From the operating room to the red carpet! Many stars embraced the fast-paced world of entertainment after getting their initial training in medicine and healthcare. Get the inside scoop on which of your favorite celebrities also have a passion for healing.<\/p>\n
Ken Jeong<\/h2>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/8ZIC_8uvnGEvPjraAiX0LA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTExOTI7Y2Y9d2VicA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/in_touch_weekly_articles_766\/17a88a783e3f7a12044d03e53eb55723\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\n Lisa O\u2019Connor \/ AFF-USA.com \/ MEGA<\/span><\/p>\nA breakout star in comedy and movies, Ken Jeong<\/strong><\/a> is also a licensed physician. Before his hilarious breakout role in The Hangover (2009), he practiced medicine for several years as a physician of internal medicine at a Kaiser Permanente hospital in Los Angeles, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter<\/a>. His journey from medicine to stardom is the ultimate story of following every dream.<\/p>\nKate Gosselin<\/h2>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/vwEUXep2m11vpgwHrccfWw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTEyMjY7Y2Y9d2VicA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/in_touch_weekly_articles_766\/e333f06f9f4ffbc4713d181282e4c41e\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\n MEGA<\/span><\/p>\nWell-known for her television career, Kate Gosselin<\/strong><\/a> devoted years to working as a registered nurse. Before landing her reality TV show, John & Kate Plus 8, she worked as a registered nurse. And she never lost sight of her dedication to caregiving, eventually returning to nursing as a pediatric home health nurse, per Parade<\/a>.<\/p>\nJay Sean<\/h2>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/T1Udp.iXDr9xXrsd0LNfkA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTExNDY7Y2Y9d2VicA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/in_touch_weekly_articles_766\/2952c3f4f11147bb23bb35e349037630\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\n ZUMAPRESS.com \/ MEGA<\/span><\/p>\nBetter known by his stage name Jay Sean<\/strong><\/a>, Kamaljit Singh Jhooti is an accomplished singer who initially trained in medicine. He enrolled in Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London before dropping out to pursue a singing career, according to NPR<\/a>.<\/p>\nJennifer Stone<\/h2>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/a8FIV_VlVTNuu7z5j0ascQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTExMjY7Y2Y9d2VicA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/in_touch_weekly_articles_766\/94678e08194e1f38a5c71f3ef42c1220\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\n Lisa O\u2019Connor \/ AFF-USA.COM \/ MEGA<\/span><\/p>\nAfter making her mark on Disney Channel, Jennifer Stone<\/strong><\/a> stepped away from acting to pursue a career in nursing. She starred as Harper Finkle on the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place for its four seasons and later became a registered nurse. Today, she shares her journey on social media while still pursuing acting, according to ABC News<\/a>.<\/p>\nLuAnn de Lesseps<\/h2>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/37MeiOc0YVQ0TOLbGWSblg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTE0ODU7Y2Y9d2VicA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/in_touch_weekly_articles_766\/f280123a67aeee40276adc0de8334287\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\n Starbuck\/ AFF-USA.COM \/ MEGA<\/span><\/p>\nFamed for her presence on \u00a0The Real Housewives of New York City\u00a0and the cabaret stage, LuAnn de Lesseps<\/strong><\/a> is also a former licensed practical nurse in Connecticut.<\/p>\nBonnie Hunt<\/h2>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/v4pDxnxy124X60cHKTMucw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/in_touch_weekly_articles_766\/1c56cbc9fd6559ba633d70437a7fd8bb\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\n ZUMAPRESS.com \/ MEGA<\/span><\/p>\nBonnie Hunt<\/strong><\/a> charmed millions in film and television, but her first career was as an oncology nurse. She spent five years working in oncology at Chicago\u2019s Northwestern Memorial Hospital before pursuing a full-time career in comedy, according to The Second City<\/a>. The experience shaped her unique perspective and brought an empathetic voice to her professional journey.<\/p>\nSonya Eddy<\/h2>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/2miK8nhDVJmsr9zJLn9.NA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTEyMDI7Y2Y9d2VicA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/in_touch_weekly_articles_766\/1601360ac34c4aa35e883dc9cdd231de\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\n Janet Gough \/ AFF-USA.COM \/ MEGA<\/span><\/p>\nBest known for her portrayal of the stern yet compassionate head nurse Epiphany Johnson on the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital, late actress Sonya Eddy<\/strong><\/a> was also a licensed vocational nurse in real life, per\u00a0NBC News<\/a>.