Was thinking about this post by @alexisneverokay but took a bit of a different route
Dennis, even though he’s gained quite a bit of confidence between being MS4 and coming back to the Pitt, is still an easy target for the younger MS3s and MS4s that he teaches, yes. He is always polite, nice, smiles at everyone and tends to be a bit awkward. Not shy, just mumbling something to himself, chuckling to fill in the uncomfortable silence.
And the student doctors clearly don’t take him seriously. Yes, they act like they listen to him explaining a procedure, but really they all snicker behind his back and make fun of his allegories. And it’s sad, really. He can’t control his facial expressions and so it’s clearly visible that the comments get to him. His face falls just a little, the passion behind his words vanished and he just stands there. He feels a little like back in school, where kid would laugh at him being lanky and uncoordinated before he grew into himself.
But then something happens - be it another active mass shooting situation, a mass casualty event or something along those lines. All the students panic, running around like headless chickens. They take a breather, waiting for another batch of patients, when they see Dennis.
But it’s not the usual silly, pushover doctor Whitaker, no. He is precise, barking orders while elbow deep in a patient’s chest cavity. He’s focused and determined, sweat dripping down his temple as he runs from one trauma to another, easily taking over and helping the less experienced doctors and student doctors.
From that day on they see him in a different light and by word of mouth - the story of an insanely competent, unassuming doctor from the Pitt spreads. No other student doctors dare to laugh at him. And if one or two happen to snicker at him in the duration of his work, well, they get knocked down a pet pretty quickly by their peers.