Doctors to Be
Encyclopedia
Doctors to Be is a biographical documentary series that was first broadcast on BBC Two
by BBC Television
and is also the name of a BBC book that accompanied the series. The television series follows 10 medical students who enrolled at St Mary's Hospital Medical School
(now a part of Imperial College School of Medicine
) in the 1985 intake of students. It starts in 1984 with their admission interviews, then follows them through five or six years as medical students, and ends with their first experiences of working as busy junior hospital doctors in the National Health Service
.
The BBC
decided to make the series in 1983 and the BBC contacted several medical school
s. The BBC selected St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London
, England, partly because the Dean
, Prof Peter Richards, was enthusiastic about filming and thought that medical education was of public interest. Filming began in November 1984 when applicants were applying for university and going to interviews for the 1985 intake at St Mary's Hospital Medical School. St Mary's Medical School interviewed 419 applicants and 100 of these interviews were filmed. In the autumn of 1985, when studies had started, every student in the year was asked if they wanted to take part in the television series, and 10 students, who were thought to be outgoing and resilient to the pressures of filming, were chosen by the BBC. Each of the 10 medical students were filmed regularly and about 300 hours of film accumulated in total.
The series was one of the nominations for the best factual series at the 1992 British Academy Television Awards
, although it did not win an award. An update, Doctors to Be: 20 Years On
, was first broadcast on BBC Four
in 2007.
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
by BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
and is also the name of a BBC book that accompanied the series. The television series follows 10 medical students who enrolled at St Mary's Hospital Medical School
St Mary's Hospital Medical School
St Mary's is the youngest of the constituent schools of Imperial College, London, founded in 1854 as part of the new hospital in Paddington. During its existence in the 1980s and 90s, it was the most popular medical school in the country, with an application to place ratio of 27:1 in 1996.St Mary's...
(now a part of Imperial College School of Medicine
Imperial College School of Medicine
The Imperial College School of Medicine is the medical school of Imperial College London in England, and one of the United Hospitals....
) in the 1985 intake of students. It starts in 1984 with their admission interviews, then follows them through five or six years as medical students, and ends with their first experiences of working as busy junior hospital doctors in the National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
.
The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
decided to make the series in 1983 and the BBC contacted several medical school
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
s. The BBC selected St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England, partly because the Dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
, Prof Peter Richards, was enthusiastic about filming and thought that medical education was of public interest. Filming began in November 1984 when applicants were applying for university and going to interviews for the 1985 intake at St Mary's Hospital Medical School. St Mary's Medical School interviewed 419 applicants and 100 of these interviews were filmed. In the autumn of 1985, when studies had started, every student in the year was asked if they wanted to take part in the television series, and 10 students, who were thought to be outgoing and resilient to the pressures of filming, were chosen by the BBC. Each of the 10 medical students were filmed regularly and about 300 hours of film accumulated in total.
The series was one of the nominations for the best factual series at the 1992 British Academy Television Awards
British Academy Television Awards
The British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . They have been awarded annually since 1954, and are analogous to the Emmy Awards in the United States.-Background:...
, although it did not win an award. An update, Doctors to Be: 20 Years On
Doctors to Be: 20 Years On
Doctors to Be: 20 Years On is a biographical documentary series first broadcast on BBC Four by the BBC in 2007. It is a sequel to the series about ten medical students Doctors to Be, and gives an update on the careers and lives of the same people after they had qualified....
, was first broadcast on BBC Four
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
in 2007.
Participating medical students
The series focused on 10 medical students who enrolled at St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London in the 1985 intake:- Dong Ching Chiu – A foreign student of Chinese origin from SarawakSarawakSarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
, Malaysia. She moved England aged 15 years to do her O levels and then A levels at a boarding schoolBoarding schoolA boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
, and she was aged 19 years at the time of her interview. - David Copping –
- Mark George –
- Jane Gilbert –
- Will Liddell – A postgraduate attending interviews at age 26 years.
- Sarah Martindale –
- Jane Morris –
- Fey Probst – Married at age 18 years, she was a mother of four before she became a medical student at age 26 years.
- John Shephard – A mature applicant of 28 years. He left school at age 16 years to join the Royal Fleet AuxiliaryRoyal Fleet AuxiliaryThe Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian-manned fleet owned by the British Ministry of Defence. The RFA enables ships of the United Kingdom Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment...
and married at the age of 20. He resigned his job 1984 to start a one year A level course at a local college. - Ese Stacey –
External links
- Doctors to Be: 20 Years On BBC website