2026 Nominees

The Calling: A Medical School Journey

HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, Cineflix Media, American Issues Initiative, First Story Productions

USA, CANADA

- Science & Technology

The Calling follows a group of medical students at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx as they learn what it takes to become doctors in one of America’s most underserved communities. The viewers are shown “…a vivid, behind-the-scenes portrait…” (Digital Trends) as the students face humbling challenges, self-doubt, exhaustion, and moments of encouragement. Their first encounters with patients highlight flaws and inequity in the health care system, prompting them to question and rediscover their motivations for becoming doctors. Captured in verité scenes and intimate video diaries, the first-year students struggle to keep up with the punishing workload, meet their first cadavers, and engage with real patients for the first time. Meanwhile, the third-year students rotate through different specialties, juggling long shifts in the hospital with study marathons for the all-important exams that will make or break their futures.