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Stars of the Small Screen: The Residents of TLC's Resident Life

By Whitney L.J. Howell

Pilar Levy, M.D., a second- year pediatric resident, applied to be on the series to help viewers understand that residents are deeply caring individuals who are affected by the patients they treat.

The emergency room is relatively quiet for the middle of the night. No crisis cases have come in, but this scene is soon to change. The doctors receive a call that a 19-year-old man, under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs, has stabbed himself in the neck, possibly severing part of his vocal cords. The situation only worsens when the patient arrives, and the doctors realize he thinks he is God. Clear, effective communication isn't likely.

No, this is not a scene from last week's ER episode on NBC. Instead, it came from the real-life experiences of a few residents featured on Resident Life, a 13-episode series recently airing on The Learning Channel. The show follows 16 residents in various degrees of training at Vanderbilt University's School of Medicine for four months, filming their daily activities, from discussions with patients to the most graphic surgeries.

But the show doesn't focus specifically on the medical procedures performed - it isn't intended to be just another reality series. Rather, it was designed to take an in-depth look at the lives of several residents - who they are, the decisions they make, and how their medical careers affect their personal lives.

Why smile for the camera?

In an era when patients are more likely to find fault with medical care and the cost of malpractice insurance is skyrocketing, why would residents give their permission to be taped going about their daily routine in the hospital? Wouldn't the cameras and permanent footage only add to their stress level?

Not as much as one might think - in fact, not at all, according to a few of the series' participants. "We wanted people to see the good [of our work], the good of doing it, and why we go through it," says Pilar Levy M.D., a second-year pediatric resident. Her statements refer to both herself and her husband, Victor Levy M.D., another resident on the show. Dr. Victor Levy is a first-year pediatric/ cardiac fellow. She says the show has even helped her immediate family (parents, aunts, and uncles) understand her job and the reasons why she "can't take two weeks' vacation for the holidays."

Too often, she says, the public has a perception that doctors are only in the profession for the money or, perhaps, residents aren't quite "real doctors." But she hastens to add that neither of those beliefs is true. She applied to be on Resident Life to show America that "we care deeply, our patients really affect our lives, and we don't go home in a Mercedes." To her, it was important that people understand that residents devote a lot of time and effort to their work, not only because it is interesting to them but also because they enjoy it.

Though presenting a positive view of residents to the public was also important to Frank Scholl, M.D., a 10-year cardio-thoracic chief surgical fellow, he had another reason for getting involved with Resident Life. He thought going on the show would be an apt way to promote a cause near and dear to his heart - organ donation. "The show seemed like a reasonable forum to talk about donorship and education and to show people what it's like in the hospital every day," he says. The series' producers accompanied Dr. Scholl on several trips to retrieve donated hearts, and he says he enjoyed explaining the process to someone who wasn't familiar with the procedure.

Because the producers occasionally took the time to shoot a more conversational meeting between residents and patients during production of the series, Dr. Scholl was able to spend extra time discussing treatments with patients and their families. This was one of the pluses of participating in the programs. "If the families were there, they wanted that interaction," he says. "I think it made it a little more fun."

Aren't you on TV?

Frank Scholl, M.D., a 10-year cardio-thoracic chief surgical fellow, thought the programs would be a good forum to educate the public about organ donation.

Becoming stars of the small screen was an easier task than usual for the cast of Resident Life. Their fame was acquired by simply carrying out their residency training under the glare of television lights. But the notoriety certainly wasn't something they expected.

"While [the producers] were filming, I never really actually thought that [the show] would be on TV," Dr. Scholl says. "It's weird hearing people say, 'Hey, I saw you on TV'." The recognition is something that's difficult to get used to. Perhaps the most difficult part is remembering things on the show that people bring up six months after filming stopped, he says. For instance, one viewer inquired about his newborn baby's health - the child had suffered from a cold six months earlier.

