Appointed resident assistant at the Byng State Hospital by his mentor Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore), young Doctor James Kildare (Lew Ayres) has every reason to celebrate. His euphoria, however, is short-lived: Kildare is forced to return to his hometown when his general-practitioner father (Samuel S. Hinds) collapses from overwork. At first, the townsfolk are suspicious of Kildare's "newfangled" medical methods. But when the young medico is able to diagnose the malady afflicting Leading Citizen George Winslow (George Lockhart), Kildare is wholeheartedly accepted by his new flock. But will Dr. Kildare stay home, or will he return to the Big City for new adventures? Hint: there were still four "Kildare" episodes to go before Lew Ayres left the series in 1942. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi