Douglas "Doogie" Howser has a degree from Princeton University, a medical license and a job at Eastman Medical Center with the ability to prescribe drugs yet is still unable to buy beer , why? Because he is only 16 years old. A boy genius who has all the problems of the typical teenager. His parents Dr. David and Katherine Howser live in Brentwood in California where Doogie resides along with friend Vinnie and girlfriend Wanda. Vinnie is a wise guy conniver who can manipulate Doogie into getting in trouble. Wanda is an art student who is Doogies first girlfriend. A tragedy later in the series changes her life forever and soon leaves him to enter new relationships. At Eastman Medical Center Doogie is a second year resident along with Dr. Jack McGuire, a good looking ladies man with a bit of a chip on his shoulder playing second fiddle to Doogie. Dr. Canfield is the chief and pulled some strings to get Doogie in Eastman and watches over him helping mold his development. "Curley" Spaudling rounds out the cast as the sweet and sassy nurse and friend at Eastman. Doogie develops as a doctor and as a person through his experiences at the medical center, both saving and losing patients , meeting different people and learning of love and pain. Often confused as a kids show, it is really a great and funny family program.