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You can't be what you can't see.

I chose to pursue a career in anesthesiology because I enjoy moment-to-moment decision making as well as the practical application of physiology and pharmacology. 3% of anesthesiologists are reported to identify as Black/African-American.  Of those 3%, the majority are women.

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The Dream Makers vs The Dream Breakers

I am very fortunate to have many positive influences in my life that fostered my dream to become a physician. As a child, a favorite toy my parents gave me was a Fisher Price Medical Kit. My personal pediatrician shared stories of his own medical school experience during my annual visits. A college professor instructed me to write a note on my dorm door that said “Dr. Shannon Smith, NOTHING can stop this dream from happening!”.

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Dr. LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr. might have never become a surgeon...

Early this year, I attended the memorial service for Dr. LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr., one of this country’s all-time great medical educators.  Dr. Leffall was a cancer surgeon who was an inspiration to the more than 6,300 medical students, residents, and fellows he taught during his illustrious career.  Being in his presence always elicited feelings of awe and profound respect.

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Everyone is Your Teacher

I had the most incredible experience as the medical director for the Undergraduate Plummer Scholars program at Mayo Clinic.  We built a summer program with the exact resources that I wished I had access to as a rising junior in college. During this week I was exhausted by all that I had to give and share with these 8 brilliant students.  What I did not anticipate, was the awe inspiring energy they would return such that my cup runneth over.

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Filling a Gap in a Leaky Pipeline

I began my education at Howard University College of Medicine (HUCM) in the summer of 1998. Being at one of the nation’s most prestigious Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) with a reputation of producing the largest number of Black/African-American physicians in the country, I instantly felt at home at an institution designed for my success.

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The Explosion of a Dream

In my professional life, I am frequently the only black person in the room.  The exam room, the workroom, the conference room, the coffee room, and the lecture room.  I’ve become accustomed to the heaviness of this fact though never forget that I am in these spaces because of the sacrifices of others before me.

This letter touched me and forced me to remember…


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