Warning! SPOILERS for Grey's Anatomy season 19, episode 3 ahead.Grey's Anatomy's new class of interns is a massive novelty in season 19 – however, the absence of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital's senior residents hints at a major storyline about them. Grey's Anatomy season 19, episode 1 saw Levi Schmitt (Jake Borelli) work alongside Jo Wilson as an OB resident, but he quickly decided against pursuing a career in gynecology and returned to being a surgical resident. While Meredith accepting his request to switch back was accompanied by a promotion to chief resident longed for by Schmitt, he also quickly realized how stretched thin he was by the absence of other senior residents.

Grey's Anatomy season 19, episode 2 saw even ex-resident Taryn Helm (Jaicy Elliot) appear, although as a barwoman rather than a doctor, and as Levi's best friend, whom he begged to come back to Grey Sloan Memorial. Schmitt being already overwhelmed by the job that he just went back to offered glimpses of residents' burnout. However, it was Taryn's negative response to him asking her to come back to work as a surgical resident that more clearly hinted at the absence of residents being a problem, along with the strenuous working conditions they're subjected to. Schmitt's hectic long hours were proof of him being overworked, even more so as he was the only senior resident present. As being available for all surgeries and managing the interns is untenable in the long run for Schmitt, senior residents will have to come back in Grey's Anatomy season 19, either new ones or those already at Grey Sloan in Grey's Anatomy season 18.

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Grey Sloan's Problems Aren't Solved Just Because Interns Are Back

Adelaide Kane as Jules Millin, Harry Shum Jr. as Benson Kwan,  Alexis Floyd as Simone Griffith, Midori Francis as Mika Yasuda, and Niko Terho as Lucas Adams in Grey's Anatomy S19

Grey's Anatomy season 19's new interns avoided a mistake the show made in the past, and it also partially resolved the hospital's issues that arose at season 18's end. However, while the new class of interns might put Grey Sloan back on the path to being a highly-ranked teaching hospital, it didn't solve all its issues. After all, the residents' program being shut down in Grey's Anatomy season 18 was a direct consequence of the fact that there weren't enough doctors around to teach the residents, and that problem wasn't completely solved in the six months that Meredith was interim chief.

Indeed, Scott Speedman's Nick being in charge of the residents' program brought many new changes and considerable willingness to teach. Considering he wasn't the only one, as Schmitt moved back to surgery, Teddy and Owen returned from running away from the law, and even Miranda Bailey decided to go back to medicine in Grey's Anatomy season 19, episode 3, Grey Sloan's ranks can be considered replenished. However, as Owen cannot practice medicine on his own as he's yet to get his medical license back, senior residents are absent, having moved onto other residency programs. With Ellen Pompeo's Meredith set to appear in only eight episodes of Grey's Anatomy season 19, the shortage of doctors cannot be considered solved, and the brunt of it is paid by Schmitt, the sole senior resident available at Grey Sloan.

How Grey's Anatomy Hints At Residents' Burnout Being A Big S19 Storyline

Alexis Floyd as Simone Griffith, Niko Terho as Lucas Adams, Adelaide Kane as Jules Millin, Jake Borelli as Levi Schmitt, Harry Shum Jr. as Benson Kwan, and Midori Francis as Mika Yasuda in Grey's Anatomy S19

Schmitt's state of overworking was already repeatedly set up by Grey's Anatomy season 19, episodes 1 to 3, as he never had a moment to himself, and every time he could be seen onscreen, he had something to lament about him needing to be anywhere else as things needed to be done. However, the biggest hint about a storyline on senior residents' burnout and the need to change the way they work came from Helm's appearance. Grey's Anatomy season 19, episode 2 showed her happy and satisfied in her new role as bartender at Joe's Bar, where she made more money and wasn't as stressed as when she worked at Grey Sloan, because if she "made a mistake here, nobody died." All the hints dropped in Grey's Anatomy season 19's initial episodes showed senior residents would have to return, and when they do, their wellbeing will also need to be considered, not only the interns'.

New episodes of Grey's Anatomy air every Thursday on ABC.

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