| “ | Surgeons are put through rigorous tests just to get in the game. We endure decades of anxiety-provoking acronyms. SAT. MCAT. USMLE. ABSITE. And if we pass that gauntlet, we are rewarded with the need to log 850 surgeries and take an 8-hour multiple choice and oral exam. There is almost no time to take in the victory. Or even a nap. Researchers studied why some people perform better on tests. They found that it's not necessarily related to intelligence. Some people become anxious during exams and divert mental energy toward anxiety instead of expending it on finding the right answers. Others have a better grasp of how tests work. They use process of elimination and other techniques to help them make better choices. Some people study harder. They start early, make flashcards, rely on repetition to retrieve answers when they need them. Tests don't always measure how much you know. They measure how well you take tests. And tests certainly don't measure your worth. But knowing that doesn't make it hurt less when you don't succeed. | ” |
Put It to the Test is the fifteenth episode of the eighteenth season and the 395th overall episode of Grey's Anatomy.
Short Summary[]
Bailey is on edge when an accreditation council stops by Grey Sloan to review the residency program, while Richard sets an assessment of his own for the same day. Meanwhile, Nick returns to Seattle to perform a first-of-its-kind operation with Meredith.
Full Summary[]
Bailey is waiting outside the hospital. She composes herself before heading in.
Meredith awaits Nick in the ambulance bay. He arrives in a black limousine. She says the limo and private jet that flew him in were all Catherine Fox's doing. She thanks him for coming to Grey Sloan but he points out she found him the perfect recipient. Bailey arrives and hugs him. She points to the transplant cooler he brought and says Grey Sloan needs this. Meredith is informed they are ready for the ICU conversion. The residents are ready, too. Bailey ushers them to get to work.
Taryn visits Levi in his mother's basement. She tosses him his mail. She tells him to come in for the residency review today. Their program is being slaughtered on social media, which can't have gone unnoticed by the medical accreditation council. Taryn has worked too hard for the program to be shut down. If he has any fight left in him, he has to come into work for one day. If not for him, at least for her. Levi looks through the social media posts and comes across one written by MommaMyrna01. He yells at his mother.
Bailey has gathered the attendings in a conference room. Both the attendings and residents will be assessed today. They should keep their answers short and sweet. Richard explains it's a complaint-driven site visit so they will be checking case logs, observe residents, review curriculum, and verify that they are all staying on top of their certifications. Maggie asks if they know who complained but Bailey says they are not allowed to ask. Winston wonders how they can show off their teaching skills if the residents are occupied with Meredith and Nick's grand rounds today. Bailey says grand rounds today are groundbreaking and miraculous. Teddy wonders about the consequences if the visit doesn't go well. Owen replies the program would go into probation and potentially be shut down, which would be public record. Amelia deduces they could lose their residents and their patients. Bailey says they will show off why they are a top five teaching hospital with a world-renowned residency program. The attendings leave but Bailey beckons Richard to stay since he is scheduled to be interviewed first. That won't work since he has his physician assessment. She can't believe he's doing that today of all days. He's not in control of the schedule.
Meredith leads the group of residents to the room of Mason Taylor, whom Nick informs them was declared brain dead after being struck by a drunk driver. Much to the residents' confusion, Nick announces that they are giving Mason a kidney today. He clarifies the kidney is a genetically modified pig kidney. The residents are enthused by the prospect of a xenotransplant.
Bailey catches up with Richard and asks how she is to explain that he is unavailable. Richard advises her to tell the truth since it speaks to the standards to which they hold themselves. She presses him to postpone the assessment but he says they flew in a world-class surgeon and neuroscientist. He had to find someone who doesn't particularly like him to erase any bias. Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of David Hamilton and Kai Bartley. They will be assessing Richard for both physical and intellectual tremors. Moments later, Jamarah Blake from the residency accreditation council arrives and introduces herself to Bailey. The group splits up.
Amelia catches up with Richard, Kai, and David and wishes Richard good luck. Kai swears they didn't say anything. Kai stays behind as Richard and Hamilton enter the lab and points out Amelia just poked holes in Richard's trust in them. Amelia says he has to trust himself and she's helped him do that in his weakest moments for years. Richard has to pass this test.
Bailey starts the tour of the hospital in the ER. After going over the planned tour, Jamarah asks when they can speak with the residents directly. She was hoping to start with dr. Schmitt. Bailey says the residents are observing a groundbreaking innovation today.
