At San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital, the hospital's president advocates for the hiring of a new young doctor, as he tries to convince a reluctant board that despite being autistic, Dr. Shaun Murphy would be an asset to the hospital.
Shaun's first day doesn't go as planned as his tardiness ends up with him benched. Though his attention to details proves to be a boon for several patients, one of his colleagues claims credit for his ideas.
As they go to procure a kidney for one of their patients, Shaun and Claire end up forming a bond. But as they fight to save the kidney, they return to the hospital to find an unexpected outcome.
The doctors get a difficult case when a pregnant woman enlists their help to save her fetus, who is attached to a tumor. Shaun starts to settle in at work and at home.
Shaun's past comes back to haunt him when he receives a patient who resembles his late brother. Despite having a bleak diagnosis, Shaun throws himself into trying to find a way to save his young patient.
With the hospital flooded with patients from a wedding bus crash, Jared proposes an experimental procedure to try and save a patient's leg. Claire makes a mistake that leads to tragic consequences.
Dr. Melendez stands up for Shaun when the parents of an autistic patient show prejudice against him. Claire deals with the aftermath of her medical error.
When Shaun gets in the crossfire during a robbery, his actions end up having dire consequences. Claire's ability to stay objective is tested when the robber ends up on her operating table.
When a young boy with several congenital heart anomalies is admitted to the hospital, Dr. Melendez and Shaun team up to come up with a safe procedure to save his life.
As Dr. Glassman tries to support Shaun and help him become more adjusted, Shaun makes a decision to emphasize his independence. Claire is put in an awkward position when a colleague makes an inappropriate pass at her.
Shaun and Lea get close as they take a road trip, but the trip ends on a sour note when Lea reveals unexpected news. Melendez and Andrews team up on a complicated surgery involving a kidney transplant for one of two conjoined twins.
Jared resorts to unsavory means to win back his job. The doctors race to save Katie and Jenny as their conditions go downhill. Shaun shocks Glassman with a sudden decision.
A mistake during surgery causes concerns about Melendez's ability to do his job. Shaun goes too far while trying to get a patient to be honest about the source of her injuries.
As the residents split into two teams under the supervision of Melendez and Lim, Shaun alienates his transgender patient, and Claire develops a rivalry with Dr. Morgan Reznick.
A young patient faces a dilemma when his badly-needed kidney transplant turns out to be coming from a convicted murderer. A teenager takes a chance on a dangerous surgery in the hopes of ending the days of her home-confinement.
Claire faces a dilemma when her estranged mother shows up, threatening to destabilize her life once more. Melendez sees to one of the first patients he ever got, as the latter struggles to make a difficult decision.
Jared gets a new job offer. Claire and Morgan discover that their patient isn't being forthcoming with the truth. Shaun questions the need to risk surgery to allow a patient with Möbius syndrome to smile.
Shaun refuses to accept Glassman's diagnosis and fights to find a way to save him. When Shaun makes a mistake with a patient, he has to face the consequences.