The doctors ofThe Pittdo their best to care for their patients within a dysfunctional system. In the emergency department of the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center,doctors, nurses, and other members of the healthcare team work to face the challenges of an overburdened systemin the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. These doctors have to navigate their personal and professional issues in addition to saving lives.
If I found myself in a situation where I needed a doctor to save my life, the truth is that I’d have no trouble trusting any of the doctors onThe Pittwith the job. Each of these doctors brings something unique to the job. Throughout theseries' first season, they have each proven how effective they are at saving lives and making tough choices.While these doctors would all save my life in a heartbeat, there are some that would ultimately be even more effective than others.
10Dr. Trinity Santos
Played by Isa Briones
From the moment she’s introduced inThe Pitt, Dr. Santos (Isa Briones) makes it clear she has something to prove. She’s a hard worker, and, as a first-year resident, she comes off as cocky and too sure of herself. In fact,she’s an exceptionally skilled doctor who simply needs more experience working with actual patients. However, she clearly has a promising medical career ahead of her, even when she needs to learn to recognize she can’t possibly know everything.
What makes Dr. Santos so trustworthy is her willingness to stand up to authority. In particular, her willingness to recognize and report that Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball) is experiencing health issues that may impact his patient care. For all of her bravado, Dr. Santos repeatedly demonstrates her willingness to take feedback from more experienced colleagues. Ultimately, if this is how competent and willing to learn Dr. Santos is at the start of her career, then she will be exceptional one day.
9Dr. John Shen
Played by Ken Kirby
As the night shift senior attending, Dr. John Shen (Ken Kirby) gets limited screen time compared to his colleagues. However, he makes use of every minute he gets and makes an impression by jumping in during the emergency department’s mass casualty event. Even though he usually works the night shift,Shen demonstrates his flexibility by helping manage the massive number of patientsthat the Pitt sees, all while indulging his love of Dunkin' coffee.
Withthe limited timehe’s been part ofThe Pitt, it’s difficult to accurately assess just how equipped he is to save my life. This being said, the fact that he relies on Dunkin' to get through the chaos of a shift makes him immediately trustworthy.It’s clear that he’s able to remain unfazed by the most brutal chaos the emergency room has to offer. It would be good to see more of this character, especially when he’s actually meant to be on shift.
8Dr. Frank Langdon
Played by Patrick Ball
When he’s first introduced inThe Pitt, Dr. Langdon seems to thrive off of the chaos of the emergency department. He’s a senior resident and acts as Dr. Robby’s (Noah Wyle) right hand in managing the emergency department. As a senior resident, part of his job is to mentor doctors in training, which he clearly enjoys due tohis interactions with Dr. Mel King (Taylor Deardon). It’s revealed thatLangdon struggles with a substance-use disorder, and Dr. Robby sends him home after confronting him.
While Dr. Langdon evidently has his own health issues that he’s dealing with, it doesn’t take away from his ability to save lives. When he’s recalled to the Pitt during their mass casualty crisis, he proves that he’s able to focus on saving lives when the moment calls for it. If Langdon can save lives so effectively while navigating his own health issues, there’s no telling how much better equipped he’ll be to save lives once he gets some help.
7Dr. Cassie McKay
Played by Fiona Dourif
Dr. McKay (Fiona Dourif), a second-year resident,stands out among her fellow residents since she’s older than they are. She’s a single mother and has a restraining order against her former husband.McKay is one of the most memorable charactersinThe Pittbecause she has to manage the challenges she faces in her personal life while remaining totally focused on her work. She never hesitates to stand up for her patients, and advocate for what they need.
Dr. McKay can be trusted to save anyone’s life because she consistently proves how committed she is to doing anything for her patients. She goes so far as to cut her ankle monitor off so that it doesn’t interfere with her ability to provide patient care. Additionally, she picks up on things that others miss. At her core, Dr. McKay is able to be laser-focused, and pick up on details that others might miss or dismiss in the chaos of the moment.
6Dr. Mel King
Played by Taylor Dearden
Dr. Mel King is a second-year resident, and comes to the Pitt with experience working with military veterans.Dr. King is one of the mostcharming characters inThe Pittand lets her enthusiasm shine through. She’s eager to learn, and is clearly happy to be a part of this team.Dr. King uses her own anxieties to empathize with peopleand provide the best care possible to her patients. Even though she’s early in her medical career, she has a passion for her profession that hasn’t been diminished.
