Top 10 Celebs You Didn't Know Have Medical Degrees
#10: Kim Zolciak-Biermann
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Long before she joined the ranks of Bravo TV royalty, Kim Zolciak-Biermann attended the University of Connecticut, where she was enrolled in their nursing program. The “Real Housewives of Atlanta” vet balanced her studies along with raising her oldest daughter, Brielle and in the late 90s earned her nursing license. Since her nursing days, Zolciak has enjoyed her time in the spotlight as a contestant on season 21 of “Dancing With The Stars”, a singing career, and a very successful 8 season run on her “RHOA” spinoff “Don’t Be Tardy”.
#9: Jennifer Stone
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After being diagnosed with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults, Disney Channel alumni Jennifer Stone was inspired to pursue a career in nursing. Best known for her role as Selena Gomez’s onscreen BFF Harper Finkle on “Wizards of Waverly Place”, Stone originally intended to study psychology before pivoting her major. Since obtaining her degree, she has become an emergency room nurse, working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Luckily for fans, Stone still manages to combine her passion for health care and performing by pursuing both her nursing and acting career simultaneously.
#8: Bonnie Hunt
Bonnie Hunt boasts an impressive filmography, having appeared in movies like “Rain Man”, “Jeremy Maguire'' and ''Jumanji”. But before she was lighting up the big screen, Hunt was pursuing a very different career. As a nurse at Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital, she worked in their oncology department. During this time, Hunt founded her improv team and joined the renowned Chi-town comedy institution, Second City, as a cast member. Eventually, Hunt left nursing to become a full-time performer and went on to host her own daytime talk show titled “The Bonnie Hunt Show” and star in the primetime sitcom “Life with Bonnie”.
#7: Luann de Lesseps
Before she was “Feeling Jovani'', Countess Luann was living and working in Connecticut as a nurse. Specializing in geriatric care, de Lesseps had a soft spot for the elderly, but her interest in fashion eventually beckoned her to Italy. Since then the longtime cast member of “The Real Housewives of New York City” has launched a new career as a performer on the Manhattan cabaret circuit. Although she left her career in health care behind, we’re sure her nursing experience armed her with the right kind of skills to handle all the drama of being a reality star.
#6: Dame Julie Walters
From “Harry Potter” to “Billy Elliot”, Dame Julie Walters is a British film icon whose career almost turned out very differently. After being asked to leave her school for being “subversive”, Walters took her mother’s sound advice and trained as a nurse at a hospital in Birmingham, England. After less than two years however, Julie bid adieu to the healthcare field and enrolled in theatre school. Today, Walters is a celebrated actress with two Academy Award nominations under her belt, and was made a Dame in 2017.
#5: 2 Chainz
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As a rapper, 2 Chainz has been making music since the late 90s. But before he picked up a mic, he attended Alabama State University on a basketball scholarship. During his academic career, 2 Chainz, whose real name is Tauheed K. Epps, played for the school’s team and majored in psychology. He later left the school to finish his studies at Virginia State where he graduated with a degree in medical science. Shortly after college, Chainz gained recognition for his rap duo Playaz Circle and was signed by music powerhouse, Def Jam Recordings.
#4: Eva Longoria
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In Hollywood, Eva Longoria is a jack of all trades. She’s an actress, producer and director but before all that she attended Texas A&M University-Kingsville. During her time at the school, Longoria received her BSc in Kinesiology. Not long after that, she won first place in a local beauty pageant that catapulted her into a new direction, and she started to pursue acting and modeling. After several years in show business, Longoria returned to school to obtain her Master’s Degree in Chicano Studies from California State and continues to work in film, television and political activism.
#3: Natalie Portman
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After a long career as a child actor, Natalie Portman took time off to pursue academics at Harvard University. Majoring in psychology, Portman kept up with her studies and continued to act. In fact, she filmed her role as Padmé Amidala in the “Star Wars” prequels and even did some theatre, appearing in a Broadway production of Anton Chekhov’s, “The Seagull”. In addition to psych, she took classes in the science of neurobiology and Hebrew literature, while also participating in several studies. After graduating, Natalie returned to acting on a full time basis and put her degree to good use when preparing for roles in thrillers like “Annihilation” and “Black Swan”.
#2: Mayim Bialik
After the NBC sitcom, “Blossom”, ended its five season run in 1995, star Mayim Bialik traded in her iconic floppy floral hats for a lab coat. Studying at UCLA, Bialik’s passion for science led her to obtain a degree in neuroscience in 2000. Less than ten years later she earned her PhD in from the same school. Upon returning to acting, she joined the cast of “The Big Bang Theory”, where she played...wait for it… a neuroscientist, Amy Farrah Fowler. In the summer of 2021, it was announced that Mayim will assume hosting duties for primetime specials for the game show “Jeopardy!” which seems like the perfect fit for her intellect.
#1: Ken Jeong
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As a student at Duke University, a young Ken Jeong seriously considered trading in his pre-med studies for theatre. He sought treatment for his acting bug by getting involved in improv while earning his medical degree. He also moonlighted as a stand up comic, joining open mics while completing his residency, and then moving to LA to become a full time physician. Balancing both passions paid off when he started getting offered roles on shows like “The Office” and “MadTV”. In 2006, Ken left his medical profession and made his film debut shortly after playing an OB-GYN in Judd Apatow’s “Knocked Up”. It was wasn’t until 2009 when his breakout role in Todd Phillips’ “The Hangover” put him in the spotlight, where he remains.
