25 Most Memorable TV Doctors - Healthy Living Center - Everyday Health
25 Most Memorable TV Doctors
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For the 50-plus years that medical dramas have been prominently featured in prime-time programming, we've looked forward to our weekly house calls with top doctors. Big names like the nurturing Marcus Welby, the precocious Doogie Howser, and the gorgeous Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd easily come to mind, but don't forget about the rest of these notable fictional physicians.
Our Rx for an instant mood boost: Take this trip down TV MD memory lane — stat!
James Kildare
Years in practice: 1961 to 1966 on NBC’s Dr. Kildare
Specialty: Internal medicine
Hospital affiliation: Blair General Hospital in New York City
Bedside manner: As a young intern, Dr. Kildare (played by Richard Chamberlain) brought a calm, cool, and collected demeanor to the hectic and tense hospital atmosphere. No matter what the health issue, Kildare and his mentor — the older, more experienced Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Raymond Massey) — connected with their patients on a personal level, prescribing gentle but effective advice and treatment.
Photo credit: Everett Collection
Years in practice: 1961 to 1966 on ABC's Ben Casey
Specialty: Neurosurgery
Hospital affiliation: County General
Bedside manner: The idealistic and brooding surgeon (played by Vince Edwards) would often find himself at odds against the hospital's powers that be. To help off-set his surly nature, Casey sought the help of his two more compassionate confidantes at the hospital, Dr. Maggie Graham (played by Bettye Ackerman) and Dr. Ted Hoffman (Harry Landers). Together, the doctors dealt with a wide variety of issues like racial tension, immigration, child abuse , and euthanasia.
Steve Hardy
Years in practice: 1963 to 1996 on ABC’s General Hospital
Specialty: Internal medicine
Hospital affiliation: General Hospital in Port Charles, N.Y.
Bedside manner: The dedicated chief of internal medicine (John Bernadino) at Port Charles’ hospital frequently put his job before anything else. His hard work and devotion inspired his colleagues to follow his example, especially nurse and wife Audrey March (Rachel Ames). In a shocking turn of events during his time at GH, Hardy became paralyzed after he fell down the stairs. However, with the help of his wife, he made a remarkable recovery and was able to return to the hospital. Hardy died in 1996 of a heart attack after more than 30 years of service.
Photo credit: Everett Collection
Years in practice: 1969 to 1976 on ABC’s Marcus Welby, M.D.
Specialty: Internal medicine
Hospital affiliation: None
Bedside manner: Patient and loyal, Dr. Welby (Robert Young) invested his time and knowledge in each of his patients. While dealing with a wide variety of often ground-breaking issues, including addiction, autism , cancer, and rape, Welby and his younger colleague Steven Kiley, MD, (James Brolin) went beyond diagnosis and treatment to connect with their patients emotionally as well.
Photo credit: Universal TV/ Everett Collection
Leonard 'Bones' McCoy
Years in practice: 1966 to 1969 on NBC’s Star Trek
Specialty: Internal medicine
Hospital affiliation: None
Bedside manner: The passionate and intelligent Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) did not shy away from confrontation with his fellow colleagues aboard the Starship Enterprise. As chief medical officer, McCoy tended to be skeptical of relying on technology to heal patients, believing instead of the power and wonder of the human body’s ability to heal itself.
While the officers aboard the ship boldly went where no man had gone before, McCoy was strict about sticking with his medical duties. When asked to perform an odd job, he would respond with his trademark: “I’m a doctor, not a coal miner/bricklayer …”
Photo credit: Everett Collection
Years in practice: 1972 to 1983 on CBS’s M*A*S*H
Specialty: Surgery
Hospital affiliation: 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in South Korea
Bedside manner: A second-generation doctor, Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce (Alan Alda) knew the importance of keeping a level head while treating the critically wounded patients in wartime Korea, but the chief surgeon was also known for his womanizing ways, quick wit, and pranks.
On one occasion, Pierce became so disgusted with a colonel who willingly sent his men into harm’s way that he drugged the officer and removed his appendix so he would be relieved of his command.
Photo credit: 20th Century Fox Film Corp./Everett Collection
Trapper John
Years in practice: 1979 to 1986 on CBS’ Trapper John, M.D.
Specialty: Surgery
Hospital affiliation: San Francisco Memorial Hospital
Bedside manner: Nearly 30 years after his return from the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH), the exuberant Dr. John “Trapper” McIntyre (Pernell Roberts) calmly managed the chaos of a local hospital as its chief of surgery. Along with a ragtag group of fellow surgeons, John skillfully treated patients and addressed health concerns that ranged from AIDS to post-traumatic stress .
Photo credit: 20th Century Fox Film Corp./Everett Collection
Phillip Chandler
Years in practice: 1982 to 1988 on NBC’s St. Elsewhere
Specialty: Internal medicine
Hospital affiliation: St. Eligius Hospital in Boston
Bedside manner: Arguably the original McDreamy, the young Dr. Chandler (Denzel Washington) brought a sense of optimism to the otherwise beleaguered Boston hospital where he and his colleagues dealt with serious issues like AIDS , cancer, and odd medical mysteries.
