When a new medical drama comes out, especially one with a new crop of fresh-faced residents straight out of med school, it’s hard not to make a “Grey’s Anatomy” comparison.

And though “Emily Owens M.D.” isn’t “Grey’s,” the doctors at Denver Memorial Hospital aren’t all that different from the docs at Seattle Grace.

True to “Grey’s” form, the attending, Gina Bandari, is just as terrifying as Bailey who terrorized Meredith, Cristina, Izzie, Alex and George for years into their residency!

And similar to that very first “Grey’s” episode (nine seasons ago!!), where Izzie and Meredith didn’t hit it off right away, in the pilot episode of “Emily Owens,” there’s already animosity between Emily and the not-so-friendly Cassandra Kopelson (who, much to Emily’s dismay revives her high school nickname, “Pits”).

That first episode of “Grey’s” involved Meredith’s pre-first-day-of-work binge at Joe’s, where, after a few too many shots of tequila, she took the hot guy home, only to find out the next morning that the hot guy with the good hair was her boss, Derek Shepherd.

Now, Emily Owens’ first day isn’t quite that awful, though she does get the rude awakening that though it’s her first day out of school in 20-plus years, she might as well be back in high school with all the pettiness and cattiness of the hospital staff.

“We’re freshman all over again,” says Emily’s friend (and crush) Will Collins.

Emily’s lesbian surgical resident friend adds that at Denver Memorial the jocks are in orthopedics, rebels are in the ER, and the mean girls are in Plastics (I bet Mark Sloane wouldn’t have minded that!)

Like Meredith, Emily gets involved with her patients’ lives – coaching a 12-year-old to ask her crush out on a date and promising to stay with her throughout her heart surgery, even against the orders of her evil attending.

But the best part of the first episode happens when Emily’s very first patient begins crashing.

“I need a doctor!” she yells in the hallway.

“You are a doctor!” the nurse retorts.

If we’ve learned anything from Meredith’s journey on “Grey’s,” it’s going to be quite the ride, Emily!

(And keep an eye out for the attendings with good hair…they turn out alright!)

“Emily Owens M.D.” airs on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on CTV two. Full episodes are also available online at CTV.ca.

About Lindsay Zier-Vogel

Lindsay Zier-Vogel has been working for CTV.ca since 2008. Lindsay’s highlights include interviewing the famed American choreographer Bill T. Jones and Canadian prima ballerina Karen Kain, as well as covering the Juno Awards. Follow her on Twitter!