<\/p>\nMayim Bialik<\/h2>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/UMvRi.lsfOcAvqGVRATT.w--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTEwNTY7Y2Y9d2VicA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/in_touch_weekly_articles_766\/7ea1cac343c4b15a52ae955f836d2e98\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\n Steven Bergman \/ AFF-USA.COM \/ MEGA<\/span><\/p>\nMayim Bialik<\/strong><\/a> is celebrated both for her acclaimed acting roles and her academic achievements in neuroscience. She returned to earn her PhD degree in neuroscience from UCLA in 2007, making her one of the few Hollywood actors to hold a genuine doctoral degree in a scientific field, per UCLA<\/a>. Bringing science and entertainment together, she encourages others to explore all facets of their interests.<\/p>\nKim Zolciak-Biermann<\/h2>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/9EY_TUt76bqxwrVaWQ.jYA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTE0NDA7Y2Y9d2VicA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/in_touch_weekly_articles_766\/54c4bae1fba9436d769d8c4dd35a9ab3\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\n Ralph Notaro \/ MEGA<\/span><\/p>\nReality television star Kim Zolciak-Biermann<\/strong><\/a> is more than a household name, before fame she worked as a licensed nurse. She held a Licensed Practical Nurse license in the States of Connecticut and Georgia from 1999 to 2003 before joining the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta,\u00a0as reported by Nicki Swift<\/a>.<\/p>\nLisa Kudrow<\/h2>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/X9_IqvHaNiiPdn5zBsy7pA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTEyODA7Y2Y9d2VicA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/in_touch_weekly_articles_766\/9a7be56068d8742e6dfddbae8bca58fa\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\n Xavier Collin \/ Image Press Agency \/ MEGA<\/span><\/p>\nBest known for her role as Phoebe Buffay on Friends, Lisa Kudrow<\/strong><\/a> has a background in biology. She received her A.B. in biology from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, before finding her footing in acting, per Biography<\/a>.<\/p>\nJulie Walters<\/h2>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/8IwvKzx8vZooGtxqkiXqCw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTkzNztjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/in_touch_weekly_articles_766\/e57bcd1d4e6bd305c8e935dece5b94a4\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\n WENN \/ MEGA<\/span><\/p>\nJulie Walters<\/strong><\/a>, a beloved figure in film, began her career as a nurse. She trained as a student nurse at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England, before leaving to study acting, according to IMDb<\/a>. Her remarkable journey encourages fans to follow their hearts wherever they may lead.<\/p>\nThis story 11 Celebrities You Didn\u2019t Know Pursued Careers in Medicine<\/a> first appeared on InTouch Weekly<\/i><\/a>. Follow InTouch Weekly<\/strong> on Yahoo<\/strong><\/a> so you don\u2019t miss what\u2019s coming next.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From the operating room to the red carpet! Many stars embraced the fast-paced world of entertainment after getting their initial training in medicine and healthcare. Get the inside scoop on which of your favorite celebrities also have a passion for healing. Ken Jeong Lisa O\u2019Connor \/ AFF-USA.com \/ MEGA A breakout star in comedy and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2479442,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25173],"tags":[309932,386584,345467,378570,488037,369597,362380,488036,442462,483209],"class_list":["post-2479441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artists","tag-disney-channel","tag-jennifer-stone","tag-kate-gosselin","tag-ken-jeong","tag-licensed-practical-nurse","tag-lisa-oconnor","tag-mega","tag-registered-nurse","tag-television-career","tag-xavier-collin"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/11-Celebrities-You-Didnt-Know-Pursued-Careers-in-Medicine.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2479441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2479441"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2479441\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2479443,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2479441\/revisions\/2479443"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2479442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2479441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2479441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2479441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Lisa O\u2019Connor \/ AFF-USA.com \/ MEGA<\/span><\/p>\n A breakout star in comedy and movies, Ken Jeong<\/strong><\/a> is also a licensed physician. Before his hilarious breakout role in The Hangover (2009), he practiced medicine for several years as a physician of internal medicine at a Kaiser Permanente hospital in Los Angeles, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter<\/a>. His journey from medicine to stardom is the ultimate story of following every dream.<\/p>\n MEGA<\/span><\/p>\n Well-known for her television career, Kate Gosselin<\/strong><\/a> devoted years to working as a registered nurse. Before landing her reality TV show, John & Kate Plus 8, she worked as a registered nurse. And she never lost sight of her dedication to caregiving, eventually returning to nursing as a pediatric home health nurse, per Parade<\/a>.<\/p>\n ZUMAPRESS.com \/ MEGA<\/span><\/p>\n Better known by his stage name Jay Sean<\/strong><\/a>, Kamaljit Singh Jhooti is an accomplished singer who initially trained in medicine. He enrolled in Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London before dropping out to pursue a singing career, according to NPR<\/a>.