Every Medical Professional on The Pitt, Ranked

Wow, talk about a difficult day of work, am I right? No, I obviously do not mean the doctors, nurses, and staff on The Pitt who have just made it through the 15-hour shift from hell; I mean me, the person who has been tasked with ranking all the medical professionals on The Pitt from worst to best. It’s impossible, and I have cried about it. Has any TV drama with such a sprawling ensemble produced banger after banger of great characters? I don’t know, but I do know that I love and cherish every employee at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. Even the characters who make me mad, I love. But what makes each character on this unflinching look at an underfunded emergency department so compelling? Which character do we look forward to watching each week? Who is easiest to root for and why? That’s what we’re going to get into here. So, consider this ranking less of a worst-to-best list and more of a least-best-to-best list. Out of all the fan favorites on The Pitt, who should reign as the most favorite?

Gloria (Michael Hyatt), Chief Medical Officer

Although it goes against my nature to knock a woman who can rock a pink blazer, if I have to yell, “READ THE ROOM!” at a character more than once in a single season of television, they’re dead to me.

Dr. Eileen Shamsi (Deepti Gupta), Surgical Attending

Speaking of, this lady literally has the phrase “read the room” yelled at her. During a mass-casualty event! By her 20-year-old daughter! Who is still a baby med student! Now, Dr. Shamsi does seem to be good at her job — everyone wants to get in her good graces! — and I do think her daughter, Victoria, is a brat 50 percent of the time, so we should cut Shamsi some slack here, but I have a sneaking suspicion a lot of Victoria’s brattiness comes from the way she was raised, so it’s a wash in the end.

Dr. Mehta (Kinner Shah), Stroke Neurologist

Puns should be banned from all medical settings at all times!!

The Med Techs (Stephen Hart, Jermaine Williams, Matt Mercurio)

Performing their work duties and running a three-pronged gambling pool? We support multitasking kings in this house, even if they do seem to have a wildly short shift on this day of all days!

Kim (Ambar Martinez), Nurse

She’s very sweet to Whitaker when he gets peed on by the Kraken, but where is she for most of the shift? Just refilling the scrubs machine all day? A woman of mystery!

Dr. Yolanda Garcia (Alexandra Metz), Surgical Resident

I appreciate a woman who can take a bloody scalpel to the foot and press on with her day, and it’s nice to see she has her co-workers’ backs regardless of whether she has a long-standing yet playful beef with them, but what’s up with the relentless and obvious hitting on an intern all day long? Does she think she’s on Grey’s Anatomy or something?

Kiara Alfaro (Krystel Mcneil), Social Worker

Kiara is a calming presence in the ED, but we do get a whole lot of her telling people what they cannot do because of “the law” and not offering much in the way of other options. Are you gonna be part of the problem, Kiara, or are you the solution? She just needs a little more urgency to her actions.

Jesse (Ned Brower), Nurse

Season two of The Pitt, please tell me more about this tall, reserved man who is willing to be vulnerable on main and quietly weep during Robby’s end-of-shift speech. And, please, start with his exact height measurement. Like a tree, this guy!

Donnie (Brandon Mendez Homer), Nurse

Admittedly, even after 15 episodes, I had to look up this guy’s name, which isn’t typically a great sign as far as making an impression in an ensemble cast. Still, I’m instantly endeared to the person who brings the cooler to work for post-shift park beers.

Ahmad (Johnath David), Security Guard

I know so very little about our security guard, but when Ahmad quietly stood near Dana as she had a smoke post–patient assault, I said to myself, “I will love this man forever.”

Lupe (Tracy Vilar), Desk Clerk

Lupe has possibly the most thankless job on this show — she’s on the front lines with all those weirdos in chairs! The glass screen in front of her is not thick enough, this I know for sure. I’m intrigued by her switch from no-nonsense at the front desk to soft and empathetic during the mass-casualty incident, so I do hope she’s on duty for the next shift.

Victoria Javadi (Shabana Azeez), Third-Year Med Student

Oh, to be 20 and tending to people in their most vulnerable moments! Javadi here faints upon seeing her first patient, which is a real rough start to her first day in her emergency-medicine rotation, but not one person refers to her as Doogie Howser, which honestly seems like a huge win. Javadi’s young and green, but she tries hard, which makes her easy to root for, especially when she shows off how quick-thinking and resourceful she is — she has some big moments throughout the shift, like when she helps her trans patient correct her chart, when she figures out what’s really going on with her mother’s Crohn’s patient, and, of course, her DIY chest tubes. Still, she has a whole lot of learning to do, some mommy issues to work out, and her lack of skills when it comes to basic human interactions does make me embarrassed for her on the regular. Like, I personally would not want her to be my doctor at the moment, but good for her, you know?

Esme (Misha Gonz-Cirkl), Custodial Worker

Watching Esme walk up to Robby during the mass-casualty incident to ask him if he’s doing okay and if she can get him something to eat changed me as a human being.

