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Finally: There's A Medical School Class About <em>Seinfeld</em>

Jen Chung

Published Jan 2, 2015

Modified Jan 2, 2015

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Jen Chung

Published Jan 2, 2015

Modified Jan 2, 2015

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Rutgers University has a number of courses about Beyonce, but now its medical school has a psychiatry class about nothing—well, the nothing that the characters of Seinfeld were obsessed with. NJ.com reports that "every Monday and Thursday, third- and fourth-year medical students in the hospital’s psychiatric rotation are assigned to watch the 6 p.m. episode of Seinfeld on TBS. They begin rounds the following morning by discussing what psychopathology was demonstrated on the episode."

For instance, third-year student Marlene Wang of an episode:

“Jerry’s girlfriend doesn’t like George... And he just couldn’t live with the idea of this person not liking him."

Wang says George demonstrates signs of narcissism as he neglects his own girlfriend to focus on Jerry’s. But fellow third-year student Ryan Townsend isn’t convinced.

“I wouldn’t say he is completely narcissistic because he actually starts to enjoy the idea that she doesn’t like him,” Townsend says from the other end of the table. “Narcissists can’t stand the idea that people don’t like them.”

The class, "Psy-feld," was created by Anthony Tobia, an associate professor of psychiatry, who says, "Elaine’s boyfriends are great for learning about the different subtypes of delusional disorders." He should know because he wrote a paper about them.

Tobia also said that Newman is pretty sick, "Newman’s sense of self, his meaning in life, is to ensure that he frustrates Jerry. We actually have talked about Newman in that context and related him to Erik in 'The Phantom of the Opera.' The Phantom, while he starts out as being the tutor to the Prima Donna, actually has his life change and he is bent on revenge and that becomes who he is… and that’s Newman.”

But remember what Kramer said about hospitals: "My friend, Bob Saccomanno, he came in here for a hernia operation.. Oh yeah, routine surgery... now he's sittin' around in a chair by a window going, 'My name is Bob' .. George, whatever you do, don't let 'em cut you. Don't let 'em cut you!" Plus, they let anyone in:

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Jen Chung

Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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