<\/p>\n Lisa O\u2019Connor \/ AFF-USA.COM \/ MEGA<\/span><\/p>\n After making her mark on Disney Channel, Jennifer Stone<\/strong><\/a> stepped away from acting to pursue a career in nursing. She starred as Harper Finkle on the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place for its four seasons and later became a registered nurse. Today, she shares her journey on social media while still pursuing acting, according to ABC News<\/a>.<\/p>\n Starbuck\/ AFF-USA.COM \/ MEGA<\/span><\/p>\n Famed for her presence on \u00a0The Real Housewives of New York City\u00a0and the cabaret stage, LuAnn de Lesseps<\/strong><\/a> is also a former licensed practical nurse in Connecticut.<\/p>\n ZUMAPRESS.com \/ MEGA<\/span><\/p>\n Bonnie Hunt<\/strong><\/a> charmed millions in film and television, but her first career was as an oncology nurse. She spent five years working in oncology at Chicago\u2019s Northwestern Memorial Hospital before pursuing a full-time career in comedy, according to The Second City<\/a>. The experience shaped her unique perspective and brought an empathetic voice to her professional journey.<\/p>\n Janet Gough \/ AFF-USA.COM \/ MEGA<\/span><\/p>\n Best known for her portrayal of the stern yet compassionate head nurse Epiphany Johnson on the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital, late actress Sonya Eddy<\/strong><\/a> was also a licensed vocational nurse in real life, per\u00a0NBC News<\/a>.<\/p>\n Steven Bergman \/ AFF-USA.COM \/ MEGA<\/span><\/p>\n Mayim Bialik<\/strong><\/a> is celebrated both for her acclaimed acting roles and her academic achievements in neuroscience. She returned to earn her PhD degree in neuroscience from UCLA in 2007, making her one of the few Hollywood actors to hold a genuine doctoral degree in a scientific field, per UCLA<\/a>. Bringing science and entertainment together, she encourages others to explore all facets of their interests.<\/p>\n Ralph Notaro \/ MEGA<\/span><\/p>\n Reality television star Kim Zolciak-Biermann<\/strong><\/a> is more than a household name, before fame she worked as a licensed nurse. She held a Licensed Practical Nurse license in the States of Connecticut and Georgia from 1999 to 2003 before joining the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta,\u00a0as reported by Nicki Swift<\/a>.<\/p>\n Xavier Collin \/ Image Press Agency \/ MEGA<\/span><\/p>\n Best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay on Friends, Lisa Kudrow<\/strong><\/a> has a background in biology. She received her A.B. in biology from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, before finding her footing in acting, per Biography<\/a>.<\/p>\n WENN \/ MEGA<\/span><\/p>\n Julie Walters<\/strong><\/a>, a beloved figure in film, began her career as a nurse. She trained as a student nurse at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England, before leaving to study acting, according to IMDb<\/a>. Her remarkable journey encourages fans to follow their hearts wherever they may lead.<\/p>\n This story 11 Celebrities You Didn\u2019t Know Pursued Careers in Medicine<\/a> first appeared on InTouch Weekly<\/i><\/a>. Follow InTouch Weekly<\/strong> on Yahoo<\/strong><\/a> so you don\u2019t miss what\u2019s coming next.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" From the operating room to the red carpet! Many stars embraced the fast-paced world of entertainment after getting their initial training in medicine and healthcare. Get the inside scoop on which of your favorite celebrities also have a passion for healing. Ken Jeong Lisa O\u2019Connor \/ AFF-USA.com \/ MEGA A breakout star in comedy and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2479442,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25173],"tags":[309932,386584,345467,378570,488037,369597,362380,488036,442462,483209],"class_list":["post-2479441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artists","tag-disney-channel","tag-jennifer-stone","tag-kate-gosselin","tag-ken-jeong","tag-licensed-practical-nurse","tag-lisa-oconnor","tag-mega","tag-registered-nurse","tag-television-career","tag-xavier-collin"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/11-Celebrities-You-Didnt-Know-Pursued-Careers-in-Medicine.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2479441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2479441"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2479441\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2479443,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2479441\/revisions\/2479443"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2479442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2479441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2479441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2479441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Kate Gosselin<\/h2>\n
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Jay Sean<\/h2>\n
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Jennifer Stone<\/h2>\n
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LuAnn de Lesseps<\/h2>\n
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Bonnie Hunt<\/h2>\n
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Sonya Eddy<\/h2>\n
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Mayim Bialik<\/h2>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
Kim Zolciak-Biermann<\/h2>\n
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Lisa Kudrow<\/h2>\n
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Julie Walters<\/h2>\n
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