When Dr. Cox scoffs at reading lines with a patient preparing for a play, J.D. urges his fellow doctors to do special, unconventional things for their patients. But when J.D. scores a date with a hot babe who loves his hair, he's not sure he can shave his head for a woman undergoing chemo. Turk and Carla attempt to eliminate all stress to better their chances of conceiving, but Turk has to compete for a surgical resident spot and Carla loses Dr. Kelso's VIP patient. Meanwhile, Elliot showers Keith with stupid gifts.
- Foreshadowing: When the surgery residents band together and demand to be judged on merit, Wen makes it a point to say the ranking he posts is of their technical skills.
- Pet the Dog: Because he's taken lessons in kindness from JD, Turk doesn't just treat his patients as bodies to be cut (in order to maintain distance), but goes out of his way to get to know them and even bring them small presents to comfort them before surgery. As a result of having the best bedside manner among the surgical staff, Dr. Wen assures Turk he has a future at Sacred Heart.
- Skewed Priorities: The only take-away Carla gets from the Janitor's rambling story about finding a head in a closet is that "I can't believe you have a locker and I don't.".
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Dr. Wen has to remind Turk that being a surgeon means seeing to all of your patient's needs, not just the part where you cut them open. Because of Turk's Pet the Dog moments with his patients, he's going to have a job at Sacred Heart moving forward.
