I’ve told this story before, but I’ll keep repeating it until I’m blue in the face, and our young men don’t get pushed away from their dreams. I left Atlanta and went to Kentucky on a combined athletic/academic scholarship. I had a 3.5 GPA and met with my academic advisor dedicated to athletes to decide on next steps for my major. The conversation went like this:
Me: “Imma double major in chemistry and business so I can go to med school if I don’t get drafted for baseball.”
Her: “That seems a little tough. Maybe you should just do business and not try to do the science thing”
Me: ”But my backup is to be a doc and I need those classes.”
Her: “I don’t know of any athletes that became doctors. It’s just too heavy a class load.”
Me: *door closes*
But real talk, I had to call my parents who found someone that had accomplished what I wanted to do. That made me feel more comfortable. However, as I mentor more young men, it is shocking to me how many of them get unnecessarily pushed away from medicine because of bad advice. Maybe they had a misstep in life, or they failed a few classes, or just because they look like me.
I’m here to tell you that everyone can get to this level regardless of what others are telling you. It’s not easy and it’s not a short path, but it’s one you can walk. It requires dedication, discipline, and the ability to overcome adversity. I’m here to let my young athletes know that it’s possible. You can still shoot to be a pro athlete but you don’t have to fall if you don’t. #passthescalpel #rmrn #surgeonstory