Lessons from the doctor behind "House"

My husband and I are fans of House, M.D., the popular Sherlock Holmes-based medical drama starring ornery but brilliant Dr. House, the doctor with a painkiller addiction who can solve nearly everyone's medical problems but his own.

Today, Time magazine features a Q&A with Dr. Lisa Sanders, medical adviser to the show. I was fascinated by her insights:

• Being a great diagnostician is less about IQ and more about a certain kind of intelligence -- the kind that loves to solve puzzles and collect as much information as possible.
• Medical residency used to mean living in the hospital, hence the name -- and today's residents, with their state-mandated work-hour maximums, don't get to spend enough time observing patients from start to finish. This is particularly true since patients are rushed out of hospitals more quickly these days, when a third-party payor wants the patient sent home as soon as possible.
• Knowing how to interact with your doctor as a person, and not just as a medical expert, can help you get better care.

I, for one, will be eagerly awaiting the return of my favorite sarcastic medico to the small screen on September 21.