On the Netflix show “Virgin River,” set in a rural, fictional Northern California town, there is medical clinic run by “Doc” Vernon Mullins. Both the clinic and Doc are portrayed as an integral part of the Virgin River community — as there is no shortage of ailments to go around and everyone in town needs health care at some point or another.

Like all television shows that include medical settings and physicians, “Virgin River” gets some things right about the realities of small-town health clinics, but it also gets plenty wrong. And, because it’s drama-fueled television, it can’t just let the good Doc do his job without putting his entire career in peril simply because he is a country doctor doing the best he can with limited access to resources.

Seemingly loved and respected by all, Doc is everything you want in a primary care physician. He’s responsive, experienced and knowledgeable. But just as you start cheering on this wonderful promotion for his primary care practice, an emergency drill to save someone’s life puts his medical license in jeopardy.

It’s frustrating that TV shows don’t tell stories that would entice more people — whether they be college students considering going to medical school or specialists thinking about making a change — to go into primary care. With a growing and alarming shortage of primary care physicians in the U.S., it would be wonderful if this area of healthcare got more of the spotlight.

While primary care may not often get a starring role in many shows, at least we can learn from them why primary care is so essential.

Shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Resident” and “Chicago Med” thrive on the high-intensity world of hospital medicine — emergency surgeries, rare diagnoses and last-minute life-saving procedures. But what they don’t show as often is how many of these patients might have avoided these dramatic hospital visits if they had access to consistent, high-quality primary care. The truth is, much of what ends up in the ER or on an operating table could have been prevented with proper screenings, early intervention and chronic disease management — all things that primary care physicians handle every day.

This is where shows like “Virgin River” and “Doc Martin” offer an important counterpoint. They highlight how small-town doctors build strong relationships with their patients, treating not just acute illnesses but also managing long-term health. They are the first line of defense in preventing more serious conditions from developing, guiding patients to make healthier choices, monitoring ongoing medical issues and ensuring timely referrals when needed.

Of course, these portrayals still fall into TV’s need for drama, often exaggerating the challenges or turning everyday patient care into an episode-long crisis. But at their core, they reinforce a truth that our healthcare system often overlooks: primary care physicians are the foundation of good health. They don’t just react to emergencies; they prevent them.

If medical dramas really wanted to tell compelling, realistic stories that could make a difference, they’d showcase how primary care isn’t just about treating coughs and colds — it’s about preventing strokes, catching cancers early and keeping people out of the hospital in the first place. Maybe then, more doctors would be inspired to pursue careers in primary care, and more patients would recognize the value of building a long-term relationship with their doctor before a crisis strikes.

Many Physician Retraining & Reentry participants enroll because they want to transition to a role providing primary care in a rural setting. Unlike what we see on TV, these are communities that are generally low income and in desperate need of basic and preventative care. Like TV, the primary care physicians in these settings are providing a valuable service by promoting wellness — often in ways that save lives and keep their patients from playing lead roles in dramatic emergency room scenes.

Thinking of making the transition to primary care and working in a rural setting? Contact PRR to learn how we can help.