Abigail Ann 'Abbey' Bartlet, M.D., former First Lady of the United States..

Abbey is a world-class physician and wife of more than thirty years to President Bartlet. Her maiden name is Barrington. The location of her undergraduate education is unknown. However, President Bartlet once confided with C.J. Cregg (his then press secretary) that he changed his mind about becoming a priest during his undergrad years at Notre Dame when he met Abbey. It is unlikely however that Abbey herself attended Notre Dame because the University did not admit female students before 1972. She received her M.D. from Harvard Medical School. Her specializations are in internal medicine and thoracic surgery. She began practicing medicine around 1974, and is on the staff of both Boston Mercy Hospital and Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. She is Adjunct Professor of Thoracic Surgery at Harvard Medical School.

To protect the secret of her husband's multiple sclerosis, Abbey gave the President doses of betaseron, which helped keep his MS in check. It was only after he collapsed and was confronted by Leo that she revealed their secret to a member of the White House senior staff. Her decision to medicate her husband, in violation of several American Medical Association rules, caused her to decide to give up her medical license for the duration of her stay in the White House. However, she had begun to do some volunteer work at a local clinic prior to leaving Washington.