In a genre dominated by shows like NBC's ER and ABC's Grey's Anatomy, Max's The Pitt has made a stellar entry, evident from the raving reviews it has been receiving. Created by R. Scott Gemmill, who also worked on ER and NCIS: Los Angeles, The Pitt attracted praise for the accuracy in its depiction of an emergency ward at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital. With ER actor Noah Wyle leading the charge as Doctor Michael "Robby" Rabinovitch, The Pitt has been positively received by the medical community for things that its predecessors have failed to achieve, despite their lasting success on television. From medical diagnosis to bringing into question the dire state of the healthcare system, Max's latest medical drama comes with unprecedented realism for the genre. However, with all the praise coming its way, how accurate is The Pitt really?

'The Pitt' Lets the Emergency Room Function Like One Close

Much like Kiefer Sutherland's 24, The Pitt follows a real-time narration format in which every episode of the season focuses on one hour of a single 15-hour emergency shift at the hospital. This creative decision helps bring to the audience the fast-paced nature of an ER shift, with doctors shifting from one patient to another in fast turns. There is less time for lingering drama and action remains on the top. Lives need to be saved, and The Pitt presses hard on the pedal when it comes to capturing the vibe of an ER ward where doctors go by their daily business with little time to discuss their personal lives.

Even when The Pitt chooses to focus momentarily on the personal struggles of its characters, such as Doctor Robby's (Noah Wyle) attempts to process the grief of the death of his mentor or Doctor Collins' (Tracy Ifeachor) situation with her pregnancy, the show does not allow itself to deviate from the focus on patient care, just like how ER wards function, in reality. The quick rotation among patients and the consistent pressure from the waiting room overflowing with some complaining and some uncomplaining patients at all times add to the realism of the show, taking the audience right to the middle of an intense day in the emergency room of a hospital.

'The Pitt's Medical Accuracy Has Received Praise From the Medical Community

According to Doctor Mike, who reviewed the show on his YouTube channel, The Pitt 's pilot gets almost everything correct with respect to the medical diagnosis and the treatment carried out by Doctor Robby and his team of senior residents in its nearly hour-long episodes. From sickle cell disease to degloving injuries, the show covers a plethora of potential emergency medical conditions that may land patients in the emergency room.

According to the New York Times, the credit for the medical accuracy of The Pitt goes to ER team member Joe Sachs, who was an emergency room doctor, along with a team of practicing consultants. Doctor Elizabeth Ferreira from Los Angeles, who is part of the team of consultants working on The Pitt, suggested a lot of preparation was needed to bring to fruition every minor detail on the screen, including what is to be shown on the monitors in the scenes. Caitlin Dwyer, a charge nurse in Milwaukee, is one among many medical professionals who have noted the show's accuracy when it comes to dispensing life-saving care to emergency room patients.

Max's New Medical Drama Focuses on Real-World Challenges Plaguing Hospitals

The show's accuracy in pointing out red flags in the medical system has been particularly praised, attracting discussions about the most impactful aspects of The Pitt. In one of the early episodes, Doctor Robby points out to Gloria (Michael Hyatt), the hospital's Chief Medical Officer, how the hospital's wilful decision to not hire enough nursing staff has resulted in long wait times for patients coming to the emergency room, eventually resulting in low patient satisfaction rates. With Gloria putting pressure on Doctor Robby for key metrics such as patient satisfaction rates, the conversation between the two characters brings to the forefront how medical professionals are often targeted for challenges stemming from management decisions, primarily related to budget constraints.

Moreover, the show also highlights how the shortage of beds in hospitals results in further limitations for the emergency department to accept patients -- a reality across a majority of hospitals in the U.S. According to Doctor Mike, emergency rooms are overwhelmed and understaffed across the U.S., and many hospitals stand on the verge of being shut down - a threat also looming over the department run by Doctor Robby in The Pitt. Kathy Sikora, the director of emergency services at Alleghany General Hospital, told the Pittsburgh Magazine that, on average, 18% of patients are treated in the hallway. With the help of many scenes throughout the season so far, The Pitt has gone the extra mile in depicting the ordeal of hospitals in the current socio-political and economic scenario.