The most easily recognizable residents on the show, though, are the Levys. Pilar and Victor Levy aren't the only married doctors on Resident Life, but they've suffered a personal tragedy that viewers can relate to - they lost one of their infant twin sons in February 2002. It is partly for this reason that they have become so popular with the viewers. Many watching the show are relieved that someone has openly discussed the grieving process after losing a child.

"I've gotten a good amount of e-mails," says Dr. Pilar Levy. "Some of them are from families who have also lost children who are glad someone has talked about it openly." She says sharing the story of losing her son lets others know that it's OK to feel guilty about losing a child and that life will return to a state of normalcy.

But the loss also prompted a viewer to send Dr. Pilar Levy the most mean-spirited e-mail she's received regarding the show to date. On one episode, she was strapping her son into his car seat and didn't manage to buckle it correctly. She says a viewer sent an e-mail "full of exclamation points" about how she should certainly know better after having lost a child.

Dr. Victor Levy doesn't get e-mails similar to his wife's. Instead he more often receives what he jokingly refers to as "hate mail." He confesses he is prone to using a short tone of voice in stressful situations - and he often uses this tone when speaking to his wife. "It's interesting to see myself after the fact and realize that maybe I can be a little rude or condescending," he says. "I've thought to myself, 'Oh, that's what I have to work on.'" His wife comes to his defense, though, saying while Americans may see the spats, they don't see the make-up conversations that inevitably follow.

Promoting medicine as a career

Although the show could be viewed as a reality ER (which, incidentally, is "way off and skewed toward the most intense medical cases," according to Dr. Pilar Levy), the residents feel there are even greater lessons to be learned from Resident Life.

"We're just people. We have the same common problems, but as physicians, we take home everyone else's problems and emotions," says Dr. Victor Levy.

"We're not perfect, and we don't live in the lap of luxury." His sentiments are a resounding theme among the other residents - they want to make sure the public in general doesn't look at them as demigods or as medical snobs.

Dr. Scholl, though, also thinks watching the show would be a good way for individuals considering a career in medicine to decide whether the lifestyle and rigors really fit with the profession they want to pursue.

"They might have no idea what they would have to go through, and they get to think about [being a doctor] in a different light and decide if they can or can't do it," Dr. Scholl says. The show offers much more insight into the actual lives of residents than any admissions pamphlet or meeting with a school representative could, and watching the show could also give people a better idea of what to expect next time they're a patient in a hospital - they'll have a clearer notion of how the facility works and who the major players are, Dr. Scholl says.

But women should take one lesson from the show to heart, says Dr. Pilar Levy. "There's no perfect balance between work and family," she says. "It takes a lot of work and compromise." Even though your family may be your No. 1 priority, maintaining a true balance is a myth. "There are times when the children suffer, the husband suffers, and the work suffers, and as a woman, I suffer through it all," she says. Maintaining control is based upon thinking, "I don't have to do this right now," whenever life gets too crazy.

Rave reviews

Despite the residents' surprise that Resident Life finally debuted and was an "actual, structured TV show," the response from viewers has been overwhelmingly positive. Based on reactions, letters, and questions posted on the show's message boards, viewers have connected with the residents in a personal way and have become engrossed in both their work and private lives.

Dozens of messages have been sent either to all the residents or to individual doctors, praising the work they are doing and commenting on how interesting it is to finally see what really goes on in the life of a medical resident. These messages have also prompted questions about medical school and its rigors. But, as is true with all good TV shows that truly connect with the audience, the viewers have become invested in the well-being of the cast of characters, (i.e., the patients treated) on Resident Life and have, in some cases, inquired about their continuing health status.

The residents interviewed have the same positive reaction to being involved with the series. Both the Levys and Dr. Scholl said they would participate in another television program if given the chance. While being a cast member didn't have a particular effect on the residents or their training, it gave them a chance to showcase their chosen career and, they hope, entice others to enter.

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