TikTokers Use Freddie Highmore's "I Am a Surgeon" Scene for New Meme Trend
May 8 2023, Published 2:18 p.m. ET
Powerful TV scenes often make for great TikTok memes and audio. One involving actor Freddie Highmore shouting “I am a surgeon” has made its way onto the platform.
So, where did this clip originate? How did the "I am a surgeon" meme start to trend on TikTok? Keep reading for all of the details on the latest TikTok trend.
Here's where the "I am a surgeon" meme on TikTok came from.
Any The Good Doctor fans in the house? In the series, Freddie plays the lead character Dr. Shaun Murphy, a young surgical resident at the fictional San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital who's autistic and has savant syndrome. During Season 2, Episode 17 dubbed "Breakdown," Dr. Murphy has unfortunately been barred from a surgical procedure involving a tumor by his superior Dr. Jackson Han.
Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy
Naturally, Dr. Murphy is very upset about this and wants to convince Dr. Han to let him back on the procedure. He starts to cry and yell at Dr. Han in his office, saying, "I am a surgeon! I am a surgeon! I am a surgeon, Dr. Han!"
The scene is extremely powerful as it highlights the challenges faced by people with disabilities and how they struggle to regulate their emotions.
The episode first aired on ABC on March 4, 2019. In September 2021, the first TikTok referencing this scene made it to the platform.
When TikTokers began to share the scene on the platform, many creators recognized its power while others started to tease Dr. Murphy for his repetitive outburst. In April 2023, the clip started to trend again. This time though, users were adding edits to the original scene.
TikTokers edit the "I am a surgeon" scene in 'The Good Doctor' to "I am a sturgeon."
In April 2023, TikTokers breathed new life into The Good Doctor scene in which Dr. Murphy becomes emotional and reminds Dr. Han that he is a surgeon.
Users began to edit the scene in order to enhance their video. Instead of Dr. Murphy yelling, "I am a surgeon," he is edited to yell "I am a sturgeon," referring to the fish.
There are also TikToks in which lights are seen coming out of the eyes of Dr. Murphy and Dr. Han as if they had special powers. In other TikToks, Dr. Murphy is referred to as "Blud" which is the equivalent of "bro" in the U.K.
It is unknown if all of the TikTokers who engaged in creating these videos know the exact context of this scene and Dr. Muphy's condition.
