Doctors' Diaries: Part Two

In 1987, NOVA's cameras began rolling to chronicle the lives of seven young, bright medical students embarking on the longest and most rigorous endeavor in higher education: the years-long journey to become a doctor. From their first days at Harvard Medical School to the present day, none of them could have predicted what it would take, personally and professionally. In Doctors' Diaries, a two-part special, NOVA returns to find out what sort of doctors—and people—the seven young students have become. The program is the latest installment in the longest-running U.S. documentary of its kind. The first hour of Doctors' Diaries begins by reuniting the physicians on the steps of Harvard Medical School 17 years after graduation. Footage from the previous four installments in the series offers a rare and candid look at the rewards and personal sacrifices each has made over the last two decades—from the stress of medical-school exams, to the first cut into a cadaver, through first wedding ceremonies (and sometimes second or third), internship, residency, and life as a certified M.D. Doctors' Diaries is filled with personal insights offering raw perspectives on the medical profession. First-year medical school is absolutely something that one cannot be emotionally prepared for, says Tom Tarter, in footage from the past. This has been the most emotionally trying period of my life ... I can't remember crying until last week. Today, Tarter is a board-certified emergency physician. All but one of the seven subjects are still practicing medicine, and although they each chose different specialties—from cardiology to anesthesiology, ophthalmology to psychiatry—all share the distinct privileges and demands of dealing with matters of life and death. (For more about the choices doctors have to make, see The Hippocratic Oath Today and M.D. Specialties.) It's been an incredibly satisfying project, reflects producer and director Michael Barnes, who conceived of the documentary series and has filmed over 700 hours for it. I'm grateful that through the years these seven individuals have allowed me to film significant moments in their lives. I hope that the film provides a greater understanding of a doctor's life, one that is truly filled with drama and demands extreme focus and commitment, but in the end offers huge rewards. (For more about what motivated Barnes to pursue this project, and the lessons he has learned, see The Producer's Story.) Reflecting on his career, Tarter concludes, In my years of practice, now I have seen all the ranges of extreme tragedy, extreme joy. I can't think of anything that has grounded me so much in my life as being a doctor. (What's it like working in an emergency room? See One Night in an E.R..) The seven physicians featured in Doctors' Diaries are: Tom Tarter, Bloomington, Indiana The Bronx-born, long-haired, tattooed ER doctor has constantly grappled with how he is perceived as a physician. After his contract was terminated at the local hospital, he became an itinerant M.D., forcing him to look for work in distant locations. Once a bouncer, an Olympic-hopeful weight lifter, and a mechanic, Tom is now on his fourth marriage and struggles to make ends meet. Jane Liebschutz, Boston, Massachusetts Currently an internist specializing in underserved populations, domestic violence, and addictions. NOVA was there for the gut-wrenching moment when Jane first witnesses a patient dying on the operating table. Jay Bonnar, Belmont, Massachusetts This private-practice psychiatrist is also involved in outpatient group therapy and teaches at McLean Hospital. Elliott Bennett-Guerrero, Durham, North Carolina A successful anesthesiologist who picked his specialty partly based on the less demanding hours, Elliott has time to spend with his second wife and two young sons and pursue his new passion: golf. Luanda Grazette, Thousand Oaks, California Originally trained as a clinical cardiologist, Luanda now works for a pharmaceutical company to develop drugs that will help heart patients. David Friedman, Baltimore, Maryland As an ophthalmologist and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University, David aims to one day establish a hospital to provide eye care to the millions of people worldwide who currently have no way to improve their poor vision. Cheryl Dorsey, New York, New York Although she eventually completed her pediatrics training, she never practiced. Cheryl put her residency on hold to found a program that provides free curbside health services for minority communities; today she is the president of the same nonprofit that funded her Family Van mobile clinic. Watch extensive video and read interviews with these seven individuals in Doctors' Lives Videos.