Liberation Through Education
Growing up poor and fatherless in Detroit in the early 1960s, he
was christened “Dummy” by his fifth-grade classmates.
He came to believe the Fs on his report card and his skin color
painted a gloomy portrait, and he was on the cusp of adding “Dangerous”
to his moniker. But his mother envisioned a sunnier horizon for
her son and was determined he would get there. That meant turning
off the family’s TV, loading him down daily with books, and
delivering both a steady dose of encouragement and the stern reminder
not to make excuses or blame others for his failures.
The “Dummy” is now director of pediatric neurosurgery
and operates on more than 300 children each year at the Johns Hopkins
Medical Institute in Baltimore. He is internationally acclaimed
for leading teams to separate Siamese twins conjoined at the head.
Recently, Benjamin Carson Sr., MD, shared insights about race, faith,
education and human potential with audiences during Diversity Week,
a series of events at IUSM held in connection with observances of
the January birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“We don’t have to be victims of circumstances, however
grim they might be,” Dr. Carson told a standing-room-only
crowd at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis campus
on Jan. 19. “My mother refused to let me surrender—not
in the classroom or to any other challenge or obstacle I might face
in life.”
It was that philosophy and Christian faith, Dr. Carson said, that
prepared him for the rigors of undergraduate education at Yale University,
medical school at the University of Michigan, and his storied career
as a neurosurgeon. In 1987, he made medical history when he separated
infant twins conjoined at the head. More recently, he was part of
the international surgical team that separated twenty-nine year-old
Iranian Siamese twins, who later died from post-operative complications.
Outside the OR, he is a much-sought speaker who has advanced the
cause of education, promoted self-esteem among youngsters and written
three best-selling books.
“Acquiring and developing knowledge, helping others and discovering
a person’s potential—no matter where you come from or
whatever your background—are among the keys to a life of satisfaction,”
Dr. Carson later told an audience of more than 800 gathered for
IUPUI’s thirty-fourth annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dinner.
Diversity Week is sponsored by IUSM’s Office of Medical
Service-Learning and spearheaded largely by students, who organize
special seminars and events. Dr. Carson’s appearance capped
a weeklong slate of guest speakers who discussed minority health
and policy issues. Among the speakers were William Lawson, MD, PhD,
psychiatry chair at Howard University (former IUSM professor of
psychiatry and neurobiology); Clive Callender, MD, surgery chair,
Howard University; Elena Rios, MD, president of the National Hispanic
Medical Association; and U.S. Rep. Julia Carson of Indianapolis.
“Certainly, the emerging priorities in our country are to
expand access to quality health care, increase medical school opportunities
and expand research for Latinos,” Dr. Rios said. Hispanics
currently make up thirteen-and-a-half percent of the total U.S.
population, a rate that has climbed significantly over the last
decade. With that growth also comes an increased demand for health
care.
Third-year student Robert Patterson organized most of the Diversity
Week events, with assistance from Patricia Treadwell, MD, assistant
dean for cultural diversity, and fourth-year students Lily Santilez,
Ericka Saucedo and Trina Helderman, the latter three who are members
of IUSM’s Society of Latinos.
“It’s understood that physicians must be professionally
competent, but as our society changes and becomes more diverse,
it is important physicians become culturally competent and serve
their patients better,” says Santilez, a native of Venezuela.
Ambassador For Diversity
A faculty member who has devoted much of his time at IUSM to help
minorities become physicians and pursue other careers in medical
care and research has been awarded the 2004 Joseph T. Taylor Award
for Excellence in Diversity by Indiana University-Purdue University
Indianapolis.
William Agbor-Baiyee, PhD, MPA, director of Medical Student Affairs’
special programs, recently was presented the award, which recognizes
IUPUI faculty members who are active in or responsible for innovative
programs that deal with race, class or gender issues.
Dr. Agbor-Baiyee also directs the Master of Science in Medical
Science program, which helps disadvantaged and underrepresented
minority students prepare for medical school. Since 1995, the MSMS
program has contributed significantly to increasing the number of
African-American and Hispanic students attending IUSM. He also directs
IUSM’s prematriculation program, which introduces and prepares
minority and non-traditional students immediately before they begin
medical school courses.
“Dr. Agbor-Baiyee’s active participation in numerous
School and IUPUI committees continually raises awareness about diversity
issues,” says William F. Bosron, PhD, assistant dean for graduate
studies, who nominated Dr. Agbor-Baiyee for the award. “He
is an effective ambassador for diversity because he is committed
to creating opportunities for minority students.”
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