Photo credit: Everett Collection
Years in practice: 1984 to 1992 on NBC’s The Cosby Show
Specialty: Ob-gyn
Hospital affiliation: None
Bedside manner: The funny Dr. Huxtable (Bill Cosby) delivered medical advice and babies as a private physician with an office in his brownstone home in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. Huxtable relied on his experience as a husband and father of five to relate to his patients, providing care in a light-hearted way.
Photo credit: Everett Collection
Years in practice: 1989 to 1993 on ABC’s Doogie Howser, M.D.
Specialty: Surgery
Hospital affiliation: Eastman Medical Center in Los Angeles
Bedside manner: As a child prodigy who graduated from high school at age 9 and Princeton University at age 10, Doogie Howser (Neil Patrick Harris) was inspired to go into medicine by after he survived two bouts with pediatric leukemia . He became a full-fledged physician at age 14 years old, and, thanks to his intelligence and caring demeanor, earned the respect of patients and his more seasoned colleagues.
Photo credit: 20th Century Fox Film Corp./Everett Collection
Joel Fleischman
Years in practice: 1990 to 1995 on CBS’s Northern Exposure
Specialty: General practice
Hospital affiliation: None
Bedside manner: New York City-based Dr. Fleischman (Rob Morrow) relocated to Cicely, Alaska, as its town physician to repay the state for footing his medical school tuition. While the neurotic, big city-minded Fleischman initially suffered from a severe case of culture shock, he soon began to adjust to the slower pace in the hamlet of 500 — and picked up a thing or two about the healing power of nature in the process.
Photo credit: Universal TV/Everett Collection
Michaela Quinn
Years in practice: 1993 to 1998 on CBS’s Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Specialty: Internal medicine
Hospital affiliation: None
Bedside manner: Craving a bit of adventure, Dr. Quinn (Jane Seymour) moved to the Wild West from Boston in the late 19th century. Independent and strong-willed, “Dr. Mike” stood her ground as a female physician in Colorado Springs, Colo., as she treated locals and visitors with a combination of herbal remedies and modern medicine, eventually earning the respect of the town’s citizens.
Photo credit: Everette Collection
Years in practice: 1994 to 1995, 1999 to 2000 on CBS’s Chicago Hope
Specialty: Cardiothoracic surgery
Hospital affiliation: Chicago Hope
Bedside manner: Brutally honest may be the perfect description for Dr. Geiger, the stellar heart surgeon (Mandy Patinkin). As a brilliant, neurotic doctor, Geiger pushed the limits in and out of the operating room to do what he felt was in his patients’ best interest. Admittedly emotionally unstable and haunted, Geiger was known for his passion and compassion for his patients and colleagues, especially his best friend, neurosurgeon Aaron Shutt (played by Adam Arkin).
Photo credit: 20th Century Fox Film Corp./Everett Collection
Doug Ross
Years in practice: 1994 to 1999, 2009 on NBC’s ER
Specialty: Pediatrics
Hospital affiliation: County General in Chicago
Bedside manner: The charming and good-looking emergency room pediatrician Doug Ross (George Clooney) had quite the hospital fan base, including his young patients and fellow doctors and nurses. After growing up with an abusive father, Ross was especially sensitive when it came to child abuse patients. In fact, as a staunch supporter of his patients’ rights, he regularly clashed with authority and at times risked his career to do what he felt was right. Ross resigned from the hospital after he advised the mother of a terminally ill patient how to administer a deadly dose of medication.
Photo credit: NBC/Photofest
Years in practice: 1995 to 1999 on CBS’s Chicago Hope
Specialty: Cardiothoracic surgery
Hospital affiliation: Chicago Hope
Bedside manner: As a foil to the passionate, wildcard surgeon Dr. Geiger, the more stable yet still outspoken Dr. Austin (Christine Lahti) was a fearless surgeon with an impressive reputation. Her ego and hunger for power made her a star in the operating room but an antagonistic personality outside of it.
Photo credit: 20th Century Fox Film Corp./Everett Collection
Elizabeth Corday
Years in practice: 1997 to 2004, 2009 on NBC's ER
Specialty: Surgery
Hospital affiliation: County General in Chicago
Bedside manner: Hailing from England, Dr. Corday (Alex Kingston) joined the team at County General to hone her trauma surgery skills. Although she struggled to learn the American hospital lingo ("page Dr. X" not "bleep Dr. X"), she eventually became one of the most well-liked and compassionate doctors on staff.
Photo credit: NBC
Years in practice: 1999 to 2002 on NBC’s Providence
Specialty: Plastic surgery, family medicine
Hospital affiliation: None
Bedside manner: Don’t let her hotshot Los Angeles plastic surgeon status fool you. Dr. Hansen (Melina Kanakaredes), who relocated to her hometown in Providence, R.I., and began working in the town’s family clinic, had a calm, caring, and genuine way that made her an instant hit with her patients.