Dr. King is one of the best doctors in the series, and would be one of the first and most eager to save any life. Not only would she be happy to do it, but she would immediately recruit any other team member she needed.Dr. King’s strength as a doctoris her thirst for knowledge, and her immediate willingness to recognize everything she doesn’t know. She also has a unique approach to patient care, and isn’t afraid to work with others to try unorthodox approaches.
5Dr. Samira Mohan
Played by Supriya Ganesh
Dr. Samira Mohan (Supriya Ganesh) is a third-year resident and is quickly established as one of the leaders in the emergency department. In addition to establishing herself as one ofthe most competent doctors inThe Pitt, she’s also one of the best teachers. She readily corrects and encourages her colleagues when they need it.She also makes sure her colleagues know how important bedside manner is, and how important it is to see patients in their broader context.
Dr. Mohan would be a perfect doctor to save a life because of how quickly she can size up patient situations and see the entire picture. Additionally, she’s able to identify systemic bias that could impact patient care at risk. This is an essential skill for anyone looking to save a life. Additionally, the fact that she is able to identify mistakes and guide people making them means that she would also improve her ability to save my life as well.
4Dr. Jack Abbot
Played by Shawn Hatosy
In the premiere episode ofThe Pitt, Dr. Abbot (Shawn Hatosy) is shown taking a break on the roof of the hospital before signing out after his night shift. He and Dr. Robby share a reflective moment where they consider how much the hospital is struggling with and how difficult their jobs are.Dr. Abbot is among the night shift recalled to the hospitalafter the mass shooting. He proves himself capable of managing the worst of the chaos.
Dr. Abbot may not appear to have the warmest personality when he’s first introduced.However, what he lacks in a cheery manner he makes up for in skill. It’s easy to imagine Dr. Abbot saving my life, because he shows how effectively he can tune out the noise around him and dispassionately prioritize what needs to be done when it comes to patient care. His ability to slog through the worst of what the emergency department has to offer highlights how he regularly makes easy work of saving lives. Plus,he donates his own blood while simultaneously attending to a patient.
3Dr. Heather Collins
Played by Tracy Ifeachor
Dr. Heather Collins (Tracy Ifeachor) isan essential member of the team inThe Pitt’s first season. Her and Dr. Robby’s history was one of the most compelling storylines, even thoughso much was left unsaid. Throughout her time on the series,Dr. Collins always put her patient’s needs above her personal struggles. She has a nonjudgemental attitude and always shows up to support her patients in moments of crisis.
Dr. Collins would be one of the best doctors onThe Pittto save my life because she’s able to adapt and be flexible when necessary in emergency situations. She can take the extreme conditions she works under in stride and become completely focused on the patient’s case in front of her. Additionally, her strong moral compass and compassion would make anyone under her care feel safe while she was saving their lives.
2Dr. Parker Ellis
Played by Ayesha Harris
DuringThe Pitt’s mass casualty, Dr. Parker Ellis (Ayesha Harris) is one of the night shift doctors called in to help manage the crisis. As a senior resident,she immediately stands out as a leader. She is another doctor unphased by the horror of the shooting, and simply gets to work saving as many lives as possible. Although she has limited screen time at the end ofThe Pitt’s first season, Dr. Ellis’s exceptional skills stand out.
Dr. Ellis can clearly be trusted to save my life because she’s so quick to take charge in the most challenging situations. The way that she’s able to bring her night shift sensibilities to emergencies happening in the day means that she’s used to adjusting her practice to show up for her patients. Dr. Ellis is also a mentor, and can be trusted to protect any patient under her care from the mistakes of people earlier in their careers.
1Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch
Played by Noah Wyle
Dr. Robby isThe Pitt’s team leaderand the person who holds the entire emergency department together. As an attending physician, he’s responsible for the emergency department, and ensuring that all doctors reporting to him are at their best. Along with supporting all the other doctors and treating his own patients,Dr. Robby also takes time to advocate for better working conditions. He leads the staff in navigating the new systemic challenges their hospital faces after coming through the COVID-19 pandemic.
There’s no one I would trust more than Dr. Robby to save my life. With his years of experience and seemingly endless patience to navigate crisis situations, he is always ready to jump into action. Additionally, the fact that Dr. Robby remains committed to continuing to work in such a broken healthcare system is proof that he doesn’t see any challenge beyond him.Dr. Robby’s attention to detail, quick decision-making, and ability to recognize systemic failures of the healthcare systemmeans that any patient would be safe in his hands.
The Pitt is a medical drama developed by veterans of the television series ER. The series will follow healthcare workers set in Pittsburgh, showing he challenges faced in the modern-day United States by nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals.
