Fulfilling a Legacy: Medicine as My Conduit for Seeking Justice

I hear my ancestors whispering in my ear, ‘Daughter, you were called for just this moment!’

The author’s grandfather. Photos courtesy of the author.

I knew at the age of 12 that I wanted to be a physician despite having no one in my immediate or extended family in the medical field. It was simply a God-given calling to serve people. During my time at Northwestern University as a premedical student, I spent the majority of my Saturdays working under the tutelage of a Black obstetrician-gynecologist treating women with a myriad of different medical problems. It was there that I got my first dose of the harsh realities of health inequities: Black women and babies die at higher rates than Whites during childbirth, and if you didn’t have health insurance, it was harder to seek medical treatment. Those early experiences as a young observer helped shaped the lens from which I view my service as a physician. Throughout my medical career, I have sought to use medicine as my conduit for justice and equity through my clinical work, teaching medical students, clinical research focused on vulnerable populations, and community engagement.