Nick thanks Mason and explains he was ruled out from organ donation because of a history of cancer, so his wife consented to donate his whole body for research. Nick points out this research could lead to the elimination of long transplant waiting lists. The residents join Nick in thanking Mason.
Richard's examination starts. He has to hit buttons as they light up.
Nick is implanting the kidney. They are working on a dead man since xenotransplants cannot be performed on patients who still have something to lose. They are implanting in the groin so they can actually see rejection happen as well as favorable blood supply. Nick is impressed with the group's knowledge.
The next test for Richard is to divide colored blocks over two boxes so both boxes contain a matching set.
Jamarah finds it impressive that Bailey is still bringing in innovative cases when she has lost seven physicians recently. She claims they had a lot of retirees but Jamarah brings up Cormac. Bailey blames that on a family matter. They arrive outside Mason's room just as the residents are cheering over the fact that Mason produced urine. Bailey introduces Meredith to the team from the accreditation council. Bailey points out the residents are always excited to work with Meredith. Jamarah says that seems like a rare opportunity these days. Meredith leaves to go perform a liver biopsy.
Levi is yelling at his mother for the posts she made about his workplace. He doesn't need her to fight his battles. She points out he has trashed his whole life. She thinks he needs help. He thinks trash talking Grey Sloan doesn't help. She says he never should have been in that OR by himself. She considers the method an experiment that was conducted on him. He argues that is how medicine evolves. He failed the Webber method, not the other way around. She insists that it was wrong and thinks she has the right to warn others. She slips as she runs back up the stairs, taking a severe tumble.
Levi finds that his mom is unresponsive. He calls 911 and informs them what happened. Myrna's left leg is shortened and internally rotated. He apologizes to his mother and says it's all going to be okay.
Next up is the Stroop test. Richard does quite well. David says there is a big difference between slowing down a bit and being a danger in the OR. Ageing as a surgeon is a special kind of humiliation. It becomes part of your job to find and train the next you. It can be a real ego-buster while they tremble and decide if your footsteps are worth following. Richard comments it sounds like he's speaking from experience. Richard pieces together that he is trying to poach Meredith. Kai comments he's got A+ on the reasoning section.
The attendings are being interviewed by the accreditation council. Winston reveals he left renowned Tufts for the opportunity to work with his former teacher again. Maggie is asked if she makes a habit out of dating students. She doesn't see how this is relevant. MaryAnn cites a history of inappropriate sexual conduct. Both Maggie and Winston are offended and leave.
Bailey and Owen inform MaryAnn and Jamarah that he will be operating again soon after a few more sessions of PT. Bailey underlines his experience in the military and how useful it has been for their Level One Trauma Center. She brings up his burn pit study. Jamarah asks if they are still moving forward seeing as how there were a few deaths in his patient group.
Teddy grows nervous as she's asked about those deaths. She thought they were to talk about the residency program.
Link compliments the program and says he actually left the Mariners for this job. It turned his life upside down and now he has a completely shattered heart and an apartment with no furniture.
Nick leaves Mason's room as co-workers perform a biopsy. Out in the hallway, he meets Jan Taylor, Mason's wife. He offers his condolences. Jan wants to see him but Nick says they cannot risk exposure. Nick physically blocks her from advancing to his room. He reminds her of what she consented to and the impact it could have. If she barges into the room, it is all over. Jan breaks down in Nick's arms. Meredith watches from a distance as he consoles her.
As he waits for help, Levi reminds himself to go over the ABCs. Myrna's airway is not obstructed but she is having trouble breathing. He finds increased resonance on the right side and jugular venous distention. He then notices her trachea is deviated, indicating a tension pneumothorax. He stabilizes her head.
Richard's ability to maintain neuromuscular control while being distracted is tested. His movements control a cursor as he guides a ball in a maze on the screen. Richard is distracted by what he just uncovered. He wants to start over. He adds that the accreditation council will not be pleased if they find out that their top teacher is considering leaving. Hamilton says it's incredible opportunity for Meredith. She is bigger than one hospital. Richard answers a call from Levi, who tells him what happened. The ambulance is taking forever.
