5 Highest-Rated Medical K-Dramas to Watch if You're Tired of 'Grey's Anatomy', Ranked by IMDb

Grey's Anatomy has become a cult classic and set the standard for medical dramas for years to come. However, even the most devoted fans may eventually tire of the endless personal dramas of Seattle Grace.

If you're looking to breathe new life into the genre, it's time to consider Korean dramas.

5. 'Doctor John', 2019

IMDb Score: 8.0/10

Cha Yo-han, a talented anesthesiologist who served time for illegally performing euthanasia, returns to work at the hospital.

Together with a team of young doctors, he helps patients cope with pain while concealing his past and his own terrifying diagnosis.

To Dr. Cha, the disease is a criminal who has taken the body hostage, and the symptoms are the evidence that will lead to its capture. For this reason, the diagnosis is like a real investigation, with each doctor assigned a specific role.

4. 'Resident Playbook', 2025-...

IMDb Score: 8.0/10

To pay off her debt, the reclusive and sharp-tongued Oh Yi-young reluctantly returns to her job at the hospital. Along with three other first-year residents, she immerses herself in the obstetrics and gynecology department.

This spin-off of the drama Hospital Playlist is a standalone story about a generation of doctors just beginning their professional careers.

Characters from the original series also appear, but only as one-episode cameos, which allow us to see what has happened to them four years later.

3. 'Daily Dose of Sunshine', 2023

IMDb Score: 8.1/10

Nurse Jung Da-eun is overly diligent and empathetic. On the advice of a senior colleague, she transfers to the psychiatric ward. In this new environment, she will learn to help others without compromising her own well-being and health.

All of the patient stories are based on real cases – the author of the webtoon of the same name used to work as a nurse.

Each episode focuses on a specific mental disorder and the social or personal issue that caused it.

2. 'Dr. Romantic', 2016-2023

IMDb Score: 8.4/10

Teacher Kim is a brilliant surgeon who works at a provincial hospital. He has dedicated his life to saving lives and dreams of building the best team of specialists who are always ready to provide emergency care.

However, his idealism irritates his envious colleagues and perplexes the young doctors assigned to him.

This is a rare example of a South Korean drama that was so successful it was renewed for two more seasons. Despite the change in main characters, the creators maintained the integrity of the story, bringing the initial plot lines to a logical conclusion.

1. 'Hospital Playlist', 2020-2021

IMDb Score: 8.7/10

Five friends from the same university all work as doctors at the same hospital and each has many years of experience. They have warm relationships and strive to balance their stressful workdays with leisure time.

This series is the perfect example of a slice-of-life story, with storylines made up of dramatic and bizarre medical cases as well as ordinary life stories.

The main characters specialize in different fields – neurosurgery, pediatrics, cardiac surgery, gynecology, and general surgery – and have vibrant personalities.