The 11 Best Medical Dramas and Documentaries on Netflix in 2025

Over the years, Netflix has aired a number of impressive medical dramas. Ranging from fictional drama series to series based on true events, there’s an impressive slate to check out. Let’s count down 10 of the best!

From inspirational medical professionals to the historical IVF breakthrough, Netflix is home to lots of award-winning medical dramas. In this list, we count down 10 of the finest entries in the streamer’s catalog that you can watch now. This list also doesn’t currently include Netflix’s big new medical drama scheduled to release in 2025 called Pulse. Let’s dive right into it!

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This Netflix documentary series is based on Dr. Lisa Sanders’ The New York Times Magazine column of the same name. The 7-part series focuses on rare and mysterious medical conditions, from a heartbreaking story of a young girl who is suddenly unable to walk and talk, to a man who suffers from frequent vomiting episodes. 

Throughout the series, Dr. Lisa Sanders investigates each illness through extensive research and interviews — notably using the knowledge of people on the internet for answers. The series tells personal stories, making it emotional and provocative. Check out the trailer: 

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is one of my favorite films of all time. The 1975 film won Best Picture at the Oscars. It’s a heartbreaking, disturbing look into institutional cruelty in the 1950s. In 2020, Netflix premiered Ratched, a prequel series chronicling the early life of Nurse Ratched, one of the cruel, unethical nurses in the original movie. 

The prequel series is fantastic. It’s a fascinating insight into her early life, showcasing how she became the cruel, nasty nurse we see in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Sadly, Ratched was canceled after just one season. I’m still bitter about this. But with that said, the one season we’ve got is still well worth watching if you’re a fan of the original movie. 

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Lenox Hill provides a profound and detailed look at the lives of four doctors at New York’s Lenox Hill Hospital. The doctors balance their profession and vocation with their home life. It’s a fascinating, eye-opening series about day-to-day life in the hospital setting. Each episode dives into a different story, from tough childbirths to the immense challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Lenox Hill aired for one, 9-episode season in 2020 and received great acclaim, still boasting a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

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It wouldn’t be a medical drama list without including one of the titles most associated with the genre, which still comes to Netflix (only in the United States – sorry!) annually following its record-breaking run on ABC. Created by Shonda Rhimes, this medical drama follows the surgical interns, residents, and attendings at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital. Most of the series is centered on Meredith Grey (played by Ellen Pompeo). With over 400 episodes available to binge, it’s one that could quite easily consume your entire watch history for a year if you allowed it. 

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Emergency NYC is an intense docuseries that offers viewers a glimpse into the lives of New York City’s frontline medical professionals. It tells real-life stories, many of which are hard to believe. Their work is incredibly high-pressure and intense; you never know what’s around the corner. It gives you an intimate look into not only the careers of the dedicated, brave heroes, but also shows off the very human aspect of the job, not least the emotional toll it takes on them. 

Emergency NYC only ran for one 8-episode season on Netflix. It’s a shame it didn’t get to tell any more stories. 

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Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife is both a medical and a true crime show. It tells the real-life story of Dr. Paolo Macchiarini, a man who was once hailed for bringing forward groundbreaking stem cell-infused regenerative medicine into reality… only to be outed as a con-man. Turns out, many of his patients kept dying.

Netflix’s 3-episode docuseries covers the entire story of what is now regarded as one of the most significant scandals in medical history.

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The Surgeon’s Cut is an inspiring series, dedicated to shining the spotlight on four medical professionals who are among the very best in their field. This 4-episode docuseries from 2020 will fill you with hope and, hopefully, inspire a new generation of industry pioneers. It’s a short and sweet series, celebrating four real-life heroes. 

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Originally a Fox production, The Resident was added to Netflix in March 2024. The medical drama ran for 6 seasons from 2018 to 2023. It tells the story of doctors and nurses at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital and the trials and tribulations they face in their job. It really hones in on the emotional toll it takes on being a doctor. 

The series is entirely fictional, unlike others on this list. But certain story arcs are inspired by real-world medical scenarios. 

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Viewers are already declaring Netflix’s new medical drama The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call as “way better” than The Good Doctor. Fair to say, it’s become an instant hit for the streamer.  At the time of writing, the drama sits on a comfortable 8.4/10 rating on IMDb. 

So what is the series about? Adapted from the web novel Trauma Center: Golden Hour by Hansanleega and Hongbichira, the 8-part Korean series tells the story of Baek Kang-hyuk, an unconventional but exceptional surgeon who joins a struggling university hospital. 

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Hospital Playlist ran for two seasons on Netflix, totaling 24 episodes. The fictional, South Korean drama is a unique take on medical dramas. It’s a heartwarming, occasionally humorous take on the genre, following a group of 5 friends who graduate together, moving on to become doctors in the same hospital. Unlike others on this list, this show will make you smile with its themes of love and companionship. It’s not only a great medical drama, but it’s also one of the best K-drama series on Netflix, and thankfully, the long-awaited follow-up series Resident Playbook is coming out on Netflix in 2025.

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Netflix’s 2024 medical film Joy is guaranteed to leave you in tears. Based on true events, Joy documents the decades of research that went into the development of IVF and the birth of Louise Joy Brown, the first IVF baby — an event that’s regarded among the most remarkable medical breakthroughs of the 20th century.

Joy tells the story of scientists Robert Edwards (James Norton) and Jean Purdy (Thomasin McKenzie), as well as surgeon Patrick Steptoe (Bill Nighy), in their joint pursuit of the birth of the world’s first ‘test tube baby’. Check out the trailer: 

Those are our picks of the best medical dramas and documentaries on Netflix – what are yours?