As Seattle Grace welcomes a new group of interns, the new interns struggle to make it through a grueling shift as one of them, Dr. Meredith Grey, comes to a horrifying realization about a one-night-stand.
Derek and Burke compete for the same position. Meredith has trouble dealing with the case of a rape victim, who proves to be a fighter. Izzie faces a communication problem with a patient.
With the hospital flooded with patients from an ill-advised bike race, Cristina crosses the line when her enthusiasm for a medical procedure overwhelms her compassion.
Izzie's past as a model comes back to haunt her as Alex covers the hospital in her pictures, undermining her credibility as a doctor. Meredith encounters a face from her mother's past.
As cases of workplace fraternization arise, Bailey comes to a startling discovery. Burke faces the ramifications of an old mistake, as Meredith worries about her career in light of a current mistake in the OR.
Bailey questions Derek's judgment when it comes to assessing Meredith's abilities as a surgeon. Alex's callous remarks come back to haunt him as they get him banned from a case.
George faces an ethical dilemma when he comes to suspect that a doctor is endangering patients with his alcoholism. Meredith is asked to keep the news about her patient's illegal surgery from her parents.
Alex must come up with a way to save a patient without undermining her religious beliefs. Cristina struggles to come up with a decision regarding her pregnancy.
Dr. Webber enlists the help of a trusted few to save his eyesight. A friend of Burke's is left at a crossroads when a shocking diagnosis reveals the problems in his marriage. Meredith makes a shocking discovery about Derek.