In ‘The Pitt,’ we see physicians navigating high-stakes decisions under intense pressure – a reality that mirrors my own. As physicians, we encounter many traumatic moments in a compressed time frame.
Dr. Samuel R. Browd
| Opinion contributor
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I usually avoid medical dramas − as a practicing neurosurgeon, watching them feels too much like going to work. But I’m tuning into “The Pitt,” a hit Max series set in a Pittsburgh hospital emergency room, not just because it’s compelling TV, but also because it captures something real: the relentless pace.
“The Pitt” illustrates that a walk-and-talk isn’t just a storytelling mechanism. It’s a way to save seconds. And in caring for a patient, saving seconds can save lives. The creators of “The Pitt” have made time an unspoken series character, just like it is in medicine.
And time is scarce. Systems feel the increasing need to improve efficiency and drive the volume of patients seen, but this must not come at the expense of expertise and our ability to provide top-notch care. Until we invest in getting time back, care will become increasingly transactional. Technology and artificial intelligence can help solve the time riddle.
Here are some thoughts on reshaping the clock so physicians can do more of what they were meant to do − take care of people.
Technology is a copilot, not a replacement for doctors
In medicine, experience is everything. There’s an old saying: “See one, do one, teach one.” The more cases you see, the sharper your instincts become − recognizing patterns, making quick decisions and handling the unexpected.
Over time, our brains create mental “files” from each case, forming an internal database we pull from when making critical decisions. But with today’s strict work-hour limits, young physicians must manage high clerical workloads without necessarily gaining enough clinical exposure to build that mental library.
Now, technology can instantly call up patient details and even suggest potential diagnoses − things that once lived solely in our minds and notes. It doesn’t replace the learning, judgment or critical thinking required in medicine, but it can act as a copilot, alleviating some of the cognitive load.
There’s value in being exposed to the strain of medical training, but there’s also value in reducing unnecessary burdens, so physicians can focus on what matters most: patient care.
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Doctors take the hard cases home with them
In “The Pitt,” we see physicians navigating high-stakes decisions under intense pressure − a reality that mirrors our own. As physicians, we encounter countless traumatic moments within a compressed time window.
I recently operated on a 7-month-old with a massive brain tumor − a case that always sticks with me after leaving the hospital. Simple headaches get the third degree in our household because it’s hard to separate work and home at times.
My kids can attest to my psychosis.
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In the era of my residency, expressing mental health concerns was stigmatized; we were caregivers, not those needing care.
While we haven’t fully arrived, we are seeing how today’s generation is reshaping this narrative. They need resources to help deliver this culture change, one of which is time. Time to think, time to process, time to provide empathetic care and time to care for themselves. Any tool that can give back time to a physician’s day will contribute to mental wellness, which will contribute to better patient care.
Medicine has never been about speed or quotas. Yet physicians are increasingly racing against the clock, leading to burnout, frustration and a growing number leaving the profession.
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Over the past two decades, there has been a shift in how physicians practice medicine. Once primarily self-employed, many now work within large hospital systems, where financial pressures and administrative demands increasingly shape their daily responsibilities. As financial margins continue to tighten, physicians must see more patients and perform more procedures.
Navigating these challenges successfully means finding new ways to support physicians within the framework of balancing efficiency with meaningful patient connections − ensuring they have the tools and resources needed to keep patient outcomes at the center of care.
Again, it comes back to time.
Amount of clerical work doctors must do is growing
Technology, if used correctly, can help. Artificial intelligence has the potential to ease administrative burdens, allowing physicians to focus more on patient care rather than paperwork.
However, the burden of administrative and clerical work continues to grow, often pulling physicians away from their primary role as caregivers. Many stay long after their shifts end to complete documentation, sometimes recording visits days later due to mounting backlogs − straining memory and potentially harming the accuracy of records.
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These distractions, highlighted in shows like “The Pitt,” demonstrate how direct engagement with patients is affected, leaving physicians feeling disconnected from their roles as healers and providers − ultimately contributing to burnout.
Technology alone isn’t enough. We need to ensure it’s working for physicians, not just for efficiency’s sake. It must help us access better information, train new doctors faster, reduce burnout and, most important, create space for physicians to think, process and truly care for patients.
For me, medicine has always been personal. I was drawn to it by my grandmother’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease, and that passion has never left me. But I fear that the current system is making it harder for the next generation to feel that same calling. That’s one reason I cofounded Proprio – to build surgical technologies that enhance and revitalize our mission to provide the best care.
“The Pitt” may be a drama, but its message is real. If we don’t change course, we risk losing what medicine is truly about: the human connection between physician and patient. It’s time to reclaim that.
Dr. Samuel R. Browd is the cofounder and chief medical officer at Proprio, a professor of neurological surgery at the University of Washington and a board-certified attending neurosurgeon at Seattle Children’s Hospital, Harborview Medical Center and the University of Washington Medical Center.
