Letter to Shonda Rhimes

Letter to Shonda Rhimes

Dear Shonda,

I love, love, love Grey's Anatomy—did I mention I love it? But…let's get real here, you guys need an ER doc.

I mean, there's Meredith, dead—DEAD!—from cold water immersion and the only person who comes up with the right treatment is your OB-Gyn/pediatric surgeon/neonatologist/perinatal maternal-child-health specialist??? And then everyone ignores her?

I love that you focus on how people save people, not medicine. Believe me, I agree, in fact, that's the theme behind all of my own medical suspense novels.

But as a pediatric ER doc, I have to protest. Yes, the cast needs trimmed. No, Addison really can not be all those things (and I think one show mentioned she also has a PhD in nutrition or the like?)—she'd be 100 years old before she finished her training!

If you want a generalist, get an ER doc on board. We're just as smart as the surgeons, have lots of cutting wit (from hanging out with cops and firefighters and paramedics all day), excellent multi-tasking skills—able to go from comforting a pregnant lady to suturing a screaming toddler to saving a stroke patient to being command doc in a major trauma without blinking an eye!

I know you want to stay in the OR with your beloved surgeons (and I love them all, as well!) but please, you're starting to strain credibility here. You need a jack of all trades, and the best bang for your buck will be an ER doc—or at least an Emergency Medicine resident doing their surgical rotations.

And, of course, if you ever want to chat about it, need a writer, heck, need a gopher! feel free to call me—anytime!!

Best wishes,
CJ Lyons, pediatric ER doc, medical suspense writer, and Grey's Anatomy fan