I haven’t watched “The Pitt.”
I know. I know. It’s the best. It’s so real. And like me, it’s set in Pennsylvania.
But watching it — well, it feels like work. I felt the same way about “Westworld” and “Black Mirror” when I was a technology editor.
I am going to try to force myself to get over this aversion, especially after reading Jennifer W. Tsai’s moving essay, published today, about how the show mirrors the U.S. memory of Covid, portraying it as something that happened to doctors and other health care workers rather than was done to them.
I also wanted to do a little market research. Are you obsessed with “The Pitt”? If I were to find someone to write regularly about “The Pitt” this season, would you read? What other medicine-adjacent media are consuming? Are there other recurring features we should consider? Let me know!
Oh, and huge news: You can get a STAT+ annual subscription for 50% off through Thursday, Jan. 22.
Recommendation of the week: The Cut has a fascinating look at the American TikTokers who are getting medical care abroad. Medical tourism might not be new, but the TikTok dynamic complicates it, as people decide to follow their favorite influencers’ lead. As is so often the case, though, the deals come with downsides. I’m worried about some of these people: A YouTuber who got LASIK in Albania for $1,200 says she’s dropped her insurance because she now plans to get her care largely overseas.
