Many Grey’s Anatomy doctors have been chief, and their legacies still live on. At the beginning of the series, Richard Webber was supposed to retire and appoint Preston Burke or Derek Shepherd as chief. It’s a coveted position that not only Burke and Shepherd were fighting for, but Mark Sloan and Addison Montgomery also went after.
While many doctors have fought for the chief position, the chief is faced with more than just the responsibilities of the job. In Grey’s Anatomy, many tragedies happen, and these chiefs have to manage them and deal with the fallout. These doctors were thinking of the title and the prestige it would be for their career, not everything that comes with it, even after they saw what former chiefs went through.
3. Alex Karev (Season 15)
Alex Karev was the unlikeliest Chief (other than Sloan). He was appointed because Baily didn’t want someone better than her to step in for her, per Link’s advice, but Karev ended up being a great chief despite a shaky beginning. He spent almost a quarter of the budget in one day, but he quickly learned. He delegated and even had Bailey and Webber impressed, but neither one was going to tell him that.
This was just the next step of Karev’s character growth. He’d come a long way since the jerk that started as an intern. It makes his exit hard to understand. Why would this person who grew up to be the man he did leave his wife and responsibilities? All his character growth was wasted in how he was written off the show, making Karev’s Grey’s Anatomy exit controversial.
2. Meredith Grey (Season 18-19)
Meredith Grey’s time as Chief of Surgery was short. She was given the job when the hospital was a mess and had to build it back up again. She re-started the residency program earlier than it was meant to and got a group of bright doctors who all had obstacles stopping them from becoming great. It was all inspired by Nick Marsh and his path. Despite all this, it seemed fitting that she became Chief at the hospital where she grew up.
If Ellen Pompeo didn’t want to step back from Grey’s Anatomy, there’s no telling where this story could have gone. She turned things around and seemed like a great Chief. Grey ultimately stepped down for her daughter Zola. They discovered she was gifted, which was partly why she was having panic attacks, so she found a school in Boston.
1. Teddy Altman (Season 19 -)
By Grey’s Anatomy season 19, no one but Teddy Altman wanted the Chief job. It’s not a surprise, given all the issues previous chiefs have gone through. Some endured, like Webber, Hunt, and Bailey, and others, like Shepherd, stepped away. But Altman fought for the job, and for the short time she’s been in the role, she excelled.
Not long after getting the position, Altman was faced with protests outside the clinic. She handled it well by changing into sneakers and getting a walkie-talkie. She brought her army training to her role and showed why she was the best person for the job. Altman even called for an emergency meeting to deal with intern burnout, and they created an emergency relief fund so doctors like Mika Yasuda don’t have to work multiple jobs through their training. And she did this in only 12 episodes. There’s so much potential for Altman in Grey’s Anatomy season 20.
