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Samuel Shem

b. 1944

American writer

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About Samuel Shem

Born 1944. Samuel Shem is an American psychiatrist, novelist, university teacher, writer and physician.

Samuel Shem is the pen name of the American psychiatrist Stephen Joseph Bergman (born 1944). His main works are The House of God and Mount Misery, both fictional but close-to-real first-hand descriptions of the training of doctors in the United States.

Of Jewish descent, Bergman was a Rhodes Scholar at Balliol College, Oxford in 1966, and was tutored by Denis Noble FRS, cardiac physiologist and later head of the Oxford Cardiac Electrophysiology Group. In an address to Noble's retirement party at Balliol, he related that Noble's response to Bergman's attempt to become a writer was to ply him with copious sherry. He graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Medical School.

He was an intern at Beth Israel Hospital (subsequently renamed Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center), an experience that inspired his book The House of God.

As of 2017, Bergman is a member of the faculty of the New York University School of Medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center.

Shem's play Bill W. and Dr. Bob had an Off Broadway run at New World Stage in New York City. It ran for 132 performances and closed on June 10, 2007. The New York Times called it "an insightful new play."

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Important facts

Born
1944, Hudson
Birth century
Nationality
Education
Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Harvard College, Balliol College
Employers
Harvard University
Awards
Rhodes Scholarship

People in Samuel Shem's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Samuel Shem's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Samuel Shem?

American writer

When was Samuel Shem born?

Samuel Shem was born in 1944 in Hudson.

What is Samuel Shem's occupation?

Samuel Shem is a psychiatrist, novelist, university teacher, writer and physician.

What nationality is Samuel Shem?

Samuel Shem is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Samuel Shem

· Wikidata: Q321071

· DBpedia: Samuel Shem

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Samuel Shem. https://biography.guide/samuel-shem/

MLA: "Samuel Shem." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/samuel-shem/.

Chicago: "Samuel Shem." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/samuel-shem/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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