Dr. Emery Walsh (Tedra Millan), Surgeon

Way to show up for just a few final episodes and make a name for yourself, Walsh! She winds up being an excellent choice for surgical point person during the mass casualty, since she is a hard-ass, like so many surgeons, but also understands the situation they’re in might call for some improvisation and flexibility. She doesn’t love people using EZ-IOs to drill burr holes in people’s domes, but also she gets the stakes here. Additionally, I’m very into the level of shit she gives Abbot. This show needs, like, a baby bit of kissing, and I feel like it should be Walsh and Abbot providing that necessary service at some point in the future. To blow off steam or whatever!! No big deal!!

Dr. Frank Langdon (Patrick Ball), Senior Resident

Not to be too Tyra Banks about it, but Frank Langdon, I was rooting for you! We were all rooting for you! To be honest, I’m still rooting for this guy to get his act together, but let’s be clear about a few things. Most of the goodwill toward this person who has lied to and betrayed a lot of people who care about him comes directly from his unexpectedly sweet and meaningful relationship with Dr. King. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s quite the skilled doctor. Still, Mel King, in all her glory, can only do so much. Langdon loses so much of any of this goodwill by the end of the season when, once Robby confronts his drug habit and theft, Langdon immediately retreats into defensiveness and cruelty instead of owning what he’s done. Grow up, dude! It’s the only way he ever has a shot of moving up this list.

Dr. Trinity Santos (Isa Briones), Intern

Well, well, well, Trinity fucking Santos. Here we are. Not that long ago, I would’ve easily plopped Santos at the bottom of this list, because this woman has no excuse for being as big of a dick as she is. Obviously, it’s been heavily implied that Santos had a rough upbringing, and her arrogance and teasing are defense mechanisms and that’s fine; it’s easy to understand her motivations. What pisses me off to no end, what is really unforgivable, is her heartless cherry-picking of cases she deems “cool” or “interesting.” What gives her the audacity to decide a case is too boring for her to spend her time on DURING A MASS-SHOOTING EVENT. Gah! Sorry, I’m getting all hot and bothered about it again. Thankfully, The Pitt gives her some redeeming moments; yes, speaking up about Langdon was a big move (although not completely altruistic, let’s be so real), but what actually ended up endearing me to her more than I thought possible are two moments in the finale: the way she finally finds some real bedside manner and empathy when dealing with Max, the guy who attempted suicide, and, of course, her offer to let a broke Whitaker move into her place for free. She does have a beating heart in there after all! Santos is complicated and prickly and mostly, she can get bent, but I’ll say this for her: I’m always interested to see what she’s going to do anytime she pops into a room.

Mateo (Jalen Thomas Brooks), Nurse

It is impossible to decide what the best thing Mateo does on this show is, but here is my running list: He firmly and calmly handles Doug Driscoll’s racist ass. He is very sweet in the way he receives Javadi’s crush. He reveals that he moonlights as a babysitter. He has dimples. He makes McKay’s ex Chad jealous by simply existing. He wears a headband. He assists Javadi in her chest-tube MacGyver maneuver. He says, “You’re a rockstar, Victoria,” in a way one can only describe as life-altering.

Dr. John Shen (Ken Kirby), ED Attending

I worry I’m not supposed to like Dr. Shen as much as I do, but admittedly, I really dig the whole “nonchalant sipping on iced coffee while prepping for human carnage but secretly incredible at running triage in a crisis” situation this doc has going on. And for what it’s worth, what a smart move by The Pitt to include a brand-spanking-new attending, one who is still making some resident-esque mistakes, in its mix of characters; it’s a good reminder that all of these doctors, regardless of title, have room to grow and things to learn.

Dennis Whitaker (Gerran Howell), Fourth-Year Med Student/Rat King

Obviously, everyone had a rough shift, but let us all remember that Whitaker’s shift was shitty hours before the PittFest shooting. He has to change scrubs multiple times due to run-ins with various bodily fluids, including being peed on (somehow, urine just seems worse than blood). Also, early on, he suffers a loss when his patient Mr. Milton dies from an unseen heart condition while on a gurney in the hall. It is hard for him to shake that off, but the way Whitaker continues to rally again and again leaves an impression. And the empathetic but firm way he deals with finding Robby mid-breakdown feels wise beyond his years. Plus, we learn that Whitaker unwinds from a hard day via dance party in the shower? I want the best for this young man for all of these reasons, but honestly, he had me the moment he snapped that rat’s neck with his hands.

Dr. Parker Ellis (Ayesha Harris), Senior Resident

You’ve gotta love a person who shows up in the middle of complete chaos, simply says to put her to work, and then excels at that job. Ellis, out of all the residents and attendings, also seems to be the only one to crack the code on Trinity Santos — treat her like a person who has a medical degree, call her out on her bullshit — and that says a lot about her teaching skills. So when are we getting The Pitt: Night Shift? Give me all the Ellis and Shen you’ve got, show!

Dr. Jack Abbot (Shawn Hatosy), ED Attending

He’s a wounded war vet described as having an “ongoing existential crisis” who is hyperaware of his friend’s emotional stability, openly talks about therapy, and tapes blood bags to his leg so he can donate blood while simultaneously working on trauma patients, so, uh, yes, I am in love with him.