In terms of other challenges prevalent in the medical system, The Pitt also brings into question issues such as racial discrimination and drug abuse. In Episode 2, when a Black patient, Joyce St. Claire (Ashley Romans), with sickle cell illness, comes, the doctor in charge doubts that the patient is faking the illness on the lookout for drugs. As per the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 9 of 10 sickle cell disease patients are of African ancestry or identify as Black. However, the senior Doctor Samira Mohan (Supriya Ganesh) establishes that it is impossible to fake sickle cell illness, quickly highlighting how prejudice can become engrained unconsciously in someone like the fourth-year medical student Dennis Whitaker (Gerran Howell) working with the best of intent. In another instance, an 18-year-old student suffered brain death after taking pills laced with fentanyl which is a sad fact that is true to life. According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), overdose deaths due to fentanyl have been on the rise.

'The Pitt' Addresses Challenges of the Profession in a Post-Pandemic World

Besides the occupational challenges, The Pitt also pays attention to the psychological challenges that medical professionals face in a post-pandemic environment. Wyle's character is visibly seen suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), largely due to the personal trauma of losing his mentor, Doctor Adamson, during the pandemic. The first season is set on the day of the anniversary of Doctor Adamson's death, making the day even more difficult for the attending physician. The flashbacks of the pandemic continue to haunt Doctor Robby, bringing to the screen the living reality of many other healthcare providers who waged a tough battle during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Episode 4, witnessing the parents of Nick Bradley, a teenage boy who succumbs to pills laced with fentanyl, forces a panic-inducing flashback for Doctor Robby, who is seen standing in front of an elderly patient in a hazmat suit. Doctor Elizabeth Rempfer, an attending physician in Maryland, told the New York Times how watching the show felt like witnessing a shift at work. In this aspect, The Pitt is a rare medical drama set in a post-pandemic world, and it chooses to take into account the toll the pandemic took on the first responders in a crumbling healthcare crisis.

'The Pitt' Treats Its Nurses With the Respect They Deserve

Nurses play one of the most important roles in the ecosystem of a hospital. While its predecessors have often been criticized for focusing too much on doctors and placing less limelight on the nurses, The Pitt, particularly through Katherine LaNasa's character, tries to change the treatment given to nurses in medical dramas. Nurses play an important role in any hospital as they are the first responders in any emergency. In his introduction of the charge nurse Dana Evans (LaNasa) to the interns, Doctor Robby calls Dana the "most important person" they are going to meet, directing them to listen to her when she says something. Later, in an interaction with one of the student doctors, Doctor Robby compliments the doctor for following the nurse's instruction for an extra test, emphasizing how experienced nurses know more than rookie doctors due to their experience working first-hand with patients for longer. As suggested earlier, the show mentions the nursing staff shortage plaguing the hospital, informing the audience about the vital role nurses play in the healthcare ecosystem when it comes to rendering timely medical intervention.

Related The Legal Drama Between 'The Pitt' and 'ER,' Explained

Max's new medical drama is currently airing even as the battle continues.

Posts 3 What Else Does 'The Pitt' Gets Right and Wrong?

The Pitt also adds more realistic colors to its story by adding other elements common in certain emergency rooms. Set in a teaching hospital, the daily business involves multiple interns and student doctors working in the department with senior doctors who lead and teach them. Real patients often provide good case studies for interns and student doctors to develop some practical experience. Moreover, The Pitt chooses to be very graphic by showing injuries and the other bloody details of the emergency room situations that doctors regularly encounter, adding more realism to the viewing experience, much to the displeasure of the weak-hearted.

Despite its higher-than-usual accuracy, The Pitt has its fault lines. Some of the criticism directed at The Pitt points toward the high flow of complex trauma cases in a single shift and the quick resolution of some of the cases (via the New York Times). Doctor Tricia Pendergrast, a resident physician in Ann Arbor, points out how nobody ever gets the chest compressions correct, even The Pitt. Doctor Mike also points out that sometimes chest compressions are the first resort, while defibrillators are set up or are not readily handy.

The raving appreciation by the medical community and the high viewership of The Pitt has helped the medical drama pave its way to a Season 2 already green-lit by Max. The show's accuracy, clubbed with its decision to point out systemic problems impacting hospitals today, has hit a home run with the audience who have witnessed the emergency room experience themselves. While The Pitt has still a long way to go before it takes on the heavyweights of its genre, Max's latest medical drama has everything going in its favor in making heads turn in its short run so far.

The Pitt is available to stream on Max in the U.S. New episodes drop every Thursday.

Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Rate Now 0/10 The Pitt TV-MA Drama 5 10 27 9.6/10 Release Date January 9, 2025 Network Max Showrunner R. Scott Gemmill Cast See All Noah Wyle Dr. Michael 'Robby' Robinavitch Tracy Ifeachor Uncredited Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming

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.

Seasons 1 Powered by Expand Collapse