Oh, the pains of being lovesick.
With an interesting and complex story, many may miss the American television series The Good Doctor, whose final season is coming to an end. What many fans of The Good Doctor may not know is that this ABC soap opera was originally a Kdrama of the same name and whose success in Korea attracted the attention of Daniel Dae Kim, who then managed to have it adapted by a Western studio. It is also one of the rare Korean television series to have been adapted for Western media. Without forgetting the success of Hospital Playlist on the streaming platform, becoming one of the most watched medical K-dramas on the platform.
These are qualities common to Korean dramas, which are particularly important when it comes to medical dramas, especially since they rely on a single season to make a big series, unlike others Western medical series that tend to attract viewers with interesting medical cases. Find the 10 Best Medical K-Dramas Below
- The Great Doctor (2012)
- With: Lee Min-ho & Kim Hee-sun
Also known as Faith, The Great Doctor is a K-Drama that features plastic surgeon Eun Soo (Kim Hee Sun) transported to the Goryeo era to serve King Gongmin and save his wife, Queen Noguk , from a serious injury. Under the strict supervision of Choi Young (Lee Min Ho), Eun Soo must face the dangers of an ancient era.
Although the injuries and medical examinations carried out throughout the series are not necessarily unique or important to the plot, The Great Doctor is notable for its approach to the fantasy genre in a medical setting where life and death are not not certain and by its dependence on the relationship between the plastic surgeon turned doctor and her guard, which creates suspense about the Goryeo period when medical knowledge was limited. The suspense is all the greater because Eun Soo is not an omniscient doctor and if something happens to him, his destiny becomes unclear.
- Number of seasons: 1
- Start date: August 13, 2012
- The Great Doctor can be streamed on Kocowa
- Emergency Couple (2012)
It is a medical and romantic comedy which tells the reunion of a forgotten love between Oh Chang-min (Choi Jun-hyuk) and Oh Jin-hee (Song Ji-hyo) who five years after a bitter separation and hateful, eventually divorced and must relearn how to live with each other and be around each other when they find themselves in the same hospital as emergency department interns.
Emergency Doctor is an entertaining K-drama that adds a bit of spice that the regular viewer rarely gets. Indeed, the medical scenarios that unfold tend to be both humorous and serious, with higher stakes than the audience expects. The most exciting moments, however, take place between the two protagonists, which helps redevelop the love they once shared.
- Start date: January 24, 2014
- Emergency Couple can be streamed on Viki
- Daily Dose of Sunshine (2023)
Focusing on the psychiatric side of medicine, Daily Dose of Sunshine is a medical K-drama that features Jung Da-eun (Park Bo-young) who transitions from medicine to psychiatry for personal reasons. However, she does not realize the challenges that await her, particularly regarding her personal relationships. This does not prevent him from wanting to bring a daily dose of sunshine to his patients and to the psychiatric unit.
While the majority of K-dramas on this list focus on the medical aspect (emergencies, surgical procedures, etc.), this one focuses on the mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders that touch viewers’ hearts, which makes it another K-drama with a unique premise. Its realism makes it a story that is both tragicomic and full of twists and turns.
- Starring: Park Bo-young, Yeon Woo-jin, Jang Dong-yoon, Lee Jung-eun
- Start date: November 03, 2023
- Daily Dose of Sunshine can be streamed on Netflix
- Angel Eyes (2014)
With Lee Sang-yoon, Koo Hye-sun
While Soo-wan (Ku Hye-sun), a blind woman, lost her sight at a very young age in a tragic accident which also killed her mother, Dong-joo (Kang Ha-neul), for his part, wants to become a firefighter like his father and decides to enroll in medical school. Unaware of Soo-wan’s blindness, Dong-joo falls in love with her one evening while she is reciting her speech. Then one fateful day, during a presentation on the star system, Dong-joo, out of generosity of heart, helps Soo-wan in her difficulties.
Upon learning of her blindness, Dong-joo decides to help Soo-wan develop her lifestyle to the best of her abilities and not let her disability affect her life. Circumstances end up separating them, and Soo-wan undergoes an operation that restores her sight. The two later meet again, in new circumstances, where their love for each other is tested.
Although the computer graphics and effects in Angel Eyes are a little dated and outdated, the story of a first love being highlighted more than makes up for this lack, making it a magnificent K-drama. The melancholy beginning sets the mood for the rest of the series, which is bittersweet, with Soo-wan losing her eyesight almost immediately, and then her mother afterward. At the same time, Dong-joo loses his father, a rescuer who tried to save Soo-wan’s mother.
This is a tragic story that allows a beautiful love story to blossom. Angel Eyes, despite its sad story, is also lighthearted at times, making this film a wonderful love story that can only be told through the diligence of a good heart in the medical field.
- Start date: April 05, 2014
- Angel Eyes can be streamed on Viki
- Doctor Slump (2024)
Produced by Netflix, Doctor Slump is a series that depicts the long-lost love of two doctors including Ha-neul (Park Shin-hye), a very meticulous and hardworking woman who hates wasting her time and ensures that every second counts and Jeong-woo (Park Hyung-sik), one of the smartest kids in school who always believed that if he could keep the same pace, things would stay the same.
Years later, Jeong-woo’s career has grown into that of a renowned plastic surgeon, while Ha-neul’s career is in decline, as she works as a doctor in a hostile medical facility where she is exploited by her older colleagues. older than her. Their paths cross again, and this is how their adult love story begins. While being a medical K-drama, the drama focuses more on the heroes in white coats and their lives behind the operating table.
