10 Best Medical TV Shows Streaming On Netflix

TV viewers have always adored medical shows, whether they're reality programs that reflect the horrors and victories of real-life ERs or operating rooms, long-running dramas that take a look at the ups and downs of life in a hospital, or sitcoms that take a cockeyed glimpse at life and death. Networks have been putting out shows about doctors and nurses for ages, and now streamers have picked up the gauntlet and began to acquire and archive them.

Netflix, naturally, has a whole host of series on its roster that will scratch the itch of anyone who loves a good medical show. With picks ranging from lighthearted laugh-fests to serious shows that allow you a bird's-eye glimpse at the worst day in a person's life, there's hours of entertainment at a subscriber's fingertips. But to sift through the piles of promising pieces to find the very best ones? There are only so many hours in a day, and it can take eons to find the right program. Thankfully, this list is here to heal you. Here's 10 of the very best medical shows that Netflix has to offer, ranked in no particular order, with plenty of options to suit a variety of moods.

• Creator: Liz Brixius, Evan Dunsky, Linda Wallem
• Cast: Edie Falco, Merritt Wever, Paul Schulze
• Genre: Medical Drama, Comedy-Drama
• Number of episodes: 80 
• IMDb Score: 7.9

Following up "The Sopranos" should have been a fearsome task for Edie Falco, but she knocked it out of the park with another surprisingly long-lived, Emmy-winning drama. "Nurse Jackie" combines humor, drama, and medical emergencies into a fascinating and highly watchable package.

Jackie Peyton (Falco) is an emergency room nurse who works hard for her patients, otherwise leading an ordinary life as a wife and mother. But she bears a secret — she's addicted to pills. The lengths she goes to in order to stay high become more and more drastic, and her dependency deepens. Jackie's job, family, and life depend on her getting sober. But can she pull out of her tailspin? There's no medical show in the world that's quite like "Nurse Jackie," making it well worth your time.

• Creator: Adam Kay
• Cast: Ben Whishaw, Ambika Mod, Alex Jennings
• Genre: Medical Comedy, Medical Drama, Black Comedy
• Number of episodes: 7
• IMDb Score: 8.3

"This Is Going to Hurt" is a sardonic but heartfelt series that takes a knowing look at life in a National Health Service hospital. Taken from Adam Kay's memoir and actual experiences working in the medical field, the limited series packs a punch — even though it's just seven episodes long, making it perfect for a one-day binge. It's a carefully balanced series tone-wise, taking a look at both the funny and dark sides of trying to save lives.

Ben Whishaw plays a fictionalized version of Kay, who toils beside Shruti Acharya (Ambika Mod) as they deliver babies and save lives in the obstetrics and gynecology ward. Kay breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the camera as his time at the hospital goes on. It speaks about the challenges — both mentally and physically — that junior doctors must stomach, and also deals with the social and financial hardships attached to the profession. In the end, some of Kay's fellow students won't make it — but the promise of new life beckons, even if the current one feels like an onerous burden.

• Creator: Jin Hyuk, Hong Jong-chan, Park Jin-woo, Kim Joo
• Cast: Lee Jong-suk, Jin Se-yeon, Park Hae-joon
• Genre: K-Drama, Medical Drama, Soap Opera, Crime Drama, Thriller
• Number of episodes: 20
• IMDb Score: 7.5

One of several K-dramas in the Netflix archive, "Doctor Stranger" is a powerful, soapy series that sprinkles in plenty of operating room scenes to keep the most discerning doctor drama lover tuned in. But you'll also find a heart-wrenching romance, as well as an important tale about parental love.

Park Hoon (Lee Jong-suk) and his surgeon father Park Cheol (Kim Sang-jung) were trapped in North Korea after Cheol was selected to perform open heart surgery on Kim Il-sung. Hoon grows up to be a surgeon himself, and he tries to flee North Korea with hew newfound love, Song Jae-hee (Jin Se-yeon), after his father dies. However, Jae-hee is left behind in the tumult. Hoon is now a well-known cardiothoracic surgeon and settles into his new job at a hospital, finding himself working with a doctor, Han Seung-hee (also Jin Se-yeon), who looks just like his old lover.

