Rob Buckman

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Rob Buckman
Born
Robert Alexander Amiel Buckman

(1948-08-22)22 August 1948
London, United Kingdom
Died9 October 2011(2011-10-09) (aged 63)
In transit flying from London to Toronto
NationalityBritish, Canadian
Alma materSt John's College, Cambridge
OccupationProfessor of medicine
EmployerUniversity of Toronto

Robert Alexander Amiel Buckman (22 August 1948 – 9 October 2011) was a British doctor of medicine, comedian and author, and president of the

Humanist Association of Canada. He first appeared in a Cambridge University Footlights Revue in 1968, and subsequently presented several television and radio programmes about medicine, as well as appearing on comedy programmes such as Just a Minute. He was also the author of many popular books on medicine.[1]

Early life and education

Buckman attended

St. John's College, Cambridge, in 1972. He continued his medical training at the Royal Marsden Hospital and University College Hospital, London, becoming a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
. Buckman was raised in a middle class Jewish family.

Broadcasting and comedy

Buckman was a familiar voice on BBC Radio 4 during the 1970s and 1980s, both on panel shows, and fronting one-off programmes on scientific topics. He contributed scripts to the sitcom Doctor on the Go, based on the Richard Gordon books. Together with fellow doctor Chris Beetles, he formed a comedy double act "Beetles and Buckman". The pair wrote and performed in the Pink Medicine Show TV series with Lynda Bellingham. They were two of the performers and writers of the first Secret Policeman's Ball fundraiser in 1979, with Billy Connolly, John Cleese and Eleanor Bron.[2]

Buckman was television presenter of science programmes such as

microbes
in the domestic environment.

He was the subject of

This Is Your Life in 1981 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at University College Hospital in London.[citation needed
]

He was a member of the atheists team on CBC's Test the Nation: IQ broadcast live on 24 January 2010.[3]

Writings in popular medicine

Besides tie-ins to his TV series, Buckman authored several books of medical humour, such as Out of Practice (1978), Jogging from Memory: or letters to Sigmund Freud (1980), and The Buckman Treatment; or a doctor's tour in North America (1989). Later, as Robert Buckman, he contributed as author or co-author to a series of What You Really Need to Know About... books on common medical conditions, including cancer,

high blood pressure, HRT (all 1999), diabetes, stroke, and irritable bowel syndrome (2000). This was also the title of a long-running series of information films that he presented, and in many cases also scripted, for John Cleese's Video Arts company.[4]

Medical hiatus

In 1979, Buckman was diagnosed with dermatomyositis, an autoimmune disease which seriously affected his ability to work and was nearly fatal.[5] His illness and recovery over the next couple of years was the subject of a 1981 UK TV documentary, Your Own Worst Enemy.[6]

Later career

Buckman emigrated to

International Humanist and Ethical Union. His main popular work in humanism was Can We Be Good Without God? Biology, Behaviour and the Need to Believe. He was a founding member of the Centre for Inquiry Canada
.

Buckman practised medical oncology at the

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in the US state of Texas. He specialised in breast cancer and teaching communication skills in oncology. In this role, he created the SPIKES protocol for delivering bad news to patients.[8]

In 2006 he began writing a weekly column in The Globe and Mail.

Death

Buckman died in his sleep while flying from London to Toronto on 9 October 2011. The cause is unknown.[7] He was 63.

Selected publications

See also

References

  1. ^ "Rob Buckman". The Daily Telegraph. London. 30 December 2011.
  2. ^ "Rob Buckman obituary". The Guardian. London. 12 October 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  3. ^ "Atheists". CBC News. Archived from the original on 3 January 2010. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Breaking Bad News". 8 May 2018.
  5. ^ Yanofsky, Joel (October 2000). "Robert Buckman hits the funny bone". Quill & Quire. St. Joseph Media. Retrieved 20 August 2008.
  6. ^ "Your Own Worst Enemy (1981)". bfi Film & TV Database. British Film Institute. Retrieved 20 August 2008.
  7. ^ a b Trapper, Josh (11 October 2011). "Dr. Robert Buckman, renowned oncologist, comedian, and Star columnist, dead at 63". Toronto Star. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  8. PMID 10964998
    .

External links
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