It was his experiences during this time that would lead to his first foray into writing. In 1965, Sacks’s career took him to New York City, where he began teaching at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx as well as working at various clinics in the area. Zion Hospital, followed by a residency in neurology at UCLA. Hitchhiking his way south, Sacks eventually landed in San Francisco, where he immersed himself in the local scene, experimenting with drugs and befriending some of the city’s local poets.ĭespite these freewheeling adventures, Sacks remained committed to science and gained an internship at Mt. In 1960, Sacks took a trip to Canada, and while there he sent a telegram to his parents informing them of his decision to stay in North America.

In 1958, he received his medical degree from the institution, after which time he interned at a London hospital and worked briefly as a surgeon in Birmingham. In 1954, Sacks earned his bachelor’s degree in physiology and biology. Like his siblings before him, Sacks exhibited a keen intellect and excelled in his studies, earning a scholarship to Queen’s College at Oxford University, which he attended in 1951. When Sacks returned home four years later, he attended his local grammar and high schools and developed an interest in both chemistry and medicine, at times assisting his mother with dissections during her research. After spending his early years at home, Sacks was sent to boarding school at 6-years-old when World War II began in 1939 to protect him from frequent bombing raids that plagued London. His father, Samuel, was a general practitioner, and his mother, Muriel, was one of the first female surgeons in England. Oliver Sacks was the youngest of four gifted children born into a medical family. Sacks died from cancer on Augat the age of 82. His works include Awakenings, Seeing Voices and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat.

Sacks wrote prolifically about his patients and pathological conditions. He went on to study neurology and became a professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He studied physiology and medicine at Queens College, Oxford. Oliver Wolf Sacks was born in London, England, on July 9, 1933.

Awakenings dr oliver sacks