DR KILDARE The gift of inspiration: fictional heroes Abi Rimmer talks to doctors whose role models have come from books, television, and fi lm ave you ever read a depiction for me. Maybe I could fl y, have quasar rays to of a doctor in a novel, or seen throw, and be a doctor too. one on screen, and thought, Created by the amazing minds of Stan Lee “I want to be like them,” Or and Steve Ditko (although Lee credits Ditko H perhaps you thought, “That’s for the idea) and fi rst appearing in 1963, the kind of doctor I don’t want to be.” We the Supreme Sorcerer was a superhero with asked doctors, students, and patients to think magical powers who protected the Earth about the fi ctional doctors who have inspired against mystical threats. Originally a brilliant and infl uenced them. We hope these light yet egotistical neurosurgeon who, after an hearted refl ections conjure thoughts of your accident, travels the world and learns about own favourites and we encourage you to share the mystical arts and becomes the Supreme them on social media using #docspiration. Sorcerer. What is possibly not to like? Miranda Bailey Karen E Lasser, professor of The Fat Man Dame Clare Gerada, medical director, medicine and public health, Boston University NHS Practitioner Health Programme Schools of Medicine and Public Health The House of God was published about the Miranda Bailey from the US television series same time as I started at medical school. It Grey’s Anatomy is a strong and principled follows a group of interns in African-American surgeon. She helps save their fi rst year of training. It the life of a white supremacist and opens a describes the dehumanisingg free clinic. She is chief of surgery, a mentor to eff ects of residency other women, and a mother. In my training training—the long hours, I met few female surgeons. I was accepted bullying, and lack of any to a prestigious medical school where the attention to the needs of department of surgery required female the junior doctors (plus ca students to wear skirts or dresses during change). The interns are Jack McKee Fiona Godlee, editor in chief, The BMJ their rotation. When I was a medical student, supervised by “The Fat The Doctor was fi lmed in 1991 but still a male vascular surgeon reprimanded me Man” who provides them feels relevant today. In it, William Hurt when a lock of my hair fell into the surgical with “The Laws of The House offG God,” d” a set plays heart surgeon Jack McKee who takes fi eld. Bailey would not have tolerated such of (outwardly) irreverent survival techniques. his elevated position in life for granted. He patronising behaviour towards women. My There are 13 in total, many as relevant today models emotional detachment and expects daughters, ages 13 and 14, are considering as when fi rst written. it in those around him. Then throat cancer becoming surgeons based on the strong My favourite resonates with the need to care forces him to confront his own mortality and impression this character has made on them. for oneself, and is “At a cardiac arrest, the fi rst the realities of being a patient in his own procedure is to take your own pulse.” Others institution. On the way, he discovers how Stephen Strange Partha Kar, consultant such as, “the delivery of medical care is to do much can be gained by opening up to others. endocrinologist and national specialty adviser, as much nothing as possible” counters the The BMJ has carried many personal stories diabetes, NHS England increasing over-medicalisation of care we see. over the years from doctors unpleasantly Becoming a doctor was always a childhood We should all have an internalised Fat Man surprised by their experiences as patients. dream. Combined with this dream was a to help us survive a career in medicine . But we shouldn’t kid ourselves that doctors desire to be a superhero—the world are ever patients in the way that non-doctors forever sparkling Leonard Gillespie Chuka Nwokolo, treasurer, Royal are. We have knowledge and networks with Marvel comics College of Physicians that help us navigate for ourselves and our bought from a The Dr Kildare television series created by families. corner shop Frederick Faust caught the imagination of These days The BMJ is more wary of such in sleepy audiences worldwide in the 1960s. The doctor-as-patient stories, preferring stories Darjeeling. young, handsome, newly qualifi ed Kildare from “real” patients. But still, the classic And then I was the star with a kind hearted and often fi nal scene—in which McKee gives his came across naive interpretation of illness. He inspired trainees hospital gowns and leaves them to the Supreme many people, but for me the older wiser chief experience 72 hours as patients— is not only Sorcerer [Dr of