Growing up in Elmont, NY, Dondre Irving was surrounded by diversity, except for one key area — all his doctors were white. Irving had no idea this was a national trend until he started learning about the medical field, hoping to become part of the disproportionately small group of black men in medicine. In fact,… Read More

Emma Wallace’s life is a study in unexpected outcomes, so it shouldn’t be surprising that she will soon graduate medical school with a dual MD/PhD degree. Yet, it is. “I didn’t think women in my situation could have these opportunities,” she said. Born in England to a West Indian mother and British father, Wallace spent… Read More

Britney Nathan, a first-year medical student at Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine and graduate of Hofstra University, grew up in the town next door and has no intentions of leaving anytime soon. She aspires to serve her community of Uniondale, NY as a primary care physician or OB/GYN because she says she sees disparities in… Read More

James Osei Sarpong was born and raised in the Bronx by immigrant parents, neither of whom had pursued education beyond high school. But James had a desire to earn a college degree and a passion for science—biology in particular—so he worked hard to navigate the college admissions process. “It was on me to figure it… Read More