The devastatingly handsome Mark Sloan will always be remembered as one of the most tragic characters in Grey's Anatomy. Mark died in season 9 in the aftermath of the shocking plane crash of the season 8 finale which also killed the love of his life, Lexie Grey.
Had the writers gone ahead with a longer arc for the character, Mark might have grown more as a person and a doctor. As it was, in the brief time he was with the show, the character evolved hugely, going from hated to much loved. Mark was never projected as the quintessentially reliable doctor in a way that Derek or Bailey was. But he was still exceptional at his work and one wonders what kind of a doctor he would have eventually become.
Is: He Excelled At His Job
Mark was an excellent surgeon and there is no denying that. For all his brash cockiness, he was one of the top plastic surgeons and ENTs in the country.
A gifted surgeon, in spite of his flaws, is what any patient would covet. Mark Sloan was a sought-after surgeon and any patient would feel safe in the hands of a doctor who is naturally brilliant.
Isn't: He Was Condescending
Unfortunately, Mark's arrogance often overshadowed his brilliance as a surgeon. He was especially condescending towards those who were junior to him and treated his interns callously and without an iota of respect.
While thinking too much of himself may not necessarily affect his skills as a doctor, a colleague who suffers from egotism and condescension might not be a very easy person to work with.
Is: He Might Have Made A Good Leader
Interestingly enough, Mark might have made a good leader had he not had such a tragically short life. And a good leader who knows what he wants would ideally also be confident and in charge in the OR.
Mark was Chief of Surgery for only one day, but he came up with some great ideas such as 'Beef with the Chief' wherein the doctors could discuss any matter with the Chief before they spiraled. It is possible that he would have had innovative ideas that would have helped the hospital's ranking and made surgery more cutting-edge.
Isn't: He Wasn't Interested In Mentoring
Mark wasn't very keen on teaching or mentoring and seemed to think it a waste of his time.
He spent way too much time showing off or holding on to his reputation as 'McSteamy', and couldn't be bothered to teach. Since it is by watching and working with senior doctors that interns and residents learn their job hands-on, especially in a teaching hospital, it is the more experienced doctor's duty to teach properly, so that no lives are endangered by uninformed young surgeons.
Is: He Was Compassionate
Mark might be arrogant in general but with patients he turns on his charm and instantly puts them at their ease.
Mark was shown interacting with patients a number of times and he was always compassionate and encouraging even in the most difficult cases. His confidence was substantiated by the fact that he was indeed very good, and he didn't mind passing some of it on to his usually nervous patients.
Isn't: He Had A Track Record Of Unprofessionalism
Mark Sloan was possibly the most notorious among the doctors and his notoriety came from his relentless harassment of the women in the hospital.
Mark slept with every woman he could, be it nurses, drug reps, residents, or attendings and the way he moved on with ease from one person to another left a string of broken hearts. The nurses' union even went on a strike against him for his behavior. Because of his lack of professionalism and complete disregard for ethics, he became a doctor with a dubious record, even if it wasn't enough to actually hurt his career.
Is: He Could Be Committed
Mark was committed to his patients and had he lived longer, and his character been given the opportunity to grow more, fans might have seen him becoming as devoted to his work as, say, Alex Karev became.
Mark wasn't shown to quit easy even in the direst of circumstances. He went out of his way to save Alex who had been shot during the horrific hospital shooting incident--although the fact that Lexie was dating him at the time might have had something to do with it. But even besides that, he took his hippocratic oath seriously, probably the only thing he took seriously apart from his desire to have a family.
Isn't: He Took Credit For Other's Ideas
Mark used Bailey's idea to gain leverage during the selection committee interview for the Chief of Surgery in season 3. As the attendings including Derek and Addison are vying with each other for the position, Mark suddenly presents himself as an interested party.
He also straightaway takes credit for an idea that Miranda had initially come up with, about how she would be concerned with the hospital's current situation rather than bothering about a ten-year plan. The board is impressed but this proves that Mark is the kind of surgeon who doesn't think twice before pitching someone else's idea as his own.
Is: He Wasn't Overly Ambitious
Being ambitious is important and even desirable but too much of anything can be a problem. Mark, however, was never shown to be overly ambitious, unlike Derek whose arc went haywire when he prioritized his career over everything else.
Mark did have his moments, like when he decided not to be left out of the race of the Chief or when he went and ingratiated himself as Chief for one day in Owen's absence. But even these moments played out in a hilarious manner as the general perception was that Mark Sloan was too immature for any authoritative role. Yet, it was perhaps his lack of interest in being too cut-throat that gave him the space to dedicate himself to his patients more.
Isn't: He Was Biased
Mark was biased in the way he bestowed his goodwill. He picked his mentee, Jackson Avery, based purely on the fact that he was dating Lexie and Mark believed that he somehow had to make him into a great surgeon for Lexie's sake.
His relationship with Jackson was one of the most adorable bromance arcs in the series at the time with Jackson resenting the senior attending as he hovered around him all the time, until he grew to respect him. However, adorable of not, favoritism is never desirable in any individual, a surgeon included.