Dr. House, Sherlock Holmes and Medical Education

Medical TV shows such as Dr. House and detective books such as of Watson and Holmes have now entered medical education literature to deduce their use in deductive reasoning and diagnostic skills. Can they be used to teach students about diagnosis and how to think? Dr. House exemplifies rare diseases states most of the episodes presenting even in a more atypical manner. Can this teach students to diagnose more common entities?

A recent study in AJM this year from France analyzed 18 episodes of Dr.House and found that strategies used in the show were unrealistic and there is an information bias in the show and costs, risks and failures of treatments are not taken into account. Here is another perspective on this topic.
Interesting to see a physician's account of each and every episode of Dr.House.

Regardless of the shortcomings, many of us get joy and excitement from watching the sleuth diagnose yet another rare disorder: and to top it all- he is a framed as a board certified specialist in  infectious disease and nephrology!!