There is no shortage of heartwarming moments in this K-drama. While maintaining a realism that is sometimes a little too close to reality (thanks to the hard work of popular actors Shin-hye and Hyung-sik), this drama remains very entertaining and focuses on the rekindled flame of an old love through the reunion of Jeong-woo and Ha-neul. It starts as a playful rivalry, which turns into a heartwarming love story, making viewers realize that sometimes, things just don’t work out the way we want them to.
- Start date: January 27, 2024
- Doctor Slump can be streamed on Netflix
- It’s Okay, That’s Love (2014)
Starring: Zo In-sung, Gong Hyo-jin, Sung Dong-il, Lee Kwang-soo, Do Kyung-soo
Novelist and DJ Jae-yeol (Zo In-sung), who witnessed a traumatic event 26 months earlier, goes on a talk show where he meets psychiatrist Hae Soo (Gong Hyo-jin). , who has things to say to him about his horror-filled detective novels. This psychiatrist has a rough character, but she is tough-minded and determined. The dynamic between the self-centered Jae-yeol and the strong-willed Hae Soo gives It’s Okay, That’s Love something worth watching.
A realistic story about mental health and the challenges that come with it, It’s Okay, That’s Love is a fun story with a captivating storyline and a well-constructed love story with great chemistry between the two leads. Here we are dealing with a K-drama for adults, which tackles mature topics, heavy concepts and realistic depictions of trauma and mental health. If the topics covered are sometimes a little difficult to watch, the moving stories are definitely worth it, especially since mental health is addressed in an original way in this K-drama, unlike others.
Not to mention, the main actors (and the entire cast, in fact) are very enjoyable to watch and serve as strong characters to explore the world of mental health and the issues related to it.
- Start date: July 23, 2014
- Descendants of the Sun (2016)
Accustomed to combat and ready to sacrifice his life for the good of his country, Yoo Si-Jin (Song Joong-ki) is the captain of the Korean special forces, Doctor Kang Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo) is an intelligent doctor who by chance leads to meet Si-Jin during the hospitalization of a thief whose capture she participated in.
As a high-stakes drama series filled with suspense and drama, Descendants of the Sun is one of the one-of-a-kind (and most popular) series. While being one of the more serious K-dramas, Descendants of the Sun manages to be light-hearted when the series calls for it, especially after some somewhat serious events take place. This K-drama is also packed with action and thrilling scenes that are sure to excite viewers.
- Start date: February 24, 2016
- Descendants of the Sun can be streamed on Viki
- Doctor Stranger (2014)
Park Hoon (Lee Jong-suk), a South Korean surgeon, was forced to live in North Korea at a young age due to circumstances surrounding his father, who was also a surgeon. A few years later, Park Hoon meets Jae-hee whose father was executed following the strict attitude of the North Korean government. Park Hoon falls in love with her and decides to defect to South Korea with Jae-hee (Jin Se-yeon). During their flight to South Korea, they
unfortunately find themselves separated, leaving Park Hoon to his own devices in South Korea. He becomes a doctor at Myungwoo University Hospital where he meets a woman who resembles his lost lover, although he cannot be sure, since he learns that Jae-hee is still in North Korea. This information pushes him to try to elucidate the mystery.
What sets Doctor Stranger apart from some of the K-dramas on the list is that it delves into the world of medicine through cinematic surgical scenes. While there are many medical K-dramas available, few of them focus on medicine itself. Medical K-dramas tend to focus on the lives of doctors, patient care, and discussions of mental health.
Doctor Stranger is a K-drama that manages to bring all of this into play while maintaining solid chemistry between the lead actors.
- Start date: May 05, 2014
- Doctor Stranger can be streamed on Viki.
- Kill Me, Heal Me (2015)
The son of a business heir, Cha Do-hyun (Ji-sung) suffers from dissociative identity disorder (DID), which occurred following traumatic events, leaving him with five different personalities. Oh Ri Jin (Hwang Jung-eum), a psychiatric intern, tries to help Do-hyun overcome his trauma. As the two work together, Do-hyun falls in love with Rin Jin.
The best part of the K-drama Kill Me, Heal Me lies in its casting as all the actors make the characters believable and likeable. Boring is a term that we will not use to define this k-drama thanks to these interesting and complex characters and viewers will always be attentive to the twists and turns. Also, Kill Me, Heal Me addresses the world of dissociative identity disorder in a mature and sensitive way without romanticizing the disorder, but by incorporating it well into the story told. Despite the seriousness of the subject and the tone that will be adopted later in the series, Kill Me, Heal Me has a touch of humor that will appeal to viewers.
- Start date: January 07, 2015
- Kill Me, Heal Me can be streamed on Viki.
- Good Doctor (2013)
Pediatric surgeon Park Si-on (Joo Won)’s autism causes him difficulties and judgments from his patients and colleagues. From a young age, Si-on was discovered to have an astonishing memory, among other things, which led him to become a pediatric surgeon. In the competitive medical environment, the judgment he faces doesn’t stop Si-on from striving to overcome the discrimination he faces, with the help of his colleagues like Yoon-seo (Moon Chae-won) and Jin Wook (Kim Young-kwan), who support him.
We can’t finish the ranking without adding Good Doctor, the K-drama that inspired the American adaptation. As in the American adaptation, Si-on suffers from autism, but his almost perfect memory pushed him to become a surgeon. What’s most interesting is that Good Doctor tells a meaningful story about autism, love and kindness. Not to mention, it depicts the realism of facing discrimination and judgment over things beyond anyone’s control in a delicate way.
As brief as it is, Good Doctor remains one of the best Korean medical series for its very realistic representations and for the pleasure it provides.
- Start date: August 05, 2013
- Good Doctor can be streamed on Netflix
Which Kdrama would you add to this list?