"If you pursue this power, yes, you will become an unparalleled surgeon. But are you prepared for the pain that it will bring you?"
— Robert Hoffman talking to Derek Stiles after revealing his Healing Touch.
Dr. Robert Hoffman is the Director of Hope Hospital and is eventually promoted to become the Executive Director of Caduceus USA. Stated to be an incredible surgeon in his youth, he eventually retired from surgery after failing to save a patient. Like Derek Stiles, he possesses the rare Healing Touch, and explains its origins and power to Derek after he unintentionally activates his.
Appearances
- Trauma Center: Under the Knife/ Second Opinion: Major Character; Patient
- Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2: Major Character
- Etrian Odyssey: Cameo, Chief of the Apothecary
Design
Robert Hoffman is an old man with white slicked hair and a spiky beard. He wears a buttoned labcoat over a white collared shirt with a brown tie, and wears glasses.
Personality
A serious and stern old man, Robert Hoffman is devoted towards the art of surgery. He has lost confidence in his surgical ability after losing a patient, but he was considered an excellent surgeon with renowned skills before the incident.
Profile
Under the Knife/ Second Opinion
Robert was the director and founder of Hope Hospital, the same hospital in which Derek Stiles completed his residency. During his days as a surgeon, he discovered that he held a mysterious power that allowed him to perform surgical feats, which he named the Healing Touch. However, an irreversible incident occurred that caused him to give up surgery for good. (The incident is never explained, though it's implied he made a critical mistake during his use of the Healing Touch).
Upon discovering Derek's Healing Touch, he warns Derek that his hands would become 'heavy' and of the pain that his Healing Touch would bring. It is later revealed that his reason to become a doctor was the same as Derek's, and after the death of Richard Anderson, he became the Director of Caduceus USA. Reinvigorated, he occasionally assists Derek and the other doctors of Caduceus USA with other patients when there are GUILT outbreaks.
In the finale of Trauma Center: Second Opinion, Robert becomes infected with Mutated Savato. With what he thought to be his last words, he reminds Derek that a doctor's one ultimate weakness is that he cannot operate on himself, and is now put in a situation where he must rely on his pupils (referring to Derek) to save his life, as a test to see if he was a good enough doctor to leave his life in Derek's hands. Derek and Angie Thompson reassure him that he is a great doctor, and Derek and Naomi Kimishima simultaneously operate on Robert using their Healing Touches together, defeating the Mutated Savato and marking the end of Delphi. He continues his duties as the Director of Caduceus USA, sending Derek letters of thanks from his patients when Derek and Angie are out of the country.
Etrian Odyssey
Dr. Hoffman is also featured as a character in Etrian Odyssey for the Nintendo DS. His role is being the chief of the apothecary in the main town of Etrian. He revives dead party members and sells healing items. His appearance remains largely similar to the way he looks in Under the Knife.