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We matched ‘The Pitt’ characters to ANU degrees
If you’ve spent any time watching The Pitt you’ll know these characters are a little too real. The overthinking. The chaos. The commitment to making hard decisions while clearly needing a snack and eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.
So naturally, we started wondering what they would study at ANU.
We matched some of the main characters from The Pitt to ANU degrees, based on their personalities, instincts and general workplace behaviour. We also avoided the obvious where we could, because saying “doctor equals medicine” felt far too easy.
Here’s where we landed.
Dr Robby: Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)
The Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours), or PhB, is tailored for students who think differently. The program gives students the chance to design their own academic pathway through research projects, coursework and guidance from a personal academic mentor.>
That makes it a natural fit for Robby.
Robby does not follow the usual path. He improvises, takes setbacks personally, checks in after difficult cases because he cares and is famously bad at following his own advice. The PhB suits someone who wants to ask big questions, work independently and move toward leadership in research.
For Robby, the sabbatical will just have to wait.
Dr Robby loves to lead, explore new ideas and is always thinking. Image credit: HBO
Dana Evans: Bachelor of Science (Psychology)
Dana has been running the floor for 30 years and knows the full names, family history and personalities of every staff member in the building.
She manages the chaos, keeps everyone alive and on task and somehow still notices when a junior nurse is about to break. Her care is not warm and fuzzy. It is precise, practical and exactly what the room needs in those high-pressure moments where everybody gets overwhelmed. Dana cuts through the noise.
That is why Dana belongs in the Bachelor of Science (Psychology).
She reads people before they have said a word and responds to what they actually need, not just what they think they need. Psychology gives that instinct a framework: how people think, behave, cope and communicate, especially under pressure.
Nurse Dana knows how to speak, understand and interact with patients more than anybody. Image credit: HBO
Dr. Abbot: Bachelor of Actuarial Studies
Hear us out.
Abbot is ex-military, works the night shift, has a prosthetic leg, moonlights with a SWAT team between shifts and is somehow one of the most emotionally grounded people in the building when it matters.
He calculates risk constantly. He knows the odds, makes the call anyway and lives with the outcome. He stays in motion because stillness is when the hard stuff catches up.
The Bachelor of Actuarial Studies is a maths-heavy degree. We’re talking statistics, probability and financial modelling, but the point of all that maths is one thing: understanding risk. How likely is something bad to happen? How bad would it actually be? What is the smartest move given those numbers?
That’s Abbot. He doesn’t panic because he’s already done the calculation. He doesn’t hesitate because he’s already assessed the probability. Actuarial Studies fits him because it rewards the same instincts he relies on: analytical thinking, calm decision-making and the ability to understand what is at stake before anyone else has finished reacting.
Abbot always calculates his next move. Image credit: HBO
Dr. King: Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics
Mel is methodical and one of the most skilled people in the room. She notices things others miss, processes and communicates differently, and often does her best work when given space to do things her way.
She also understands, on a deeply personal level, how much systems can get wrong about people who do not fit the expected mould.
That makes the Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics a strong match.
PPE is about interrogating systems with rigour. Why do institutions fail people? What ethical standards should they meet? What does the evidence actually show? The degree calls for holding multiple frameworks in mind and seeing where they intersect, which is exactly how Mel moves through the world
She picks up the detail that does not fit the pattern, follows the thread and is often right.
Dr. Mel King always looks to understand the bigger picture: at the hospital and in her patient care. Image credit: HBO
Dr. Santos: Bachelor of Laws (Honours)
Santos is cocky, ambitious and will identify an injustice in a room, name it out loud and deal with the consequences later. She’s not trying to make friends, she’s trying to be right.
That is why Santos belongs in the Bachelor of Laws (Honours).
Law attracts people who see the world as a system that can and should be held to account. Santos never asks permission to advocate for a patient. She builds a case, pushes it forward and accepts the friction that comes with it.
Her anti-authority streak is what makes her a relentless protector of people who need someone in their corner. The only difference between Santos and an ANU Law student is that Santos has not discovered yet that ANU Law students can intern at Parliament House. Give her time.
Isa Briones as Dr. Santos in the HBO television show ‘The Pitt’
Baby Jane Doe: undecided (and that’s totally fine)
She’s new. Baby Jane Doe arrives in the middle of chaos, has no idea what is going on yet and everyone around her is still figuring out their next move. So, her ANU match is undecided. And that is completely fine.
Not every ANU student arrives with their entire future mapped out. Some defer, some might change their mind. Some start in one direction and realise another path makes more sense.
She represents the beginning stage: new environment, major life questions, plenty of uncertainty and less time than it feels like to work things out.
Baby Jane Doe made it through the night. The point is, beginnings are allowed to be messy.
Baby Jane Doe can do it, so can you. Image credit: HBO
Discover more about our programs and courses at ANU to find a perfect fit for you.