medicine, Leonard Gillespie (portrayed wonderful cinema but makes a crucial point: Strange]—the man by actor Raymond Massey), was my hero. that doctors have to work to understand the was a doctor and a He taught his young apprentice about patient perspective—what it’s like to feel superhero. Maybe the wider aspects of caring, using his frightened, embarrassed, vulnerable, and ill. there was hope knowledge of the natural history of 486 19 December 2020 - 2 January 2021 | the bmj DR KILDARE a world I entered and never left.” PATIENT PERSPECTIVE The hero, Andrew John Carter Paul Wicks, a caregiver to a person Manson, starts off as with motor neurone disease an idealistic newly If I’d had the misfortune qualifi ed doctor, to be in a car crash, and his career story mugging, or falling is told against a helicopter incident I’d backdrop of poverty, like to be treated by John lack of sanitation, Carter (portrayed in the and ill health; the corrupting infl uence of television show ER from privatised medicine, power, and prestige. 1994-2009 by Noah disease and the human condition. He hoped Manson is no saint, but his humanity, ethics, Wyle). He’s authentic to mould his young colleague into a better and commitment towards his patients, and and disciplined, and version of himself. This interaction between enthusiasm for new knowledge, see him with his childhood experience of losing a older and younger physicians endures and overcome these challenges and personal sibling to leukaemia has empathy for being helps ensure that doctors remain focused on tragedies to return to his most cherished on the other side of the doctor-patient patients. values. His story inspired me to become relationship. Despite privileged origins a doctor, a public health specialist, and a he repeatedly returned to frontline work Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce passionate advocate for universal access in the emergency room and for Médecins Omar Khorshid, president of the Australian Medical to healthcare globally, and to challenge Sans Frontières. Like too many medical Association professional prejudice such as racism in colleagues he was injured by one of his Hawkeye Pierce, from the television series medicine . patients, the consequences of which led M*A*S*H , was the wise cracking, irreverent, to a hidden battle with substance misuse. compassionate, and talented doctor who Doctor Who Kevin Fong, professor of public My mum also liked him more than George inspired my early career. engagement, University College London Clooney. His ability to tackle any surgery, from I drew inspiration from the fi rst doctor I ever bullet wounds and blast burns to broken knew anything about. It wasn’t his bedside Gregory House Ann Gregson, trustee, Lyme bones, his disregard for petty bureaucracy, manner—he had next to none—but he was Disease UK his popularity with the nurses, and his kind in his own way and believed in helping It’s not uncommon for people. patients with late Lyme In the 1970s we were only the second disease and other chronic Chinese family to move into our town. We illnesses to long for a looked around for professional role models, consultation with a doctor but back then nobody prominent, in fact or like Gregory House. A fi ction, looked much like us. doctor brimming with So this particular doctor—strange and curiosity and eagerness thoroughly out of place—struck a chord. He to diagnose their never felt like he belonged, but importantly patient, enthused by the he never tried to either. He was proud of being challenge of complex, surgical precision despite the shouts of diff erent and so celebrated his uniqueness. multisystemic symptoms. A doctor who “incoming” at the 4077th were the stuff of And when things got tough he survived by wants to put all the pieces of the puzzle, dreams for a young medical student. reinventing himself, carrying just a little bit and their patient, back together. A doctor Yet, as I’ve grown into my surgical career of his former self on into the next episode who listens to their patient and who I think more about the care, consideration, of his life. A s an 8 year old, sitting on—and believes their patient when they describe and compassion he had for every one of sometimes behind—the sofa I decided that their symptoms, however unusual or his patients—that has stayed with me, long this was the way you should live your life. bizarre. A doctor who knows that test after the show said goodbye. Abi Rimmer , The BMJ results can be misleading and not to Actor Alan Alda is also inspirational, Cite this as: BMJ 2020;371:m4672 jump to an ill fitting, easy diagnosis or using his stage and screen skills to help to psychologise the patient’s physical scientists communicate their work to the symptoms.