How ‘The Pitt’ TV Series Compares to Working in a Real ER

• This month, “The Pitt” won a Golden Globe, including Best Drama Series and Best Actor for Noah Wyle.
• The Emmy-winning emergency medicine drama is driving conversation across entertainment and healthcare.
• One ER doctor in Connecticut shares what he thinks the show gets right and where it takes creative liberty.

Over the past year, Steven Valassis, MD, Emergency Medicine Physician at Hartford HealthCare, said he can’t get through a shift in the emergency department without a patient asking whether he has watched “The Pitt.”

“Curious, I decided to watch ‘The Pitt’ with my family. My children were immediately captivated. Suddenly, they had more questions than ever about my shifts, my experiences, and how the events in the first season compared to real life,” he told Healthline. “It has been remarkable to see how this show introduced a new generation to emergency medicine—and to witness my own family’s reactions to the raw, unfiltered story lines.”

Healthline asked Valassis to share what he thinks the show gets right and wrong about working in the ER.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

Valassis: “The Pitt” offers a striking and compelling portrayal of emergency medicine, particularly within a busy urban emergency department.

In conversations with my colleagues, I have found that people tend to fall into one of two camps: those who are captivated by how authentically the show reflects our experiences bringing the realities of emergency care to a broad audience, and those who find it almost too realistic—so much so that watching an episode can feel like being back on shift, making it hard to unwind.

The first season alone touches a wide range of themes: overcrowded emergency departments trying to care for every patient in need, the profound challenges of mental health and substance abuse, and the escalating violence experienced in our world that often spills into our emergency departments. It also highlights how the very clinicians dedicated to easing suffering can themselves become victims.

Valassis: “The Pitt” captures the authenticity of the emergency department remarkably well. It offers a true sense of what it is like to work in a fast-paced environment filled with interruptions and constantly shifting priorities.

The show conveys the raw emotions of the patients and their loved ones as they traverse through their visit, while also highlighting the humanity of the caregivers navigating difficult and often heartbreaking situations.

It shows how, after these intense moments, the staff must immediately pivot to the next emergency–often without the chance of processing the emotions of what they just experienced. The show recognizes this emotional burden and the consequences that can arise when it is not balanced with healthy coping mechanisms.

The camera work in “The Pitt” immerses viewers in the experience of navigating a busy shift. The show goes to great lengths to ensure medical accuracy—from the physical layout to the medications, treatments, and procedures portrayed. Viewers get a tremendous sense of what it is like to perform these emergency procedures.

The show also has an honest portrayal of difficult patient encounters. In many ways, it serves as a primer on patient care—highlighting both effective approaches to complex situations as well as those that fall short. It underscores that the education of the residents extends far beyond medical knowledge, capturing the importance of connecting with patients and trying to meet them where they are.

While I firmly believe that working in the emergency department is one of the most rewarding vocations, the series accurately portrays the emotional toll it can take on the staff. The burnout is real, and the show does not shy away from that truth.

Valassis: Of course not. While there is so much that is relatable, they take poetic license by packing so many dramatic events into a single shift. In the emergency department, we pride ourselves on creating calm in moments of chaos.

There is nothing more impressive than watching the team work as a well-orchestrated unit while resuscitating a cardiac or trauma patient. In those moments, the resuscitation becomes remarkably quiet as each member carries out their role with precision, working together seamlessly to care for a critically ill patient.

Valassis: Emergency departments are busier than ever. There is a shortage of primary care doctors, limited access to timely care for those who are uninsured and underinsured, and a significant mental health crisis.

Over my last two decades in practice, the advancement of medical care has grown exponentially. Additionally, through the pandemic, many exited healthcare. While most emergency departments can staff appropriately for much of the year, challenges intensify in times of surge.

At Hartford HealthCare, we have a centralized center that has visibility to all the open beds across our health system, so that we can provide the best care for our patients. We also recognized the need to provide access to primary care by creating HHC 24/7, an app connecting patients to primary care providers anytime, anywhere.

Valassis: There must be a stronger focus on mental health and substance abuse treatment in the U.S. These emergencies are common, yet there remains a shortage of inpatient behavioral health beds. When these specialized beds are full, patients requiring psychiatric admission are forced to remain in the emergency department.

As you can imagine, a fast-paced, highly stimulating ED environment is far from the ideal for their recovery.

I am blessed to be an emergency medicine physician at St. Vincent’s Medical Center. Our emergency department has a highly specialized behavioral health unit that is dedicated to the needs of the community. For patients requiring further treatment, St. Vincent’s Behavioral Health Services offers advanced care at our Westport, CT, campus.

Valassis: I feel truly humbled to work alongside such a dedicated and talented team—people who take immense pride in caring for our community. We are here 24/7. Days and nights, weekdays and holidays, we are here.

Our patients often arrive at their most vulnerable, in physical or psychological distress. We often meet them on one of the worst days of their lives—whether experiencing a stroke, a heart attack, an overwhelming infection, or a devastating accident.

We diagnose tough conditions, manage critical situations, and support patients and their families through every step.

We save lives, rule out emergency conditions, and we also strive to provide dignity and comfort to those who are dying. We take pride in being a true safety net for our community—we are here for everyone. Whether you come from an exclusive zip code or a tent under the highway, we are here for you.