5 Times Meredith Made Controversial Medical Choices On Grey's Anatomy
Despite being a lauded surgeon that everyone looks up to, Dr. Grey keeps putting her personal feelings and problems ahead of her work.
In its 20-year journey, Grey's Anatomy has seen Meredith Grey evolve from a slightly chaotic intern to a near-superhero of surgery. Many fans note that Meredith was relatable with her flaws in the early episodes, which made her a fan favorite. By Season 20, however, she has grown into the legendary figure, showered with praise from all corners of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. But does her professional prowess truly live up to the hype?
A deeper dive into Grey's Anatomy reveals instances where Meredith Grey's personal struggles have overshadowed her professional duties, leading to what can only be described as moments of incompetence. Here are five standout examples to illustrate this. And they don't even include the highly unethical romance with the attending (Derek Shepherd).
DNR Violation
S2E15 Break on Through
One of the first notable cases of incompetence came in Season 2 when Meredith disregarded a patient's DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order by reviving her. DNR orders are crucial directives from patients or their families to refrain from resuscitation in the event of clinical death.
Meredith was still an intern when she performed the unwanted procedure. But even for an intern, failing to verify consent was a brutal mistake. Not only did it violate medical protocol, but it caused the patient and her family a great deal of pain.
Alzheimer's Trial
S7E17 This Is How We Do It
This incident starkly illustrates how Meredith's personal emotions overshadowed her professional responsibilities. While assisting Derek with his Alzheimer's trial, her empathy for Richard Webber and his wife, Adele, the trial patient, led her to make a critical error. Meredith switched Adele's placebo with a real drug, disregarding the trial's protocols.
This unethical decision not only resulted in Meredith's dismissal but also led to Derek being blacklisted by the FDA.
Removed from Surgery
S10E8 Two Against One
In Season 10, Meredith and Cristina's notorious season-long feud led to significant professional mistakes. During an operation on Alex's patient with multiple tumors, Meredith's recklessness in the O.R. reached a breaking point. Alex and Stephanie had to step in and invoke the 'two overrule one' policy to remove Meredith from the procedure.
What's worse, when Alex pointed out that Meredith's need to prove her worth to Cristina was affecting her performance, she adamantly refused to admit any fault in her actions.
3D Printer Shenanigans
S10E8 Two Against One
In the same episode, Meredith makes another questionable decision when she refuses to lend Cristina the 3D printer she got for her research. Cristina ended up using the printer without Meredith's permission, which delayed the project and raised a lot of questions and criticism from fans.
However, the thing is that Cristina desperately needed the printer to save her patient's life, whereas Meredith's use was merely to finish a plastic model of a liver.
Insurance Fraud
S15E23 What I Did for Love
Meredith using her own daughter's insurance to treat a girl with cancer was portrayed as a noble and kind act. But when you think about it, it was nothing more than insurance fraud that not only jeopardized Meredith's ability to practice medicine and help others, but also put her own children at risk of being left parentless if she was sent to prison.
Surely there was another way to help this child without resorting to one of the most morally questionable decisions on the show. Adele's case taught Meredith nothing, did it?