Preston Burke is the former chief cardiothoracic surgeon at Seattle Grace Hospital. He completed his pre-medical studies at Tulane University where he pledged Kappa Alpha Psi, and went on to graduate first in his class from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. While in college, he met Erica Hahn (Brooke Smith), who graduated in second place after him, beginning a rivalry between them. He was once the interim chief of surgery while Dr. Richard Webber (James Pickens, Jr.) was healing from his brain surgery. In season 1, it is revealed that Richard had promised him the position but instead enticed his former student, renowned neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), to Seattle as he felt Burke was becoming arrogant and needed competition to keep him on his toes. He began a relationship with intern Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) but broke it off because he feared it would ruin both of their reputations. Her miscarriage brought them back together. He and Cristina lived together in his perfectly kept apartment.