Dr. Cassie McKay (Fiona Dourif), Second-Year Resident

McKay is a very competent doctor, especially for a second-year resident, and she runs the ED triage like a boss, but this show is littered with competent doctors. But by my count, McKay is the only one of these ding-dongs who is going to drill a hole into their ankle monitor and take time out of their day to (justifiably) verbally assault a 25-year-old who thinks it’s okay to walk around in a bedazzled “Bonus Mom” T-shirt, and this is why she will always be special to us.

Dr. Samira Mohan (Supriya Ganesh), Third-Year Resident

Mohan took a while to grow on me, but she has since climbed the ranks of “doctors from The Pitt I wouldn’t mind having in real life.” She is confident without being arrogant. She is a calm, measured, honest teacher. She looks at her patients as full people rather than symptoms. She does not immediately melt from secondhand embarrassment when her elder yells “Slo-Mo No Mo!” at her like an idiot. It’s really the last thing that makes me believe in her abilities.

Perlah (Amielynn Abellera) and Princess (Kristin Villanueva), Nurses

Do not make me rank one of these women above the other; I simply cannot do it. Their friendship is precious. Their gossiping about co-workers in various other languages is impressive. Princess’s wistful reminiscing about having sex under a picnic blanket with a Dave Navarro look-alike during Lollapalooza is awesome. Perlah diving on a patient when there might be a gun in the ER is still making me wonder if someone is cutting onions over here. These two are absolute stars, and I will never choose between them.

Dr. Heather Collins (Tracy Ifeachor), Senior Resident

All of the younger residents should be trying to emulate Heather Collins (and many of them already do!). She is the perfect blend of soft and empathetic with tough and “I do not have time for your bullshit.” She clearly respects protocols but will always find ways to best serve her patients. (The way she handles her abortion patient is an excellent example of this.) Collins has this wonderful, interesting ball of contradictions at her core, and while I did miss her in the last few episodes, no one is more deserving of a bath and some wine and holding all of her calls until morning. Get after it!

Dr. Melissa King (Taylor Dearden), Second-Year Resident

Melissa King is too good for this world and too good for this hospital! A list of all the best King moments in season one would simply be a list of every scene she is in. The people of Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center do not know how good they have it with this woman. Okay, well, Robby knows how good he has it. When he tells King that he’s glad she’s with them, I sobbed into a pillow because guess what, people, I’m glad she’s with them, too!! Melissa King forever, please never let anyone or anything hurt her ever for the rest of her life.

Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch (Noah Wyle), ER Attending

First of all, can you believe this man’s name is Michael? Second of all, with a show that expertly depicts riveting, relentless, and accurate medical story lines, did you think you’d get such a meaty, complicated character on top of it all? And yet, here is Dr. Robby. How easy it could’ve been to make this guy an untouchable saint or cocky as hell, but he is neither of those things. He’s a good-hearted, skilled doctor just trying to do his best. He doesn’t always make the best choices — taking the measles dad into the morgue to prove a point in the finale was certainly a doozy! — and he is struggling with demons, but it’s his fallibility and his visible vulnerability that make him so easy to root for. The fact that he knows, like, ten different ways to intubate someone doesn’t hurt either. (We love a man who is good at his job!) Having a protagonist with such interesting layers helps set The Pitt apart from other medical shows. Because the medical stuff is incredible, but watching Robby attempt to hold himself together for this entire harrowing shift has been just as gripping.

Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa), Charge Nurse

I’d call Dana Evans Wonder Woman, but I think that would do her a disservice — her greatest attribute is her humanity. She is a woman of the people, and because of that, she knows exactly what people need and when they need it. Yes, sure, I do mean that in regards to patient care — could anyone have navigated the Kraken situation as handily as she? Was anyone better suited to assist Robby with Leah? Would McKay have wanted support from anyone else during the sex-trafficking situation? — but possibly more importantly, I mean it in regards to doctor and staff care. Dana keeps the place running logistically, but she also keeps it running emotionally. She knows when her colleagues need tough love or when they simply need someone to be there while they have a cry in the bathroom. She knows when to push and when to give people breathing room to sit in a stairwell and stare at a lava-lamp app if need be. She has everyone’s back in whatever way they need it. When Robby says that the place couldn’t run without her, he is not kidding. But on top of all of that, Dana is also cool as hell. Breaking up fistfights in chairs? Making the phrase “You need to zip it, capisce?” sound tough in 2025? Dana does it all. While her job calls for someone with a certain amount of steel in their bones, she also oozes heart. It’s why it’s so shocking and affecting when it’s Dana who gets cold-cocked in the face by a patient. It’s why, at the end of the season, when she seriously contemplates leaving her job for good, it’s both devastating — could you imagine this place without her? — and a little bit triumphant. She’s given so much to this hospital, leaving to take care of herself would be a victory of sorts. (For her, not for us, obviously. Please don’t take her away.) What a woman. What a TV character. Nurses should get paid more.

Related

• The Pitt Season-Finale Recap: Baby, It’s All Right
• Bury Me in The Pitt
• The Pitt’s Next Shift