Under Richard's guidance, Levi sterilizes a knife with alcohol wipes. Levi hesitates, stating he cannot stab his mom. Richard tells him it's a make-do scalpel and he is performing a thoracostomy. Levi makes the incision and then uses scissors to get through the chest well. That helps with Myrna's breathing but Levi soon finds that they are dealing with a hemopneumothorax. Richard urges him to stay calm. Meanwhile, SFD arrives.
Bailey introduces Jamarah and MaryAnn to Jo, who starts glorifying the program and chief Bailey. Jamarah questions why she left, then. Jo explains the circumstances of her career change and is asked if Bailey tried to dissuade her. Jo admits that she did. She adds that she uses her surgical training in her current residency all the time. She learned to think on her feet, make tough choices, and pivot with changing circumstances. She says she feels the known surgical arrogance and sense of superiority regarding obstetrics in this line of questioning and she resents it. In summation, though, there is no better program. She leaves to tend to a mom at 7 centimeters. Next up on Jamarah's list is dr. Webber. Bailey invites Jamarah and MaryAnn to take a break while she fetches Richard.
Levi keeps Richard updated about the paramedics' actions via phone. He asks Richard to warn the ER of Myrna's arrival and hangs up. Bailey then catches up with Richard and informs him the visit is not going well. He tells her about Myrna's accident but she senses there is more to it. He asks if Meredith has spoken to her.
Meredith finds a grim Nick outside Mason's room. Mason's BP plummeted so the kidney's perfusion is not good enough. He sent the residents away. Mason's already maxed out on meds. Nick needs this to work. He wants to give Jan some good news. Meredith says delivering bad news is the worst part of the job and his specialty comes with that on every single case. Meredith comforts him and says it may be why he shakes in his sleep. She puts her hand on him and the shaking stops. He smiles and says no one's ever told him that before. Bailey then appears and scolds Meredith for not telling her that she is taking the job in Minnesota. Meredith says she hasn't made a decision. Bailey yells that this program raised her and made all the concessions she needed to split her time. Even then, Meredith apparently is so selfish to leave in the middle of a historic physician shortage as the residency program hangs on by a thread. Bailey starts coughing and clutching her chest but she doesn't relent. She blames Meredith for still being that girl that follows her handsome married attending around, breaking rules left and right, only caring about herself. Nick tries to calm her down but Bailey shuts him down. Meredith forbids Bailey from speaking to him or her that way. Nick is doing them a favor here. Bailey then buckles. They have her sit down and page cardio.
Meredith tells Nick she needs Bailey to be okay. Bailey always been in Meredith's head since she was an intern. Meredith has never seen her go off on somebody like that. Nick understands Bailey's outburst has made her re-think Minnesota. They hope it's just a panic attack. Meredith loves her even though she doesn't like her much right now. Nick asks if Derek was married. Meredith says it was more complicated. Bailey did put her finger on what Meredith couldn't see before. You can't stay at the place where you did your residency forever because people will always see you as the person who you were, not who you've become. Wright warns them that Mason's catheter is full.
Maggie clears Bailey's ECG. Her rapid trops were negative as well, so no cardiac event. However, it's clear that Bailey is stressed out. Bailey will slow down tomorrow but she needs to save the program today while Richard's busy with his unnecessary assessment. Maggie warns her that she is marching toward another MI. Bailey knows she needs to do less but it's not option. The program is falling apart on her watch. She's spread too thin with a new toddler and Meredith leaving. Maggie is confused.
Amelia meets Kai out in the ambulance bay. Kai wonders if Richard has dementia or a drinking problem since he walked out of his assessment without an explanation. It was disrespectful but also showed a lack of judgment. Amelia says she has done a lot of things lacking judgment. Link scoffs as he arrives to wait for an ambulance. As Amelia and Link start to bicker, Kai introduces themselves and figures Link is Scout's dad. Link thinks they have met Scout already. Amelia steps in to protect herself from another one of his hissy fits. Richard then joins the group as the ambulance arrives. Levi climbs out of the back of the rig and briefs the doctors. Link moves Myrna to trauma 1. Levi feels like it's all his fault. Richard says he saved her life. Levi wants to go be with his mother but Richard stops him. Amelia and Kai think Richard should go back and resume his assessment now. Levi informs Webber that it was his mother who complained. It is all his fault. He breaks down in tears and Richard comforts him, only then seeing that Jamarah is observing them from the exit.
Bailey goes outside to catch a breather. She remembers the first day of working with her intern class and being taught by Richard.
