There are many famous doctors around the world who appear on chat shows, documentaries, medical programmes or have their own TV shows. Many eminent scientists, academics and inventors who have made contributions in scientific and non-scientific fields studied Medicine. For example, Edward Jenner, who has been said to have saved more people than any human in history through his work on immunology. Or Alexander Fleming (for his work on antibiotics), Sigmund Freud (the father of psychoanalysis) and Carl Jung (creator of some of the best known psychological theories such as extraversion and introversion theory; synchronicity; the collective unconscious).

This article does not discuss these types of people but instead lists a few notable people who you may be surprised to learn studied Medicine. Although you may be surprised to learn the things these people have excelled in; remember that Medicine is a profession that attracts a hugely diverse range of people who are intelligent, have a great work ethic and many talents so are natural candidates to be successful in a diverse range of fields. The nature of the medical school’s admission process also means that it attracts very well-rounded individuals with many hobbies and interests, often to very high levels.

Michael Crichton

Michael Crichton went to Harvard Medical School. He was the author of the Jurassic Park series and creator and executive producer of the hit TV show ER. The critically acclaimed TV show Westworld is based on the film of the same name which Crichton wrote and directed. He has sold over 200 million books with dozens becoming best-sellers and adapted into movies. He held the unique distinction of having a no 1 movie (Jurassic Park), no 1 TV show (E.R.) and a no 1 book (Disclosure).

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a prolific writer most known for creating the Sherlock Holmes character. He graduated from Edinburgh Medical School.

Che Guevara

Che Guevara was a major figure of the Cuban revolution. Even if you have not heard of this hugely influential Argentinian, you will likely have seen stylised depictions of his face on clothing, art, graffiti, film and television and more. He completed his medical degree at the University of Buenos Aires in 1953.

Sir Roger Bannister

Sir Roger Bannister studied Medicine at Oxford University. He was a neurologist with a distinguished 40-year career including contributions to academic Medicine and over 80 publications. He was also an Olympic middle-distance runner who has the distinction of being the first man ever to run a sub 4-minute mile – something which had been attempted for possibly thousands of years and was seen as an impenetrable track and field barrier. His achievement is hugely influential in sporting history. Its legacy transcends his sport, frequently being cited by business leaders, innovators, authors, coaches, journalists and more as an example of overcoming psychological and societal barriers and redefining what is thought of as humanly possible. He reached the milestone while working as a junior doctor. He later went on to become the first chairman of the Sports Council. When asked what his proudest achievement has been he refers to his work as a neurologist.

Jed Mercurio

Jed Mercurio is an award-winning, writer, producer and director. His notable works include the BBC drama Line of Duty, and the TV series Cardiac Arrest and Bodies. Line of Duty reached widespread public and critical acclaim winning multiple awards and being nominated for multiple BAFTA awards. It was BBC 2’s most-watched drama series ever in the multichannel era. His other TV series Bodies (a medical drama) received multiple BAFTA nominations, won the Royal Television award for best drama and is listed as one of the best TV dramas of all time by various publications including the Guardian. Jed studied Medicine at the Birmingham Medical School and while working as a doctor responded to an advert by the British Medical Journal despite having little writing experience.

Harry Hill

Harry Hill is a multi BAFTA-winning English comedian, TV presenter and author. He has narrated You’ve Been Framed since 2004 and hosted various TV and radio shows including the self-titled; Harry Hill’s TV Burp. In addition to numerous BAFTA awards he has won multiple British comedy awards and is listed as one of the top 10 funniest British comedians by multiple publications and polls. He graduated from St Georges Hospital Medical School and worked as a doctor in various UK hospitals.

Ken Jeong

Medicine has produced many comedians. One example is Ken Jeong who is an American stand-up comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for playing Ben Chang on the sitcom Community, and the gangster Leslie Chow in the comedy movie “The Hangover” and its sequels. He was the lead in the ABC sitcom Dr Ken, in which he was also the creator, writer and executive producer.

Sporting stars

Over 100 American and British Olympians have become doctors and many more have done so around the world.

How can Medicine Answered help you become a doctor?

We can’t help you become an award-winning director or comedian who also moonlights as a doctor, but we can help with the doctor part. Medicine Answered are here to help you at any stage of the medical school application process. This includes if you are still deciding if Medicine is the career for you. We have hundreds of free articles and guides about higher education, applying to medicine and life as a medical student and doctor. They are entirely free and do not require you to sign up to anything, give your email address or anything else. You can find out more about these under our resources section. We also offer courses and one to one tutoring to help you in your medical school application. You can learn more about these under our services section or feel free to contact us.