10 Celebrities Who Went to Medical School

5. Jay Sean, Queen Mary, University of London

Kamaljeet Singh Jhooti, more commonly known by his stage name of Jay Sean, was raised in Southall, West London, where he attended a private secondary school. He earned excellent grades in both GCSEs and A-Levels, before attending Queen Mary, University of London to study medicine. However, he left university in 2003 to further his budding music career.

Sean’s first big breakthrough came with the Rishi Rich Project, whose single ‘Dance With You (Nachna Tere Naal)’ achieved major success in the UK singles chart. He was the first British Asian singer to sign to an American record label, and has since gone on to work with Pitbull, Lil Wayne, and Nicki Minaj among others.

6. Mayim Bialik, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Actress Mayim Bialik was born in California. By the time of her high school graduation in 1993, she was already a successful child actress, having starred in a handful of film and television roles, including the main character in the NBC sitcom ‘Blossom’, which ran for five seasons.

At the end of ‘Blossom’, Bialik decided to put acting on the backburner, and pursue more academic goals. Despite being accepted by both Harvard and Yale, she decided to remain close to her family and attended UCLA, graduating with a BSc in Neuroscience, Hebrew Studies and Jewish Studies.

On completing a neuroscience PhD at UCLA, Bialik decided that the life of a neurosurgeon was incompatible with her busy family life, and instead re-entered show business. She scored several minor television roles and cameos, before a more regular role as Dr Amy Farrah Fowler in the hit television series ‘The Big Bang Theory.’ Rather aptly, the character is a neuroscientist.

7. Deepak Chopra, All India Institute of Medical Sciences

Born in New Delhi, India, Deepak Chopra is a leading American medical figure who rose to prominence in the 1990s, following the release of several books which support his advocacy of alternative medicine and spirituality.

Chopra’s father worked as a senior cardiologist in New Delhi, and also served as a surgeon in the British Army in India. At one point, he was a medical advisor to Lord Mountbatten, the final viceroy of India.

After graduating from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Chopra relocated to the US, where he worked in several hospitals before joining the Transcendental Meditation movement. He soon began to explore the possibility of a medical practice that combined holistic and mainstream practices.

8. Graham Chapman, University of Cambridge

British comedy actor Graham Chapman grew up in the English city of Leicester, before undertaking a medical degree at Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge and going on to attend St Bartholomew’s Medical College in London.

While studying at the University of Cambridge, Chapman joined the famous Footlights club, which allows students with an interest in comedy and acting network with each other and hone their skills. It was in the Footlights that Chapman met John Cleese. Finding success with the Footlights on a tour of New Zealand, Chapman decided to pursue acting full time, and after deferring his studies for a year he eventually decided to abandon them altogether. Chapman and Cleese would go on to be founding members of Monty Python, a famous team of six British comedians whose legacy remains widely loved to this day.

9. Dr Phil, Midwestern State University

The next of our medical student celebrities is known for combining his medical skills with regular television appearances. Phillip Calvin McGraw, more commonly known as Dr Phil, graduated from Midwestern State University in 1975, with a BA in Psychology. He went on to earn an MA in Experimental Psychology and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of North Texas.

Dr Phil received his TV break when he was invited by Oprah Winfrey to appear on her show. His initial appearance was a great success, and he was soon appearing as a regular relationship expert, offering counselling and advice to viewers. Dr Phil soon published his first book, ‘Life Strategies’, which was a bestseller. And not long afterwards he launched his own life advice show, ‘Dr Phil’, whose popularity has made him a household name.

10. Michael Crichton, Harvard University

Like Dr Phil, Michael Crichton also enjoyed a career in a field that was separate from yet crucially underpinned by his time as a medical student. When he died in 2007, Crichton left an immense artistic legacy behind him, having found fame and fortune as an author, producer and director. He was apparently deterred from the literary life due to poor grades for English at school, and so initially pursued a medical career, attending Harvard College and later Harvard Medical School.

It was at Harvard Medical School that Crichton again tried his hand at writing, and he soon began publishing his works. When looking at Crichton’s body of writing, it is clear to see the involvement of his technical knowledge; many of his works lean towards science fiction or an interest in biotechnology. Perhaps the most famous of all is the hugely successful ‘Jurassic Park’ series.

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