the rules were for her return
including proof of attendance at meetings and periodic testing, ala Carter.
She then announced to all of those assembled that she was taking an
additional two weeks off to vacation in Croatia before returning to work and
the committee told her that she would have to provide evidence of meeting
attendance, etc. for a while longer since she couldn't be monitored while
out of the country. She made a pissy face about it and that was that.

While we didn't hear Abby tell the committee that she worked while
intoxicated, they certainly would've been obligated to ask. Sam, who had
been one of those who witnessed her erratic behavior in the ER flat out
asked her and was rewarded with a WTF? look from the crabster. Abby had a
convo with Janet where she clearly stated that she was intoxicated while
working on patients in the ER. While lots of people like to pretend that
being high on drugs while treating patients is worse than treating them
while drunk, it's like being compared being shot to being stabbed. Either
one can kill ya. And either one is a serious breach of medical ethics.

The hospital's committee for impaired physicians would have been required by
law to report her to the medical board, set up a monitoring program and
notify the board of her progress. And the board would've instituted their
own follow-up including a mandatory license suspension.

Sharon

sharon

2008-05-21 22:21:26 UTC

Post by Sharon Too

Post by sharon
Yep, remember that Carter was restricted to only treating minor cases
and wasn't allowed to work on major traumas for a long while.
Meanwhile, Abby, just days out of rehab and on LOA, is pressed into
service running codes in the ER. Double standard, much?
Also, when Abby admitted she was an alcoholic and went to rehab, you'd
better believe that someone from legal at County was assigned to
investigate her prescribing practices; to make sure that every script
for narcotics she ever wrote was appropriate and that there were no
unexplained shortages of narcotics in the drug lock-up.

But Carter was seen mainlining County narcotics on the premises, and his
rehab was arranged through County with the hospital (eventually) knowing
full well the circumstances.
We know that Abby had shown up drunk to work, but had she been
reprimanded or recognized for it in her personell file? Was her rehab
public knowledge through County or only need to know with friends? I
assumed that she got off scott free because she kept all this hidden as
well as did her friends in the ER.

Abby went to rehab voluntarily and apparently arranged it herself.
However, before she returned to work, there was a hearing with a committee
that included Anspaugh and Pratt where they commended her for seeking
help, praised her for her honesty and told her what the rules were for her
return including proof of attendance at meetings and periodic testing, ala
Carter. She then announced to all of those assembled that she was taking
an additional two weeks off to vacation in Croatia before returning to
work and the committee told her that she would have to provide evidence of
meeting attendance, etc. for a while longer since she couldn't be
monitored while out of the country. She made a pissy face about it and
that was that.
While we didn't hear Abby tell the committee that she worked while
intoxicated, they certainly would've been obligated to ask. Sam, who had
been one of those who witnessed her erratic behavior in the ER flat out
asked her and was rewarded with a WTF? look from the crabster. Abby had a
convo with Janet where she clearly stated that she was intoxicated while
working on patients in the ER. While lots of people like to pretend that
being high on drugs while treating patients is worse than treating them
while drunk, it's like being compared being shot to being stabbed. Either
one can kill ya. And either one is a serious breach of medical ethics.
The hospital's committee for impaired physicians would have been required
by law to report her to the medical board, set up a monitoring program and
notify the board of her progress. And the board would've instituted their
own follow-up including a mandatory license suspension.
Sharon

Forgot to add that the only reason Abby was not caught on the job and sent
to rehab involuntarily was because Pratt, the nurses, Luka, Coburn and
others who knew something wasn't right covered for her and made excuses for
her rather than turning her in as Abby did to Carter. Pratt once sent her
home from work knowing she was trying to work while drunk. While its nice
she turned herself in, the main reason she was able to do it before being
caught was because her coworkers were enabling her.

Sharon

The Undertaker

2008-05-21 22:50:01 UTC

Post by sharon
Forgot to add that the only reason Abby was not caught on the job and sent
to rehab involuntarily was because Pratt, the nurses, Luka, Coburn and
others who knew something wasn't right covered for her and made excuses for
her rather than turning her in as Abby did to Carter.

All the more reason why the Abs should have been out on her posterior.

This really burns me.

Alison Dubois

2008-05-21 22:47:17 UTC

Post by sharon
Abby went to rehab voluntarily and apparently arranged it herself. However,
before she returned to work, there was a hearing with a committee that
included Anspaugh and Pratt where they commended her for seeking help,
praised her for her honesty and told her what the rules were for her return
including proof of attendance at meetings and periodic testing, ala Carter.

It still left me with a bad taste. The bottom line is she skated
compared to Carter getting racked over the coals.

Post by sharon
The hospital's committee for impaired physicians would have been required by
law to report her to the medical board, set up a monitoring program and
notify the board of her progress. And the board would've instituted their
own follow-up including a mandatory license suspension.

That too.

Sharon Too

2008-05-22 02:16:43 UTC

Post by sharon
Abby went to rehab voluntarily and apparently arranged it herself.
However, before she returned to work, there was a hearing with a committee
that included Anspaugh and Pratt where they commended her for seeking
help, praised her for her honesty and told her what the rules were for her
return including proof of attendance at meetings and periodic testing, ala
Carter.

Ah. Must have been an episode we voluntarily missed!

-Sharontoo
(proud mother of a 10:30 2-miler)

Ellen K Hursh

2008-05-21 02:52:16 UTC

Post by Ellen K Hursh
snip

While it isn't necessary to have a medical license to work as a resident,

So "Amanda Lee" only broke the law WRT identity theft, rather than
pretending to be a doctor, or what?
No, she was ER Chief, which is an attending position.

*facepalm* Oh, right. I don't know how I forgot/spaced on that detail,
what with the, er, *attending* Kerry!Angst involved.

i***@yahoo.com

2008-05-19 19:38:16 UTC