• Creator: Shonda Rhimes
• Cast: Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr.
• Genre: Medical Drama, Drama, Romantic Drama
• Number of episodes: 467
• IMDb Score: 7.6

At this point, "Grey's Anatomy" is an American cultural institution, like baseball in the spring and lemonade in the summer. It has been renewed for its 23rd season, which means it has survived for so long that it's perfectly plausible for a baby born during Season 1 to show up in Season 24 as an intern. In other words, it's one of the most bingeworthy medical shows of all time; and though it's quite the effort to finish the show in its current state, it's still an enjoyable process.

The series begins at Seattle Grace Hospital, which is frequently a scene of straight chaos. Doctors die or are nearly killed on a daily basis; but when everyone's alive and well, they can usually be seen making out in the showers, breaking up in the hallway, or getting married in the parking lot. Things can get wild and woolly over there, and hearts will be broken — along with bones. The show's central character is Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), who grows from nepo baby intern to respected doctor over the course of the series.

• Creator: Ryan Murphy, Evan Romansky
• Cast: Sarah Paulson, Finn Wittrock, Cynthia Nixon
• Genre: Period Drama, Prequel series
• Number of episodes: 8
• IMDb Score: 7.2

Short-lived and fascinating in its own special way, "Ratched" takes a sympathetic look at the future bane of Randle McMurphy's (Jack Nicholson) existence, nurse Mildred Ratched (Sarah Paulson). But Ryan Murphy turns the character's villainy into bravery and secret depth. Audiences didn't quite know what to do with this anti-heroic version of Mildred, but her adventures are worth a watch, making the program one of the most underrated medical shows in existence.

Instead of ruling her roost as a petty tyrant, Mildred works as something of a medical double-agent, trying to uncover the truth about a patient experimentation program that she thinks is ongoing in California and lying her way into a position of authority. But soon, the mask she wears begins to affect her real personality. Her complicated relationship with Edmund Tolleson (Finn Wittrock), along with her mentally unstable foster brother who has been convicted of multiple murders and faces execution for his crimes, leaves the ending of Season 1 on a cliffhanger that will likely never be resolved.

• Creator: Amy Holden Jones, Hayley Schore, Roshan Sethi
• Cast: Matt Czuchry, Manish Dayal, Bruce Greenwood
• Genre: Medical Drama
• Number of episodes: 107
• IMDb Score: 7.8

"The Resident" became Fox's go-to medical drama during the late 2010s and early '20s, lasting for six seasons and filling in the void left behind by the conclusion of "House." Fans who love what "Doc" does on the channel will love to watch this new-school medical series and get all wrapped up in the lives of its central professionals. It took Netflix by storm when it hit the streamer, defying the odds by becoming a popular medical show offering, and it is still a great option among doctor dramas.

The show revolves around the staff at Chastain Memorial Hospital, located in Georgia. Dr. Conrad Hawkins (Matt Czuchry) is the titular resident, a rookie who was once in the navy and has now moved on to the civilian medical world. Over the course of the series, Hawkins falls in love with Nic Nevin (Emily VanCamp), a sweet-natured nurse who is as temperate as he is brash. Dr. Devon Pravesh (Manish Dayal) is a rookie like Hawkins, and he moves up the medical ladder with his friend at his side. Together, the large ensemble cast works together to treat their patients and get to the bottom of their feelings about life in the field.

• Creator: The Garden
• Cast: Dr. Marie Healy, Dr. Maryam Alfa-Wali, Dr. Priyanka Chadha
• Genre: Documentary
• Number of episodes: 6
• IMDb Score: 8.2

"Critical: Between Life and Death" is a compelling reality show that puts a camera in an actual English emergency room and simply lets the drama deliver itself to the viewer. It's set in the London Major Trauma System and focuses on the doctors, nurses, and emergency servicepeople who work within that National Healthcare System. Intense, gory, and honest, it's not for the faint of heart — but those who brave its darker elements will likely be enthralled by the stories it tells using the testimonies of relatives and medical professionals.

