The Calling: A Medical School Journey

Follow the intellectual and emotional journey of a group of medical students at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. Captured through verité scenes and personal video diaries, the film offers an 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.

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.