PREMIERES MONDAY MARCH 17 AT 9 PM 

THE CALLING: A MEDICAL SCHOOL JOURNEY follows the intellectual and emotional journey of a group of students at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. Captured through verité scenes and personal video diaries, the film offers a rare inside look at America’s healthcare system through the eyes of these aspiring practitioners as they learn what it takes to become a doctor in one of the country’s most underserved communities. THE CALLING: A MEDICAL SCHOOL JOURNEY premieres on Monday, March 17 at 9 PM on Alabama Public Television. 

Filmed in the corridors and classrooms at Albert Einstein — which announced in February 2024 that it is now tuition-free, thanks to a $1 billion gift from longtime faculty member Dr. Ruth Gottesman — and at its teaching hospital, Montefiore Medical Center, THE CALLING: A MEDICAL SCHOOL JOURNEY follows the first-year students as they struggle to keep up with the punishing workload, meet and dissect their first cadavers, and engage with real patients for the first time. Meanwhile, the third-year students rotate through different medical specialties, juggling long shifts in the hospital with marathon study sessions for the all-important exams that will help determine where they will do their residencies. Through it all, the film chronicles the students’ hopes, fears and incredible growth as they navigate the many challenges facing today’s medical practitioners.

“Meeting the students, faculty and physician mentors at Einstein was such a humbling experience,” said director Asako Gladsjo. “I hope that young people from diverse backgrounds who might consider pursuing medicine will take inspiration from the film’s subjects and make our health care system better for everyone.”