Each real story is addressed through on-camera interviews, alongside live footage of various accident victims or ill people being treated in an emergency situation. Some patients live, others die, and the medical professionals learn some major lessons about how to help and care for others.

• Creator: Zoe Robyn
• Cast: Willa Fitzgerald, Colin Woodell, Justina Machado
• Genre: Medical Drama
• Number of episodes: 10
• IMDb Score: 6.5

"Pulse" was intended to be a throwback to the olden days of "Grey's Anatomy" — a soapy medical drama filled with life-or-death stakes and a strong romantic storyline underpinning it all. It didn't catch on with viewers, making it a one-season wonder, but it's still a lot of fun to watch. And, depending on your mood, it will probably have you gripping the edge of your seat as danger sets in.

Danielle "Danny" Simms (Willa Fitzgerald) is a third-year resident who finds herself thrust into a major position of authority — at the expense of her lover, the now-former chief resident of their hospital, whom she reported to the hospital for sexual harassment. Now Danny has to treat patients with a contentious ex at her side and a hurricane bearing down on the hospital's doorstep.

• Creator: Eric Ledgin, Justin Spitzer
• Cast: Wendi McLendon-Covey, Allison Tolman, David Alan Grier
• Genre: Sitcom
• Number of episodes: 37
• IMDb Score: 7.2

If you're looking for a little something to lighten your mood, then "St. Denis Medical" might be the medical series of your dreams. Rapid-fire funny and loaded with sight gags, it's "The Office" meets "Scrubs," with plenty of observational humor thrown in. With only two — and, as of this writing, soon-to-be three — seasons to watch so far, it's also one of the quickest comedy binges you can commit to on Netflix.

The ensemble spotlights a whole bunch of doctors, nurses, and other medical practitioners as they try to make it through day-to-day life at the titular hospital. Joyce Henderson (Wendi McLendon-Covey) is the executive director, who is wildly ambitious and utterly silly; and Alex (Allison Tolman) is a work-until-you-drop nurse who is also extremely empathetic toward her patients. Bruce (Josh Lawson) is a trauma surgeon looking for glory, and Ron (David Alan Grier) is a grumpy ER doctor. Together, they try to make the hospital a better place — and also just try to get along with one another.

• Creator: Shin Won-ho, Lee Woo-jung
• Cast: Jo Jung-suk, Yoo Yeon-seok, Jung Kyung-ho
• Genre: K-Drama, Medical Drama
• Number of episodes: 24
• IMDb Score: 8.7

Much beloved and an easy binge-watch, "Hospital Playlist" lasted for two seasons and combined camaraderie with hospital scenes and a deep dive into the lives of the show's central doctors. Fans will appreciate how heartfelt it is, as well as how important the central five-way friendship is to the show at large. It's undoubtedly one of the best K-drama shows on Netflix.

Lee Ik-joon (Jo Jung-suk), Ahn Jeong-won (Yoo Yeon-seok), Kim Joon-wan (Jung Kyung-ho), Yang Seok-hyeong (Kim Dae-myung), and Chae Song-hwa (Jeon Mi-do) met in medical school in the 1990s, and they've been best friends ever since. They're now all in their 40s, and on the side of their busy careers, they have a cover band. Ik-joon is a cheerful single father; Jeong-won is secretly considering becoming a priest; Joon-wan is icy, distant, and professional; Seok-hyeong is divorced as well, coping with his difficult family while still deeply caring about his patients and friends; and Song-hwa is idolized for her seemingly perfect ways. The friends stumble through life together, weathering its ups and downs, and always having each other's backs — even when the world threatens to rip them apart.