NAD: "Little old lady in no apparent distress". An elderly patient who following a minor fall or illness, would be better served by staying at home with good social support rather than being admitted into a hospital. (Compare "NAD" = "no abnormality detected" or "no apparent distress" (used to record the absence of abnormal signs on examination.) Zebra: A very unlikely diagnosis in which a more common disease is a more likely cause of a patient's symptoms. The term is derived from the common admonition that "if you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras". Verbs Buff the charts: To make a patient look well-treated in the charts or medical records without actually providing any treatment. Turf: To find any excuse to refer a patient to a different department or team. Bounce: To return a "turfed" patient to the department that referred him or her. Cultural references References to life In-jokes abound in the work. One of the principal characters is "Eat My Dust" Eddie, a doctor so-called because of the saying embroidered on his jacket. His name often is abbreviated as EMD, which is also the acronym of the feared, often terminal, cardiac event "electromechanical dissociation" (EMD), otherwise known as pulseless electrical activity (PEA). References by other works In 1984, The House of God was made into a film. The film was never released in theaters or on VHS/DVD, but was shown on HBO multiple times. It starred Charles Haid as The Fat Man, Tim Matheson as Roy, and featured Bess Armstrong, Ossie Davis, Sandra Bernhard, and Michael Richards in supporting roles. The TV medical sitcom-drama Scrubs features numerous references to The House of God, which was reading material for some of the show's writers. "Turfing", "Bouncing" and "Gomers" occasionally feature in the show's dialogue. In the episode "My Balancing Act", Dr. Cox uses the term "zebra". In the episode "My Student", J.D. quotes the medical student rule: "A famous doctor once said, 'Show me a med student that only triples my work, and I'll kiss his feet.'" One episode focuses on Dr. Dorian saving a patient by "doing nothing," which is a major theme of the novel. Sequel Shem has published two sequels to The House of God: Mount Misery and Man's 4th Best Hospital. Notes Bibliography External links 1978 American novels American satirical novels Works by Samuel Shem Medical novels