Introduction: The Use of Popular Culture in Medical and Health Education

There is an increasing awareness of the role of mass media and popular culture in communicating health information to the general public and medical students. Medical television series in particular have been identified as a rich source of health information and medical ethics training, depicting doctor–patient relationships that are both entertaining and educational. Recent research has shown that these fictional representations of the medical profession have an impact on perceptions of real-life doctors, and can influence recruitment of students into medical, nursing and health science degrees. The purpose of this edited collection is to discuss the use of popular culture in medical education, paying particular attention to medical television dramas.