The Resident Star Reveals The Best Way To Fake Being A Doctor And Know About Weird Diseases On TV

Manish Dayal on The Resident

Medical shows have been around for decades and, even today, they are more compelling than ever. Whether it’d be the drama, hoping for someone to live and crying when they don’t, or feeling like you can be an actual doctor or nurse after watching multiple seasons of a show. Manish Dayal, known as Devon Pravesh on Fox’s The Resident, reveals how he remembers everything medical and the best way one can fake being on doctor on television.

The Resident is currently in its fourth season on Fox, and Manish Dayal spoke to Ireland-based radio network SPIN South West about his work on the show, including how he remembers the complicated medical terms frequently used on the series. Dayal said it’s simply rehearsing and understanding what it all means, getting into that mindset. Dayal explained:

It's just really about rehearsing... Understanding what it is, helps me. Understanding what that terminology means, and how it's applied to whatever operation or surgery we're doing, helps me pronounce the word, if that makes any sense.

Manish Dayal went on to say there are medical advisors on set that guide them when they’re acting out surgery scenes, revealing that the central line might be the most challenging operation they do on screen. Dayal also said there are two doctors in his family, so they help him out if he has any questions, providing him with all the answers he needs.

Almost a year ago, shortly after the show shut down production due to COVID-19 pandemic, the series donated on-set medical supplies to a real hospital in Atlanta, where the medical drama films. The third season halted production because of the pandemic, and the show’s executive producers made the decision to donate a huge amount of protective gear and medical supplies to a local hospital.

Recently, The Resident took inspiration from the horrifying fact that medical staff get attacked by their patients in order to create a storyline that was only perfect for Nurse Practitioner Nic Nevin (Emily VanCamp). The arc included a patient stabbing a pregnant Nic, turning the next couple of episodes critical and emotional for not only Nic and Conrad (Matt Czuchry) but also the fans watching as they awaited news that both Nic and Baby Hawkins were out of the woods.

The Resident premiered on FOX in January 2018 and follows the lives and duties of medical staff members at the fictional Chastain Park Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, while also delving into the bureaucratic practices of the hospital industry. Although the third season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic, the series is currently airing its fourth season. The series stars Matt Czuchry, Emily VanCamp, Manish Dayal, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Bruce Greenwood, Jane Leeves, Morris Chestnut and Jessica Lucas. The show airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.

Megan Behnke
Freelance TV News Writer

Passionate writer. Obsessed with anything and everything entertainment, specifically movies and television. Can get easily attached to fictional characters.