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10 Most Addictive Hospital Shows on Netflix

These Netflix hospital shows will turn you into a satisfied binge-watcher! You'll find yourself ordering "just one more episode—STAT!"

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Grey’s Anatomy

You can binge-watch the first 12 seasons of powerhouse producer Shonda Rhime’s soapy medical drama on Netflix. The show’s still going because fans love the drama and intrigue of life in a Seattle hospital. It’s one of the most popular shows on television even with an ever-changing cast. Ellen Pompeo as Dr. Meredith Grey has been around since the beginning, starting as a newbie intern and becoming more experienced as she goes along. You’ll find yourself addicted to the ups and downs of the romance and sizzle in this long-running pop culture icon. (These are the secrets hospitals won’t tell you—but all patients should know.)

2 / 10
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Nurse Jackie

Edie Falco is amazing as a no-nonsense nurse and mom who also happens to be a drug addict. She spends the first few seasons making sure no one finds out— colleagues or husband, but she can’t keep it up, so the tension rises. She’s surrounded by a quirky and likeable cast and you get caught rooting for a character who is deeply flawed. She keeps making mistakes despite her best intentions. Falco’s performance grounds this emotional drama that also has touches of humor. Here’s what nurses wish they could tell you.

3 / 10
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Emily Owens M.D.

Mamie Gummer is charming and winning as a newly minted doctor trying to make her way as a wet-behind-the-ears intern in a Denver hospital. Gummer narrates, diary-style, about what it’s like to deal with life or death situations and make the right calls. Her love life is right in the center of things—as is the drama around friendships and her stressful career. Gummer is Meryl Streep’s daughter and the resemblance is clear. Fans of CW shows will adore the personal storylines and Gummer’s awkward but likeable doctor character, Emily.

4 / 10
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Scrubs

Audiences love Zach Braff and Donald Faison in this slapstick comedy set in a teaching hospital. The show follows Braff’s main character doc who narrates the goings-on in an internal monologue filled with quips and humor. He starts out as an intern and you watch as the busy hospital is transformed by his surreal and comedic internal fantasies. Faison plays a surgeon and Braff’s bestie. Scrubs shows you the stress and pressure of being a doctor while trying to have a personal life. The show throws in romance and plenty of hilarity along the way. (Here are some tips for improving your own stay in a hospital!)

5 / 10
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A Gifted Man

A Gifted Man ran for just one addictive and dramatic season. Movie star Patrick Wilson takes a turn as a television leading man in this show with a ghostly edge. Wilson plays a surgeon who gets unexpected visits from his ex-wife, the sophisticated Jennifer Ehle. Here’s the rub—she died in a car accident a few weeks prior. Now she shows up to give her ex-husband some much-needed advice on the kind of patients he should be treating. She wants him to use his talents on the poor and needy. The excellent character actress Margo Martindale is there as Wilson’s assistant in this intriguing drama. These chilling real ghost stories will make you believe.

6 / 10
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Call the Midwife

Dive into the world of a nursing convent in London’s East End during the 1950s. This acclaimed BBC drama looks at the lives of the nurses trying to help a community in dire straits. Everyone is poor, and new babies in need of care and midwives abound. The series is based on the true life memoirs of a midwife who worked with an impoverished community during this same post-war time period. The series is realistic and richly historical, but it tugs on your heartstrings and pulls you into the riveting drama that often focuses on intense subjects.

7 / 10
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Royal Pains

Fans quickly get addicted to this show about a doctor who serves the super rich. Mark Feuerstein plays a “concierge” physician who relocates to The Hamptons after a scandal. He’s offered a cottage by a wealthy local and ends up treating the ailments of the various residents of this posh, uppercrust neighborhood. You’ll love the lavish settings as you get pulled into the all medical adventures of the upper crust in this comedy drama.

8 / 10
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The Night Shift

This hospital drama focuses on medical personnel with a military history—much of it filled with trauma. That makes the late shift in an emergency room in San Antonio even more stressful. Get caught up on this show, which is perfect to fill the void left by E.R., before this series returns to NBC this summer. Fans love the gritty character-driven storylines. Eoin Macken, Jill Flint, and Ken Leung star and round-out a capable cast who will make you care and yearn for more. Ever wonder what doctors are really talking about? Check out this list of what their lingo really means.

9 / 10
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Private Practice

This Grey’s Anatomy spin-off is another of producer Shonda Rhimes’ big hits. Kate Walsh, as Dr. Addison Montgomery, joins a private practice in L.A., and the drama continues. It’s all about the doctor’s private life and love life! The cast features Taye Diggs and Tim Daly as coworkers, with Audra McDonald as Walsh’s bestie. And plots dive into patient lives, but keep a comedic focus on the private affairs of the main characters. The perfect side dish for the Grey’s Anatomy superfan.

10 / 10
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Sirens

Every wonder if those EMT teams who drive ambulances are buddies? The funny, quirky series Sirens answers your questions. This half-hour comedy series follows three paramedics in Chicago on their adventures saving lives and getting involved in a bunch of hilarious situations along the way. The series premiered on USA network and ran for two seasons. Loyal fans loved the offbeat humor and were sad to see it go. If you’re looking for laughs, give Sirens a try.

Once you’re finished binging these Netflix hospital shows, head over to Hulu and binge ER—a hospital show that brought George Clooney to stardom.

Molly Pennington, PhD
Molly is a writer and collage artist with a PhD in film and cultural studies from the University of Pittsburgh. Her professional astrology services and artwork are available at Baroque Moon Astrology. She covers the zodiac, books, movies, TV and culture for Reader’s Digest, and loves to talk about all the ways we make meaning.