Did Dr. Gillespie inspire the character Dr. Greg House?

I know I've seen somebody bring this up somewhere else, and if I could remember where or who I would quote them. Think about it - A brilliant ill-tempered straight-shooting diagnostician with a crippling disability is mandated to get an assistant and turns it into a competition among the hospital's best and brightest young physicians. Does any of this sound familiar? Is Molly Byrd in fact playing the role of Wilson (close friend of many years who puts up with the good doctor's beratement)?