Richard has taken place in the conference room, also recalling Meredith's first day as an intern. He states his name and titles. Grey Sloan has been the training ground for hundreds of successful surgeons. As a resident, he thought saving a life was the highest calling to aspire to. Until he started teaching. It's uniquely fulfilling. Interns arrive wide-eyed and you nurture and nudge them. You watch them achieve and stumble and grow and roar. He asked for an assessment to see if it was time to put down his scalpel. He stands by the oath he took to do no harm. He loves being a surgeon and doesn't want to retire. Even more, he believes in the power of medicine and science. If he needs to step down in order for future generations to keep training here, he will do that without a doubt.
Levi sits down with Hamilton and Kai. He talks about how started as a sub-i under Richard and how his glasses fell into a patient. Richard didn't give up on him and so he got better. He taught Levi to persevere and learn from his mistakes. Levi is aware of the goal of this assessment. Richard helped him save his mother's life today. He doesn't even want to think about what would have happened without him.
Richard has resumed the assessment with Kai and David. He appreciates them letting him finish and taking the statement from Levi. Kai informs him that he passed with flying colors. Amelia comes in and informs them that Myrna's head CT is negative. Teddy and Link are almost done. She'll be fine. Richard thanks the team. Amelia is happy to hear that he passed. David - without a tremor - shakes his hand and tells him to take advantage of the second chance he gets to be in the OR. Richard and David leave. Amelia apologizes about earlier but she was worried about Richard. Kai understands that Richard is Amelia's David.
Bailey returns to Jamarah and MaryAnn in her office, ready to show them more, but they have seen enough. They have reviewed hundreds of these programs and can usually tell pretty quickly when they are not working, even if the staff is well-prepped for the visit. Jamarah can unequivocally say that when it comes to resident well-being, Grey Sloan's surgical department is one of the best. Despite long hours and hard work, the residents are genuinely excited and the attendings care enough to be nervous about the meeting. There is a palpable sense of community and family and Richard is impressive. Bailey seconds that. Jamarah says that what she saw in person today was almost enough to override what she sees on paper. But not quite. The staff cares but there are not enough surgeons to maintain an effective teaching program. Therefor, Jamarah has to place Grey Sloan's program on probation effective immediately. They will provide a list of specific improvements required. They'll come back for another review in a few weeks to assess if the problems have been rectified. If not, they'll have to shut the program down. Jamarah wishes her good luck.
Richard drops by the ICU and makes eye contact with Levi, who's sitting by Myrna's bedside. They nod at one another.
Meredith joins Nick in Mason's room. Bailey is okay and Meredith spoke to Maggie, who didn't know about the offer either. Nick then shows Meredith that Mason has produced 500 cc's of urine. The epi Meredith suggested worked. Meredith is delighted. Nick needed the win. Nick then allows Jan to come in to say goodbye to her husband. Jan asks if the transplant worked. Nick confirms that it did. Meredith and Nick give Jan some privacy. Meredith says she is ready to start over. She's going to take the offer.
Bailey tries her best to keep it together as she heads home.
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Ellen Pompeo as Dr. Meredith Grey
- Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey
- James Pickens, Jr. as Dr. Richard Webber
- Kevin McKidd as Dr. Owen Hunt
- Caterina Scorsone as Dr. Amelia Shepherd
- Camilla Luddington as Dr. Jo Wilson
- Kelly McCreary as Dr. Maggie Pierce
- Kim Raver as Dr. Teddy Altman
- Jake Borelli as Dr. Levi Schmitt
- Chris Carmack as Dr. Atticus Lincoln
- Anthony Hill as Dr. Winston Ndugu
- Scott Speedman as Dr. Nick Marsh
Guest Stars[]
- Jaicy Elliot as Dr. Taryn Helm
- E.R. Fightmaster as Dr. Kai Bartley
- Greg Tarzan Davis as Dr. Jordan Wright
- Michelle Gardner as Myrna Schmitt
- Dahlia Salem as Jan Taylor
- Dawnn Lewis as Jamarah Blake
- Peter Gallagher as Dr. David Hamilton
Co-Starring[]
Medical Notes[]
Mason Taylor[]
- Diagnosis:
- Brain death
- Doctors:
- Nick Marsh (transplant surgeon)
- Meredith Grey (general surgeon)
- Taryn Helm (surgical resident)
- Jordan Wright (surgical resident)
- Zander Perez (surgical resident)
- Mabel Tseng (surgical resident)
- Treatment:
- Kidney xenotransplant
- Atropine
- Dopamine
- Epinephrine
Mason was declared brain dead after being struck by a drunk driver. He was scheduled to receive a kidney transplant from a pig, which had been genetically modified to work for a human. His wife had wanted to donate his organs, but UNOS declined due to his history of cancer, so his wife donated his body to research. He transplanted the kidney into Mason's groin, so they could see the kidney and get a good blood supply. After the surgery, the kidney was able to make urine. However, then Mason's blood pressure tanked and he stopped making urine. He gave Mason atropine and dopamine in an attempt to save the kidney, but neither worked. Meredith suggested using epinephrine. Jordan later told Nick that Mason was making urine again.
