Sacred Heart Hospital is a competitive environment, therefore there are many rivalries among the staff. The educational method of rounds usually added fire to any competition.
Examples[]
J.D. & Nick Murdoch[]
During J.D.'s first year, his biggest concern was to stay on top of his job as an intern. He also had to worry about keeping Dr. Cox as a mentor. When fellow intern Nick Murdoch started to challenge his supremacy as an intern, he became upset and was worried that Dr. Cox would like him more. The two eventually became friends, before Nick buckled under pressure and quit Sacred Heart. ("My Super Ego")
J.D. & Elliot[]
J.D. and Elliot became competitive during rounds, trying to out-do each other. Over the four years they participated in rounds, they would typically hash out other problems during rounds by stealing questions, providing wrong answers, or laughing at mistakes. ("My First Day") Elliot later talks to J.D. after he continues to save patients before she can, feeling that he is stealing her opportunities to prove herself as a doctor. ("My Friend the Doctor")
J.D. and Elliot also compete in non-medical arenas. They compete for the friendships of Turk and Carla and also try to be the one who can brag "I told you so!" to the other.
Turk & Bonnie Chang & The Todd[]
Turk is a very competitive individual and even if he is best friends with someone, he can turn his gameface on and compete. When it comes to surgery, Turk likes to be the best. However, Bonnie Chang occasionally would be picked before him for a lucrative surgery, and they'd talk trash to each other. When he found out that Dr. Wen thought The Todd is the best surgical intern, Turk became upset. ("My Hero") When Turk was picked by Dr. Kelso to go on a "Doctors without Borders" program, he found out he was only chosen because he was male rather than being the most talented surgeon, which was Bonnie. He offered her the spot but she turned it on him and insulted him even more. ("My Big Mouth")
Turk used his disappointment to improve his own technique and is later considered to be the best surgeon at Sacred Heart.
Dr. Cox & Turk[]
Turk and Dr. Cox compete over many things at Sacred Heart, both medical or personal. One of the first things they argue about is whether Turk is good enough for Carla Espinosa. ("My Rule of Thumb") They often compete on the basketball court or in the gym. ("My Friend the Doctor") Their rivalry is also fueled by Perry's dislike of surgical consults and the preference to treat issues surgically rather than medically. Because he is a senior physician with much more experience, Dr. Cox assumes he is correct all the time, but in the rare occasions he is not, he is shattered, but still never concedes victory to Turk or anybody else.
However, they can always put aside their differences when it comes to making important decisions regarding patients.
Dr. Cox & Kevin Casey[]
A classmate of Dr. Cox's, Dr. Kevin Casey is seen as a genius by the rest of the staff at Sacred Heart because he is both a fantastic medical doctor and a talented surgeon. J.D. begins to tire of Dr. Cox's tough-love mentorship and becomes infatuated with Dr. Casey. The two doctors go head-to-head in a reverse rounds exercise and Dr. Cox loses when J.D. asks a question that he knows Perry will fail. Perry continues to be upset with Casey, who has no idea anybody is mad at him. Cox prepares to confront Casey but realizes Casey has his own demons and that he shouldn't get mad at someone else simply for being better than him. ("My Catalyst")
Dr. Cox & Dr. Kelso[]
Dr. Cox and Dr. Kelso are both very stubborn and set in their ways of how the hospital should be run. Kelso makes his opinions from a financial standpoint, while Dr. Cox bases his opinions on how to best treat the patients. A constant game of give-and-take, their relationship and arguments had repercussions that affected the entire hospital. ("My Way or the Highway") Their arguments started before J.D. started at Sacred Heart and continued to run until Kelso stepped down. When Dr. Cox took over the role of Chief of Medicine, he started to understand why Kelso had to make some of the decisions he did, and the two became friends. ("My New Role")
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Comedy | Comedic Techniques • Pratfall • Recurring gags • Slow Motion Girls • Nicknames | |
Drama | Dramatic Techniques • Music | |
Themes | Approval • Education • Family • Friendship • Life and Death • Love • Mentorship • Rivalries • Sex | |
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Alternate reality • Breaking the fourth wall • Clip show • Cultural references • Fantasies • Flashbacks • Janitor story • Meta references • Narrators • Story episodes | e |