Sean Maher/Simon Tam believable as a doctor? by LetoV

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Sean Maher/Simon Tam believable as a doctor?

POSTED BY: LETOV
UPDATED: Tuesday, January 18, 2005 12:10
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Tuesday, January 11, 2005 12:29 PM

I was wondering if there's anybody out there with medical experience with an opinion on Sean/Simon's believability as a doctor. I was watching the Train Job the other day and as Simon was stitching the knife wound (if that monstrous hunk of metal carried by Crow can be summed up with as measly a word as "knife", but I get off subject) in Mal's chest and wondering how he looked to the experienced eye. There are a few scenes where you see him in surgery etc which all look pretty good to me, but I wouldn't know him from one of those guys on the Holiday Inn Express commercials.

- Leto_V

"Well, my days of not taking you
seriously are certainly coming to
a middle." - Mal

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Tuesday, January 11, 2005 4:12 PM

CORNCOBB

Of course the true test is: what does his handwriting look like?

"Gorramit Mal... I've forgotten my line."

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Wednesday, January 12, 2005 6:49 AM

DEANNAMAY

I think he is fairly believable. He has a calm demeanor, and caring as a physician which is an added charm. I'm a nurse and I see a lot of doctors without good bedside manner. (And a lot who do :) ) I don't work in the ER, to see if they pull caps off of needles with their teeth, but if you don't have an assistant, I can imagine that is what they do, as long as they don't recap. The few scenes where it shows him suturing, are cut fairly short, but it is a two-handed process when they tie the knots, so I think that is truthful in the blip we get to see.

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Wednesday, January 12, 2005 7:30 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Where I think Simon was his most believable as a doctor was when he stepped in at the hospital on Ariel and saved that patient's life. Of course, most of what I know about doctors IS what I see on t.v., for what it's worth.

" They don't like it when you shoot at 'em. I worked that out myself. "

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Wednesday, January 12, 2005 4:51 PM

MINIME

i occasionally admit to being a dr, and i agree with Deannamay. mostly i think it's believable, except the suturing (and also injecting - you would generally either give an injection into a muscle, or to give into a vein most drs would use a tourniquet). also must agree with AURaptor that the scene in Ariel is most true-to-life-ish regarding doctors. you could so get away with something like that! (except that 120 is not really all that tachy!)
also, since i spent the last year working with surgeons - he is exactly like most of them. with the possible exception of being uncertain around Kaylee. And, you know, caring about people... no, really, that was one of the things that I really liked about the show, that it mostly made up medical things that made sense. Like the rationale for River's 'madness', etc, his surgeon-like demeanor.

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Wednesday, January 12, 2005 4:59 PM

DIETCOKE

Glad to hear your thoughts on this. My only complaint was that he was just too young. But then I thought Nathan was too young for Mal (but I love Mal!) Maybe, I'm just too old....(sigh...goes and takes high-blood pressure medication.)

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Wednesday, January 12, 2005 5:55 PM

MONTANAGIRL

Quote:
Originally posted by DeannaMay:
I don't work in the ER, to see if they pull caps off of needles with their teeth, but if you don't have an assistant, I can imagine that is what they do, as long as they don't recap.

I don't know about human medicine, but I work at a vet clinic and we use our teeth to uncap needles ALL the time. Probably not the most intelligent thing to do, but it's quick and easy.

Packer fans welcome.
All others tolerated.

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Thursday, January 13, 2005 3:57 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Quote:
Originally posted by dietcoke:
Glad to hear your thoughts on this. My only complaint was that he was just too young. But then I thought Nathan was too young for Mal (but I love Mal!) Maybe, I'm just too old....(sigh...goes and takes high-blood pressure medication.)

That's the whole thing about Simon. He IS young, for a doctor. Even Kaylee made that remark in Serenity.

" They don't like it when you shoot at 'em. I worked that out myself. "

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Thursday, January 13, 2005 6:35 AM

GORRAMREAVERS

Quote:
Originally posted by AURaptor:
Quote:
Originally posted by dietcoke:
Glad to hear your thoughts on this. My only complaint was that he was just too young. But then I thought Nathan was too young for Mal (but I love Mal!) Maybe, I'm just too old....(sigh...goes and takes high-blood pressure medication.)

That's the whole thing about Simon. He IS young, for a doctor. Even Kaylee made that remark in Serenity.

" They don't like it when you shoot at 'em. I worked that out myself. "

AND Simon mentioned to Kaylee that she was young as well. So young doctor, young captain, young mechanic.

"..it is my very favorite gun."

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Thursday, January 13, 2005 6:55 AM

BADGERSHAT

My sister's a nurse, used to be an ER nurse in the boogie-down Bronx, NYC.

She would often tell me stories of the night shift, withthe doctors climbing on the gurney, thumping the patient's chest while the orderlies ran it down to the Operating Room, putting pressure on a wound with one hand, opening a syringe with the other (either taking the cap off with the teeth or somehow popping it off with the forefingers of the hand holding it...)

--Jefé The Hat

***************************
--Don't bother trying to predict, figure out, second guess, criticize, or suggest anything that comes from the mind of Joss Whedon, for you shall usually be wrong, and shall find out the Truth and Purpose in due time.
(This is the Truth of Whedoning)

"I like smackin 'em"--Jayne

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Friday, January 14, 2005 7:54 AM

DEANNAMAY

Regarding youth, I work in a teaching hospital, and I tell you, I feel like I am old enough to be the mother of some of those newbies. At least physically, I am much younger emotionally and mentally

As we already know he is a genius, although much less so than River, I find it quite reasonable that he be this young and so accomplished. His father had been obviously pushing it at him his whole life, so even at about 14 (the age I assume that flashback takes place where his father gives him that access device) that was his goal.

Sean admirably portrays the single-mindedness necessary to save peoples lives, and a calm personality that assesses the options available.

I disguised the fact that he is my favorite character quite well, didn't I?

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Tuesday, January 18, 2005 12:10 PM

MENELUIN

Hehe, I feel the same way about Simon--what a great character. I find him interesting because he seems so professional and confident in what he does, but he is often out of his element and involved in other situations where his cockiness makes him look quite awkward ("you've got this on...wrong!").

As for young, I always think back to Star Trek, and characters like Captain Kirk and Commander Riker. They started out young and people gave them hell for it, but they were good at commanding.

Quote:
Originally posted by DeannaMay:

As we already know he is a genius, although much less so than River, I find it quite reasonable that he be this young and so accomplished. His father had been obviously pushing it at him his whole life, so even at about 14 (the age I assume that flashback takes place where his father gives him that access device) that was his goal.

I disguised the fact that he is my favorite character quite well, didn't I?

~~~~~~~~
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