Preston Burke
Encyclopedia
Preston Xavier Burke, more commonly known as Burke, is a fictional
surgeon
on the ABC
television series Grey's Anatomy
. The character was portrayed by actor Isaiah Washington
, up until the third season.
where he pledged Kappa Alpha Psi
, and went on to graduate first in his class from Johns Hopkins Medical School. While in college, he met Erica Hahn
, who graduated in second place after him, beginning a rivalry between them. He was once the interim chief of surgery while Dr. Webber was healing from his brain surgery. He began a relationship with intern Cristina Yang
but broke it off because he feared it would ruin both of their reputations. Her miscarriage brought them back together. He and Cristina lived together in his perfectly-kept apartment.
Towards the end of the second season, he was shot, which affected his control of his right-hand. His temporary fix to this possibly long-term problem was to work together with Cristina during every one of his surgeries so that she could take over in case he might have trouble with his hand. The arrangement fell apart after Cristina, reacting to growing stress after George caught onto their secret, went to the Chief and confessed everything. Initially, he was engaged in a cold war with Cristina, where neither of them spoke (neither would "say Uncle") but after she broke the silence, he proposed to her and she accepted his proposal. Before their secret was revealed, Burke was to become the next Chief of Surgery, but he had to compete with his fellow attendings for the position. He has since recovered from the injury, after Dr. Derek Shepherd
operated on him.
For the remainder of the season, Preston and Cristina prepared for the wedding and experienced normal stresses that result from such a process, such as meeting each other's parents.
However, in the finale of season three, on the day of their wedding, Burke told Cristina that he no longer wished to make her do anything against her will, and realized he was trying to make Cristina the woman he wanted her to be, and not accept her as the woman she is. Cristina said she "thought this was what she wanted." He wanted her to say she knew it was what she wanted, so he left her in the chapel. Cristina then returned to their apartment and discovered Burke had left, taking with him the things that meant something to only him (his trumpet, his Eugene Foote collection, his grandmother's picture, and his lucky scrub cap), leaving Cristina devastated.
In season 4 of Grey's Anatomy, Preston's long-time rival and love-to-hate medic Dr. Erica Hahn
replaced him as the head of cardiothoracic surgery. Having such, she has a huge respect for Burke although she would never admit it to his face. Hahn dislikes Cristina Yang because of her relationship with Dr. Burke. During his employment at a new hospital, he is made the recipient of 2008's Harper Avery, a highly prestigious medical award. Cristina is later hurt that he did not mention her in his article, even though Cristina helped Burke with his recovery from an injury.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television series Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
. The character was portrayed by actor Isaiah Washington
Isaiah Washington
Isaiah Washington IV is an American actor. A veteran of several Spike Lee films, Washington is best known for his role as Dr. Preston Burke on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2007.-Personal life:...
, up until the third season.
Storylines
Preston Burke is the former chief cardiothoracic surgeon at Seattle Grace Hospital. He completed his pre-medical studies at Tulane UniversityTulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
where he pledged Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
, and went on to graduate first in his class from Johns Hopkins Medical School. While in college, he met Erica Hahn
Erica Hahn
Erica Hahn is a fictional character from the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy, portrayed by actress Brooke Smith. Hahn was a recurring character through the show's second and third seasons, and joined the main cast in the fourth season...
, who graduated in second place after him, beginning a rivalry between them. He was once the interim chief of surgery while Dr. Webber was healing from his brain surgery. He began a relationship with intern Cristina Yang
Cristina Yang
Cristina Yang is a fictional surgeon on the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. The character is portrayed by actress Sandra Oh, who won a Golden Globe and a SAG Award in 2006 for the role...
but broke it off because he feared it would ruin both of their reputations. Her miscarriage brought them back together. He and Cristina lived together in his perfectly-kept apartment.
Towards the end of the second season, he was shot, which affected his control of his right-hand. His temporary fix to this possibly long-term problem was to work together with Cristina during every one of his surgeries so that she could take over in case he might have trouble with his hand. The arrangement fell apart after Cristina, reacting to growing stress after George caught onto their secret, went to the Chief and confessed everything. Initially, he was engaged in a cold war with Cristina, where neither of them spoke (neither would "say Uncle") but after she broke the silence, he proposed to her and she accepted his proposal. Before their secret was revealed, Burke was to become the next Chief of Surgery, but he had to compete with his fellow attendings for the position. He has since recovered from the injury, after Dr. Derek Shepherd
Derek Shepherd
Derek Christopher Shepherd, also referred to as McDreamy, is a fictional surgeon on the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. The character is portrayed by actor Patrick Dempsey, who was nominated in 2006 and 2007 Golden Globe for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Drama for...
operated on him.
For the remainder of the season, Preston and Cristina prepared for the wedding and experienced normal stresses that result from such a process, such as meeting each other's parents.
However, in the finale of season three, on the day of their wedding, Burke told Cristina that he no longer wished to make her do anything against her will, and realized he was trying to make Cristina the woman he wanted her to be, and not accept her as the woman she is. Cristina said she "thought this was what she wanted." He wanted her to say she knew it was what she wanted, so he left her in the chapel. Cristina then returned to their apartment and discovered Burke had left, taking with him the things that meant something to only him (his trumpet, his Eugene Foote collection, his grandmother's picture, and his lucky scrub cap), leaving Cristina devastated.
In season 4 of Grey's Anatomy, Preston's long-time rival and love-to-hate medic Dr. Erica Hahn
Erica Hahn
Erica Hahn is a fictional character from the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy, portrayed by actress Brooke Smith. Hahn was a recurring character through the show's second and third seasons, and joined the main cast in the fourth season...
replaced him as the head of cardiothoracic surgery. Having such, she has a huge respect for Burke although she would never admit it to his face. Hahn dislikes Cristina Yang because of her relationship with Dr. Burke. During his employment at a new hospital, he is made the recipient of 2008's Harper Avery, a highly prestigious medical award. Cristina is later hurt that he did not mention her in his article, even though Cristina helped Burke with his recovery from an injury.
External links
- Grey's Anatomy at ABC.com