The Pitt’s Teaching Hospital Explained: The Difference Between Physicians, Residents & Medical Students (2025)

On Max's The Pitt, audiences are introduced to a vast array of characters who all have their own unique positions within the hospital system, ranging from the most experienced doctors to complete newbies; here's what it all means. The Pitt season 1 was first released in January 2025, and ran for 15 episodes. Notably, the show explores a single shift in the emergency department of the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital. Each doctor, from attendings to med students, must take care of their patients while also balancing their personal problems and the hospital's institutional issues.

Because The Pitt is a medical drama that puts accurate medicine over drama, some audiences may find it hard to keep track of all the emergency room chaos. This includes the doctors' rapid-fire diagnoses, treatments, and medical jargon. Even the characters' job titles may lead to confusion about who is in charge and how much experience each individual has. Luckily, though, because The Pitt is so accurate, the show makes it easy to figure out what their roles are and what they actually mean.

Attending Physician

Dr. Robby & Dr. Abbot

At the top of the emergency department food chain are the attending physicians. These doctors are typically the most experienced and skilled, having earned their full medical licenses and board certifications. They are able to take on the more difficult medical cases in the ER, while also acting as department leaders and teachers for the lower-level physicians. Essentially, attendings oversee their entire department, helping to mete out cases and solve big issues such as The Pitt's Pittfest shooting. On The Pitt, the main attending physician characters are Dr. Robby and Dr. Abbot.

From the series' start, Robby and Abbot have an aura of experience and confidence about them. Robby, in particular, consistently shows his knowledge of the ER, and his talent at solving difficult cases. However, the details that make Robby and Abbot most compelling are their senses of frustration and sadness with their jobs. After having seen some terrible cases, they lack the excitement of the younger physicians. Then again, they are also more willing to break the rules, and take risks that other doctors would not have the authority to take.

Senior Resident

Dr. Collins & Dr. Langdon

After attending physicians, the next level of doctors on The Pitt are senior residents. Typically, emergency medicine residencies last between three and four years, so senior residents are those who are in the final year of their training. They have not only gone through med school, but have spent several years working in their chosen field, giving them plenty of hands-on experience. Though they do not have the same authority that attendings have, they are still highly skilled doctors who are able to help teach their less-experienced peers. The Pitt's senior residents include Collins and Langdon.

Collins and Langdon are yet another pair of doctors that exude confidence. Throughout The Pitt, we see how knowledgeable they are, not only in terms of medicine, but the inner workings of the ER. The main difference between them and their attendings, besides experience, is a sense of ego. Langdon is easily worked up by his peers, while Collins often undermines Robby's authority due to their personal relationship. Regardless, they are still incredible doctors with a lot of credentials and experience under their belts.

Resident

Dr. Mohan, Dr. McKay & Dr. King

Underneath the senior residents are the regular residents. These doctors have finished medical school but are still working through their resident training programs. Because of this, they have varying degrees of experience. The Pitt exemplifies this through its three residents: Mohan, McKay, and King. McKay and Mohan have seemingly worked at the Pitt for some time, whereas King had previously worked with veterans, so is unfamiliar with an emergency room setting. All three have quite a bit of experience in the medical field, but are definitely still learning. Though they make hard decisions, sometimes these choices aren't always right.

Arguably, Mohan, McKay, and King have some of the most interesting roles in The Pitt. They are characters who are high enough on the totem pole that they are able to practice medicine somewhat freely, yet they are still in the process of learning best practices, so audiences are able to see them have realizations and come into their own. Some great examples include Mohan catching her patient's makeup poisoning, McKay completing an eye surgery, and King helping a neurodivergent patient in a way that Langdon couldn't. Residents are the sweet spot between doctors and students.

Intern

Dr. Santos

At the moment, there is only one intern on The Pitt, and that is Dr. Santos. As an intern, Santos is in her very first year of postgraduate training. Over the course of this year, Santos will get her first taste of hands-on training before applying for residency programs in her field of choice, whether that be emergency medicine or surgery. Oftentimes, interns are known as first-year residents, however their responsibilities are not quite as heavy. Over time, interns must prove their knowledge in order to get more freedom and responsibility.

Santos certainly does not represent every medical intern in the world, but she does showcase some common archetypes. Namely, Santos shows the ego and ambition that can turn a good intern into a risky one. Although Santos clearly has knowledge and passion for her field, her desire to move forward in medicine often ruins her bedside manner and her relationships with her peers. Santos may be right about a lot of things, but her delivery can be too harsh for such an interpersonal career path. Ultimately, Santos perfectly encapsulates the drive for more knowledge that fuels some medical interns.

Medical Student

Whitaker & Javadi

Finally, the lowest rank of doctor are the medical students. As their name implies, med students have not yet completed medical school, and are in the midst of doing rotations in various different areas to see what discipline fits them best. Medical students have very little authority, and are mostly there to learn. More experienced doctors will often guide med students through certain procedures and assign them low-stakes cases, while also inviting them to observe and comment on more serious patients. The Pitt's med students include Whitaker and Javadi.

Whitaker and Javadi definitely embody the nervous yet eager energy of medical students. Both are excited to be there, but are also hesitant about practicing medicine. The difficulties of the ER hit them particularly hard. For example, Whitaker's patient dying is quite hard for him, and Javadi often shows a distaste for blood and needles. Regardless of their inexperience, Whitaker and Javadi also have bright moments where they show off their medical knowledge and get to actually use it in a hands-on way.

Charge Nurse

Dana

Though not a doctor, one of the most important people in an emergency department is the charge nurse. In The Pitt, that is Dana. Similar to an attending, the charge nurse is the leader of the ER's nurses. They keep everything running smoothly and are a font of knowledge for the department. In a chaotic landscape, the charge nurse is the one who helps lead and delegate tasks. They are medical professionals, administrative workers, and resolute leaders.

Dana is portrayed as an absolute superhero on The Pitt, and that is quite accurate for charge nurses. Dana knows everything when it comes to the ER, and she has a sense of authority that is hard to ignore, even for the attendings. Dr. Robby may be the most skilled medical professional in The Pitt, but Dana is at the top of the food chain in terms of leadership. If Robby doesn't know something, Dana does. Adding her kindness on top of that, she is undoubtedly one of the show's best characters.

ER Nurse

Perlah, Mateo, Princess, Donnie, Jesse & Kim

Finally, there are the nurses. In the emergency department, nurses are pivotal in the flow of patient care. They handle waiting room patients, take blood, and run other tests. They also play an important role during traumas, where doctors need assistance in checking vitals or carrying out treatments. Though nurses do get quite the same education as doctors do, they have a wide range of medical knowledge and are incredibly important in running the emergency department.

The Pitt's nurses include Perlah, Princess, Mateo, Donnie, Jesse, and Kim. The series definitely shows how vital these characters are, even if they aren't the main focus of the scene. Audiences can almost always see them in the background of any crisis, helping in any way they can. The Pitt also showcases the prejudice and violence nurses face when dealing with patients. However, even in the face of this, the nurses on The Pitt are as hearty and skilled as any doctor.

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Followed

The Pitt

TV-MA

Drama

8/10

191 9.6/10

Release Date

January 9, 2025

Network

Max

Showrunner

R. Scott Gemmill

Directors

Amanda Marsalis

Writers

Joe Sachs, Cynthia Adarkwa

Cast

See All

• 

  Noah Wyle

  Dr. Michael 'Robby' Robinavitch

• 

  Tracy Ifeachor

  Uncredited

Creator(s)

R. Scott Gemmill, John Wells, Noah Wyle

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