Photo credit: Everett Collection
Years in practice: 2001 to 2009 on NBC’s Scrubs
Specialty: Surgery
Hospital affiliation: Sacred Heart in California
Bedside manner: The quirky, caring, and charismatic Dr. Dorian (Zach Braff) had a knack for connecting with patients — whether they wanted to or not. Prone to daydreaming , Dorian always returned to the real world to help his patients feel more comfortable and get better. Dorian was often found confiding in or seeking advice from his trusty sidekick, Dr. Chris Turk (Donald Faison), and cranky-but-wise mentor, Dr. Perry Cox (played by John C. McGinley).
Photo credit: Justin Lubin/Touchstone Television/Everett collection
Sean McNamara
Years in practice: 2003 to 2010 on FX’s Nip/Tuck
Specialty: Plastic surgery
Hospital affiliation: None
Bedside manner: The talented and skilled surgeon (Dylan Walsh) opened each conversation with his new patients this way: “Tell me what you don’t like about yourself.” Although his original interest in plastic surgery was more altruistic (he wanted to help fix serious injuries and disfigurements), instead McNamara opened a private practice for vanity procedures with his best friend, Dr. Christian Troy.
Photo credit: Michael Becker/Warner Bros. Television/Everett Collection
Christian Troy
Years in practice: 2003 to 2010 on FX’s Nip/Tuck
Specialty: Plastic surgery
Hospital affiliation: None
Bedside manner: While at first glance Dr. Troy (Julian McMahon) seemed like the stereotypical big-deal plastic surgeon — with flashy cars and a penchant for picking up women — he also had a sensitive side that stemmed from an abusive childhood. Although perhaps deeply flawed, Troy’s charm and mischievous personality balanced out his business partner and best friend Dr. McNamara’s more reserved attitude.
Photo credit: Warner Bros. Television/Everett Collection
Jack Shephard
Years in practice: 2004 to 2009 on ABC’s Lost
Specialty: Spinal surgery
Hospital affiliation: St. Sebastian in Los Angeles
Bedside manner: Dr. Shephard (Matthew Fox) was a well-respected Los Angeles spinal surgeon who ably took on emergency trauma care in the aftermath of a plane crash on a mysterious island. The dire circumstances that followed the accident gave Shephard multiple opportunities to save the lives of his fellow passengers and island inhabitants — he even daringly performed a beachside appendectomy on himself. A natural leader, Shephard had a calm demeanor in the face of danger. The brave “man of science” also believed in the power of humanity; his mantra was “live together, or die alone.”
Photo credit: WENN.com
Years in practice: 2004 to present on House M.D.
Specialty: Nephrology and infectious disease
Hospital affiliation: Princeton Plainsboro in New Jersey
Bedside manner: As the head of the hospital’s diagnostics department, the caustic and unconventional Dr. House (Hugh Laurie) has a passion for solving unsolvable medical cases, in part because of a personal misdiagnosis that permanently damaged his leg. House has an uncanny ability to see through his patients' lies , which usually lead him and his team of diagnosticians to the correct — and often lifesaving — diagnosis.
Photo credit: Chris Haston/FOX/Everett Collection
Derek Shepherd
Years in practice: 2005 to present on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy
Specialty: Neurosurgery
Hospital affiliation: Seattle Grace
Bedside manner: They don’t call him McDreamy for nothing. Dr. Shepherd’s (Patrick Dempsey) undeniable charm (and luscious black locks) and experience make him the brain surgeon to see. He can become deeply affected by his patients — he even slipped into a depression after a pregnant patient died. Shepherd is currently leading a clinical trial for Alzheimer's disease with his wife, surgeon Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), who lost her surgeon mother to the illness.
Photo credit: ABC/Photofest
Years in practice: 2005 to present on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy
Specialty: Surgery
Hospital affiliation: Seattle Grace
Bedside manner: Tough-love attending general surgeon Dr. Bailey (Chandra Wilson) may be short on stature, but she’s big on skill , determination, and order. While her demeanor may come across as abrasive at times (colleagues nicknamed her “The Nazi”), she is fiercely loyal to those she cares about, including her surgical interns.
Photo credit: ABC/Photofest
Years in practice: 2007 to present on ABC’s Private Practice
Specialty: Ob-gyn and maternal-fetal medicine
Hospital affiliation: None
Bedside manner: Level-headed and caring, Dr. Montgomery (Kate Walsh) joined the private practice Oceanside Wellness Group in Los Angeles after she left her job and Grey’s Anatomy colleagues at Seattle Grace Hospital. As one of the country’s most highly respected ob-gyns and neonatal surgeons, Montgomery is confident but not arrogant. She empathizes with her patients but does not sugarcoat the sometimes harsh truths about their and their babies’ prognoses.
Photo credit: WENN.com