“You’ll be surprised to hear this, but I can be stubborn,” the neurosurgeon once told colleagues.
Alegion of talented doctors grace the halls of Chicago Med, but only a few physicians can say they’ve been treating patients since Season 1, Episode 1 (“Derailed”).
Within this elite camp is Dr. Sam Abrams, played by Brennan Brown.
The brain is a sensitive organ but with Abrams behind the surgical wheel, patients can rest easy. He is a seasoned physician with a strong head on his shoulders who is never afraid to speak his mind. And, if Gaffney ever has a shortage of sarcasm, Abrams will be there to fill their cups.
His sardonic approach to hospital operations has made him a fan favorite during his long tenure as a recurring character.
Who is Dr. Sam Abrams on Chicago Med?
Abrams is the Head of Neurosurgery at Gaffney Medical Center, and he’s not afraid to make his opinions known as one of the brightest minds at the hospital.
He first appeared in the Chicago Med premiere (“Derailed”), when Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) cut the ribbon to open Gaffney’s doors. Viewers instantly loved Abrams for his no-nonsense attitude and barbed wit and, what lacks in smiles, he makes up for with dedication.
As one the most highly skilled surgeons at Gaffney, Abrams is often called upon for his expert opinion, and is an exceptionally skilled neurosurgeon. For instance, in the Season 9 premiere (“Row Row Row Your Boat On A Rocky Sea”), Abrams assisted Crockett Marcel (Dominic Rains) after a young boy was internally decapitated and successfully reattached the boy’s skull to his spine.
Despite his curmudgeonly demeanor around fellow doctors and staff, Abrams is historically amazing with his patients. In Season 1, Episode 18 (“Timing”), Abrams was commended for his bedside manner by a fellow doctor who noticed his distinct shift in attitude around his patient.
Who is neurosurgeon Sam Abrams’ wife on Chicago Med?
Dr. Abrams’s much-younger wife is Michelle Abrams (Emma Ishta), who fans and colleagues first met in Season 5, Episode 11 (“The Ground Shifts Beneath Us”).
Colleagues only learned he was married because they thought Abrams had been severely burned in a plane crash while returning from a medical conference in Hawai’i, and they called his next of kin — only to be surprised at the presence of his younger, extremely attractive wife to whom he’d recently been married after a short courtship.
She insisted that life support be withdrawn before his college-age daughter, Lucy, could get there, saying that her husband would not want his daughter to see him in that state or be permanently disabled as a result of his injuries. Abrams colleagues stalled, worried she was only after his money and his life insurance. They ultimately lost that battle, and began the process to withdraw the injured man’s life support
Cut to the real Dr. Abrams appearing at the entrance to the ED in a Hawaiian shirt. He explained that he’d given up his seat to another conference attendee to remain in the tropics for another few hours. (It was fortunately in time to turn life support back on for the burn patient.)
Abrams then sternly chastised his colleagues for not believing his wife — who, he said, had been correct that he would not have wanted his daughter to see him in that state or have had to live with significant disabilities.
To drive this point home, Abrams clarified that, in his relationship, he was a trophy husband: Michelle had become a millionaire through her supplement company long before she met him.
Does Sam Abrams have children on Chicago Med?
Abrams has two children: Lucy, his adult daughter from his first marriage; and Mason, his young son from his marriage to Michelle.
Mason was a bit of a medical miracle: In Season 8, Episode 21 (“Might Feel Like It’s Time for a Change”), Abrams divulged that he’d had a vasectomy after his first child — but only after Michelle went to Gaffney with a suspected UTI and discovered instead that she was pregnant. It turned out that the vasectomy had reversed itself and Michelle was having pregnancy complications that required surgery. Both she and their baby boy made it through the procedure in good health.
But in Season 9, Episode 9 (“Spin a Yarn, Get Stuck in Your Own String”), Abrams and Michelle were back in the ED with a screaming Mason, who Michelle said had bumped his head falling out of a stroller. Emergency Department Chief Dr. Dean Archer (Steven Weber) determined the injury wasn’t consistent with the fall as Michelle described it and, as mandated, reported the injury to child services.
Abrams was furious and Michelle was devastated — but she did eventually reveal that she’d accidentally fallen asleep while holding the baby on her lap, which is how Mason had fallen. Michelle didn’t want her husband blamed for her mistake, but ultimately social workers mandated a home visit and a mandatory parenting class rather than separating the family.
What are Sam Abrams’ relationships with the other doctors at Chicago Med?
Abrams can have testy relationships with other doctors at Gaffney, given his tendency towards blunt statements, sarcasm, and egotism. Still, he is clearly considered a valued member of the staff, as evidenced by the reactions in Seasons 5, Episode 11 when he was believed to be seriously injured.
And while his sarcasm and blunt personality can rub some of his colleagues the wrong way, it can also lend itself to some of the funniest scenes in the series.
He engaged in dozens of verbal sparring matches throughout his Chicago Med tenure, but one of his most infamous battles was in Season 4, Episode 2 (“When to Let Go”). After Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) learned his father was brain dead after being trapped in an apartment fire, Abrams was probably the last person who should have delivered the news, as he was already thinking of the next patient.
“This vent could be put to better use,” Abrams remarked after delivering the blow to the Halstead brothers, and Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) had to be held back before punching Abrams in the face.
After Natalie Manning (Torrey DeVitto) suffered a traumatic brain injury in Season 4, Abrams agreed to evaluate her neurological functioning in Season 5, Episode 1 (“Never Going Back to Normal”). During the consultation, Abrams uncharacteristically (albeit with a flat affect) told Natalie how happy he was that she was doing better.
But in a humorous surprise, it was Abrams who donned the cherry red Santa Suit in Season 7, Episode 9 (“Secret Santa Has a Gift For You”) for the hospital’s holiday party.
