Grey’s Anatomy: 10 Memorable Patients, Ranked By Intelligence

The hit ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy has been taking fans along with it on an emotionally wrought journey for many years now.

Although the show revolves around the lives of doctors at a hospital in Seattle and focuses especially on the roller coaster ride of the central protagonist Meredith Grey, the patients at the hospital are as crucial to the series’ record run as the doctors themselves. Here are ten such smart and memorable patients to have graced Seattle Grace/Grey Sloan Memorial over the years.

10 Denny Duquette

It would be remiss to forget about actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s beloved Denny Duquette in any article on Grey’s Anatomy patients, whether ranked by intelligence or otherwise.

The dashing Denny was an outdoorsman whose diagnosis of heart disease chained him down to a life of hospital beds. He was more dreamy than sharp but he was a man of his word and certainly one of the more vibrant, memorable patients Seattle Grace had seen, as Izzie Stevens would surely agree.

9 Nick Hanscom

In season 4, Nick Hansom came in with a giant carotid tumor and struck up a light-hearted conversation with Lexie Grey, who was left in charge of him while the other doctors were busy with their surgeries.

Nick died tragically, becoming the first patient Lexie got attached to who met a terrible end. But Nick was smart, witty, clear-headed, and very much aware of his situation, making him hard to forget.

8 Henry Burton

Remember the incredibly handsome Henry Burton whom Teddy Altman married on a whim and ended up falling deeply in love with?

Scott Foley stole hearts with his portrayal of the slightly introverted patient who was struggling with heart problems and then passed away shockingly in the operation theatre. Henry was intelligent, intuitive, and even planned to go to medical school despite it being a little later in the day for him.

7 Stephanie Edwards

One of the sharpest and best interns who then went on to become a patient at Seattle Grace was Stephanie Edwards, which had by then become Grey Sloan Memorial in memory of Dr. Mark Sloan and Dr. Lexie Grey both of whom died in the devastating plane crash in the shocking season 8 finale.

Stephanie got severe burns when she single-handedly saved a young girl from the fire at the hospital in the final episodes of season 13. She was then admitted into the burn ward herself and she was by far one of the most quick-witted patients at the hospital.

6 Nick Marsh

The cute transplant doctor from Mayo Clinic in the season 14 episode “One Day Like This” was one of the sharpest, most rational patients Meredith, or the hospital as such had had.

Nick Marsh collapsed in Grey Sloan right before he was about to perform a liver transplant only a few weeks after he had himself undergone a kidney transplant. He was smart, adorable, and knew exactly what was going on being a doctor himself; he also had an instant connection with both Meredith and the fans, which made him stand out among other patients.

5 Derek Shepherd

‘McDreamy’ Derek Shepherd had also been a patient at Grey Sloan Memorial after the plane crash in season 8 almost cost him his million-dollar hand.

Derek was definitely one of the smartest patients the doctors have handled; he himself helped Callie Torres design the strategy for the complex surgery she was about to perform and knew and understood all the possible difficulties associated with it.

4 Meredith Grey

The series’ central protagonist Meredith Grey has been a patient at the hospital more times than she would like to remember. From almost drowning to death to developing complications during her delivery to being beaten into a pulp by a patient to currently being diagnosed with the coronavirus in season 17, Meredith has been more on the other side of the hospital bed than most other doctors.

Meredith of course qualifies as one of the most intelligent patients at the hospital, being a brilliant doctor herself. However, she is also stubborn and a rather difficult patient to handle, although memorable every time.

3 Cristina Yang

One of the most intelligent patients at the hospital has been Cristina Yang, who ended up requiring emergency surgery when she was diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy.

Cristina, fans know, was relentlessly competitive, and although she made a terrible patient, keeping true to the adage that doctors make the worst patients, she was obviously among the most intelligent patients. The way she kept trying to get back to work refusing to listen to reason led to a number of hilarious situations making her a memorable patient as well.

2 Ellis Grey

Meredith Grey’s mother was an award-winning surgeon herself and was admitted into Seattle Grace when she collapsed at her care facility where she had been living after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Ellis was a smart cookie, to say the least, and despite the fact that her memory was failing, she made sure she kept her doctors on their toes and even ordered them around to check the right parameters. She wasn’t particularly pleasant perhaps, but she was intelligent nonetheless.

1 Nicole Herman

The Head of Fetal Surgery at Grey Sloan was Dr. Nicole Herman, an ambitious, driven, and brilliant doctor who was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Actor Geena Davis did a remarkable job portraying this none-too-pleasant personality who could get on anybody’s nerves by her slightly insensitive bedside manners. However, Nicole was an excellent surgeon, and her sheer intelligence and rationality even appeared daunting to her doctors who ultimately wanted the best for her. At the end of the day, Nicole’s strength of character left an indelible mark both on the doctors and fans.

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