Alex Karev is described by his friends as a good guy trapped in a jerk’s body. When he was first introduced, he was disturbingly rude and offensive. His insulting speech and conceited attitude caused him to be severely disliked by his co-workers. Moreover, Alex’s medical and surgical skills were well below par.
As soon as Alex began working at the then-named Seattle Grace Hospital, he was negligent, irresponsible, and disrespectful. Alex was lucky to have had the time to grow as a person and a doctor given that there were several instances where he should’ve been fired from Grey Sloan Memorial. In fact, many of these violations took place during his first year as an intern.
10 He Failed His Boards
A few months into Alex’s intern year, The Chief of Surgery approached Alex to inform him that he’d failed the medical boards. His exam results arrived later than everyone else’s, he was matched with Seattle Grace Hospital with the assumption that he passed his exam. Doctors are trusted medical professionals with an enormous responsibility. Failing his medical boards proved he wasn’t knowledgeable about the material his patients trusted him with. Alex should’ve been let go immediately as it was unethical to allow him to continue to practice medicine.
9 He Encouraged His Patient’s Husband To Sue The Hospital
Alex’s behavior as an intern was not only unprofessional, but it was also crude. While on Dr. Addison Montgomery’s service, he witnessed a patient request to have her fallopian tubes severed during surgery. Addison accepted this request and secretly followed her patient’s wishes. Alex didn’t agree with this personally so he took it upon himself to advise the patient’s husband to sue the hospital. Alex knew that this request was made due to the fact that the patient’s religious beliefs didn’t allow for the use of contraceptives. Knowing the complexities of the situation, Alex caused trouble for not only Dr. Montgomery but also for the hospital he worked for. This act should’ve resulted in his immediate dismal.
8 His Patient Overheard Him Berating Her
Annie was a patient with a large tumor attached to her side. Her tumor only reached the critical state it was in because she refused to go to the doctor for over a year. Annie was shy and insecure because of her appearance. Alex saw this and flirted with Annie to make her feel comfortable. He wanted to gain Annie’s trust to ensure he was chosen for her surgery.
During Annie’s CT scan, Alex forgot to turn off the mic which caused her to hear him make fun of her and express his repulsion for her actions. Annie was left feeling humiliated and requested that Alex be removed from her case. Bedside manner is an important part of medical practice, Alex constantly ignored this fact.
7 He Initiated An STD Outbreak
George was unfortunately the first to bring attention to this unsanitary occurrence. After George became intimate with nurse Olivia, he discovered that he contracted Syphilis from her. Soon it was revealed that an outbreak had spread throughout the staff within the hospital. After speaking with Olivia, George discovered Alex gave her the disease resulting in him contracting it as well. It’s implied that Alex was the one who initiated the spread of the disease. Furthermore, he kept his diagnosis to himself, leaving his friends and co-workers vulnerable.
6 He Posted Half-Naked Photos Of Izzie
When discussing their journey to becoming doctors, Izzie disclosed that she worked as a model in order to pay for medical school. When Alex learned this, he found the magazine she posed for, made copies of photos of her in lingerie, and posted the pictures throughout the hospital. Izzie was embarrassed and infuriated when she arrived at work and saw her coworkers gathered together laughing at her photos. Alex committed an act of sexual harassment and bullying. A zero-tolerance policy for this type of behavior should’ve been enacted.
5 He Misdiagnosed A Patient On His First Day
On his first day as an intern, Alex operated as if he was an experienced professional. He spoke with false bravado and confidence. During his first shift, he was asked by a nurse to see a patient in the ER. He rudely dismissed the nurse by telling her to deal with it herself because he felt the case wasn’t worth his time. Later, the same patient was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism. Alex put a patient’s life in danger by not giving them the care and attention they deserved. Dr. Webber arrived at the ER to ask his doctors if they knew the signs for post-operative fever. Alex was unable to answer, leaving Meredith to diagnose the patient he neglected.
4 He Ignored A Patient In Critical Condition
There’s an annual bike messenger race that occurs in Seattle once a year where cyclists race all over the city placing themselves in life-threatening situations. Viper was one of the cyclists that entered the ER with a stomach wound. Viper was adamant about finishing his race and Alex agreed. Alex asserted that Meredith should patch up the patient and let him go.
Meredith tried to get Viper to stay, she insisted that he stay and allow her to examine him thoroughly. He refused and left to finish his race. Later that day, Viper came into the ER in an incredible amount of pain. Alex saw him waiting but deemed his case uninteresting. Meredith attempted to help him when he collapsed. Alex once again ignored a patient who had internal injuries and froze in a high-pressure situation.
3 He Froze In The Elevator
During a storm, Seattle Grace Hospital lost its electricity. George and Alex were escorting a police officer that was recently shot to the operating room when the power went out. Due to the patient’s critical condition, Dr. Burke was forced to talk them through a procedure that would buy him time until they were able to open the elevator doors. Dr. Burke attempted to hand Alex the scalpel to begin the procedure, but he did not respond. He let fear consume him. George operated on the patient alone and saved his life with very little help from Alex.
2 He Ordered The Wrong Medication For A Patient
Robert Martin was a patient that suffered from an injury that caused him to constantly feel dehydrated. When he arrived, his diagnosis was clear and his treatment was simple. However, Mr. Martin began seizing shortly after Alex ordered his treatment. When Dr. Shepherd arrived to examine him, the nurse revealed that Alex gave Mr. Martin the wrong dosage of his medication. He flooded his body with too much sodium and caused his brain to swell. Mr. Martin died because Alex was distracted by his personal insecurities.
1 A Friend Of His Patient Died On His Watch
During one evening shift, a tragic train accident brought several patients to the ER. Alex’s patient received a terrible cut on her forehead and several bruises on her body. Alex cared for her well, but failed to examine a friend that accompanied her. His explanation for this was that the friend was walking and talking, she seemed fine. As a doctor, Alex should’ve known to examine his patient and her friend as they were both involved in the accident. Later that evening, his patient’s friend collapsed because she was bleeding internally. His carelessness cost yet another patient their life.
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