Doctor John follows the Pain Management Department at Hanse Hospital.  Most patients sent to them suffer from rare illnesses that other doctors have not been able to diagnose or treat.  The team treats each illness as a mystery to be investigated and solved.  They shift their focus away from the illness itself and focus on the patient.  By getting to know each patient’s story, the Pain Management team is able to reach beyond the limitations of common medicine and discover the source of the person’s pain.  The show also examines ethical questions faced by the medical community, most especially dealing with euthanasia and a doctor’s responsibility to relieve a patient’s pain. 

This is a medical drama that is structured and paced more like a crime show.  Each medical case requires the doctors to work as a group, searching for clues and following leads.  The dialogue is thought provoking, without seeming preachy.  The emphasis is on the idea that medicine is not always as black and white as we would like to believe.  The cases themselves are interesting and unique.  We also get to look beyond the job, into the lives of our lead doctors, the private battles they fight and how they use those battles to drive them. 

Should I Watch?

 If you enjoy medical or crime-solving dramas, you will like this one.  The cast is great, the writing is solid and the story lines are interesting and unique.  There is a good balance between medical cases and personal relationships.  I liked the way they asked important questions about modern medicine and ethics without answering those questions for you.  Conversations about things like euthanasia can be difficult, but they are also important.  I applaud this drama for its tasteful presentation of delicate medical topics. I give it a 9 out of 10 ramen.

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