Richard Webber[]
- Diagnosis:
- Doctors:
- David Hamilton (surgeon)
- Kai Bartley (neuroscientist)
- Treatment:
- Skills assessment
Richard had an assessment of his mental and physical abilities to determine if he needed to step out of the OR. He underwent multiple tests to test his reflexes and associated skills. At the end of the day, Kai told Richard that he'd passed.
Myrna Schmitt[]
- Diagnosis:
- Femoral neck fracture
- Tension hemopneumothorax
- Flail chest
- Doctors:
- Richard Webber (general surgeon)
- Teddy Altman (cardiothoracic surgeon)
- Atticus Lincoln (orthopedic surgeon)
- Amelia Shepherd (neurosurgeon)
- Levi Schmitt (surgical resident)
- Treatment:
- Thoracostomy
- Surgery
Myrna, 57, fell down her basement stairs, rendering her unconscious. Levi examined her and said he suspected a femoral neck fracture. He examined her more thoroughly and diagnosed a tension pneumothorax. With the ambulance still on the way, Levi called Richard and Richard helped him through a thoracotomy to relieve the pressure in her chest. When he did so, he discovered it was actually a hemopneumothorax when she started bleeding onto the floor. Just then, firefighters arrived and transported Myrna to the hospital. They took her into trauma one. Amelia later reported that her head CT was negative and Teddy and Link were nearly done with her surgery. She was stable in her room after her surgery.
Miranda Bailey[]
- Diagnosis:
- Panic attack
- Doctors:
- Maggie Pierce (cardiothoracic surgeon)
- Treatment:
Bailey had chest pain while talking to Meredith. She got an EKG, but it was clear, meaning it wasn't a cardiac event. Despite this, Maggie advised that Bailey needed to slow down.
Music[]
| Song | Performer | Scene |
|---|---|---|
| "Dirt in My Eyes" | Cold War Kids |
|
| "New Day" | Tiggs Da Arthur |
|
| "When You're Wrong" | Brandi Carlile |
|
| "Après Minuit" | Felix Rauber feat. Schlindwein |
|
Notes and Trivia[]
- This episode's title originated from the song Put It to the Test, originally sung by They Might Be Giants.
- This episode scored 4.21 million viewers.[1]
- This episode features the 200th appearance of Camilla Luddington as Jo Wilson.
- Goof: When help arrives for Myrna Schmitt, the paramedic says they're from Seattle Fire Department, but when Myrna arrives at the hospital, she's in a standard ambulance, not one of the fire department's aid cars.
Gallery[]
Episode Stills[]
Behind the Scenes[]
Quotes[]
See Also[]
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A complete overview of this episode's crew can be found here. |
| Grey's Anatomy Season 18 | ||||||
| #01 | "Here Comes the Sun" | #08 | "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" | #15 | "Put It to the Test" | |
| #02 | "Some Kind of Tomorrow" | #09 | "No Time to Die" | #16 | "Should I Stay or Should I Go" | |
| #03 | "Hotter Than Hell" | #10 | "Living In a House Divided" | #17 | "I'll Cover You" | |
| #04 | "With a Little Help From My Friends" | #11 | "Legacy" | #18 | "Stronger Than Hate" | |
| #05 | "Bottle Up and Explode!" | #12 | "The Makings of You" | #19 | "Out for Blood" | |
| #06 | "Everyday Is a Holiday (With You)" | #13 | "Put the Squeeze On Me" | #20 | "You Are the Blood" | |
| #07 | "Today Was a Fairytale" | #14 | "Road Trippin'" | |||
| << Season 17 | Season 19 >> | |||||