Robert Alexander Amiel Buckman was a British doctor of medicine, comedian and author, and president of the Humanist Association of Canada.
17 Facts About Rob Buckman
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Rob Buckman 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.
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Rob Buckman was the author of many popular books on medicine.
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Rob Buckman continued his medical training at the Royal Marsden Hospital and University College Hospital, London, becoming a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians.
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Rob 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.
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Rob Buckman contributed scripts to the sitcom Doctor on the Go, based on the Richard Gordon books.
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Rob Buckman was television presenter of science programmes such as Don't Ask Me in the 1970s, and then the medical programme Where There's Life with Miriam Stoppard for its first three series from 1981.
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Rob Buckman continued this career in Canada where he contributed to TVOntario programmes such as Your Health and the CTV medical show Balance as well as frequent guest appearances on The Dini Petty Show.
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Rob Buckman was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1981 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at University College Hospital in London.
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Rob Buckman was a member of the atheists team on CBC's Test the Nation: IQ broadcast live on 24 January 2010.
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Besides tie-ins to his TV series, Rob Buckman authored several books of medical humour, such as Out of Practice, Jogging from Memory: or letters to Sigmund Freud, and The Rob Buckman Treatment; or a doctor's tour in North America.
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In 1979, Rob Buckman was diagnosed with dermatomyositis, an autoimmune disease which seriously affected his ability to work and was nearly fatal.
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Rob Buckman immigrated to Toronto, Canada, in 1985 and initially stayed with his cousin, journalist Barbara Amiel.
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Rob Buckman was president of the Humanist Association of Canada and chair of the Advisory Board on Bioethics of the International Humanist and Ethical Union.
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Rob Buckman was a founding member of the Centre for Inquiry Canada.
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Rob Buckman specialised in breast cancer and teaching communication skills in oncology.
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Rob Buckman died in his sleep while flying from London to Toronto on 9 October 2011.