Did you know that the medical community has incredible diversity? From the first black female physician to the first director of the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there’s something for everyone in this list of fun facts. You might be surprised to know that some people you didn’t know existed. And if you’re still not aware of some of these significant contributions to our health, now is the perfect time to learn them. And you can visit Sermo.com the world’s largest dedicated social network for doctors, which has a plethora of resources to assist you in earning CME credits online. Read more!
Sullivan was the first black female physician
Sullivan, born in Atlanta, Georgia, was the first Black student at the Boston University School of Medicine. She became a faculty member in 1966 and became the founding dean of the Morehouse School of Medicine, the first medical school in the United States for predominantly Black people. After her graduation, Sullivan served as the secretary of Health & Human Services and helped create the Office of Minority Programs at the National Institutes of Health.
Sullivan’s success has led to the appointment of several influential organizations and groups. For example, she chairs the Sullivan Alliance, a non-profit organization with a mission to improve minority representation in the medical community. Her work has also helped her become the first African American woman to join the American College of Surgeons. She has held leadership positions in the medical community and has been the CEO of several institutions since 2005.
Nickens was the first director of the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Herbert W. Nickens was the first director of the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. After being named the director in 1986, he became the first vice president of the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Community and Minority Programs. He was also a physician. Nickens’ dedication to health and the health of minority populations inspired a number of people and ultimately led to the Office of Minority Health being created in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
After graduating from medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Nickens began a series of federal appointments. He served as the director of the National Institute on Aging and then became the first director of the Office of Minority Health in HHS. Until he retired from the HHS, Dr. Nickens served on the Board of Directors of the Association of American Medical Colleges, which he held until joining AAAMC. He was also a member of the National Medical Association, the Black Psychiatrists Association, and the National Board of Medical Examiners.
Sullivan was born in France
As the secretary of Health and Human Services, Sullivan played a role in many important health care initiatives. Although he initially sparked controversy with his stance on controversial issues, he has won the respect of conservatives and liberals alike. His efforts in this regard have included promoting health care reform and reducing the impact of cigarette advertising. Sullivan later returned to the Morehouse School of Medicine and continued his career as an elder statesman in the medical community.
As a child, Sullivan had an unusually dramatic ascent and descent in his life. After completing his undergraduate degree at Rice University, Sullivan moved to Princeton, where he worked on various classifications. He collaborated with Professor William Browder and later wrote a paper on the topic that he titled the Hauptvermutung. The report proved to be a seminal paper in geometric topology and won the Oswald Veblen Prize for geometry from the American Mathematical Society.
Gaston was the first black female physician in the U.S.
Marilyn Hughes Gaston was born in 1939 and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. She attended Miami University and graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 1964. Although the only Black woman in her graduating class, her family was poor, and she never had the luxury of a good education. But even in those difficult times, her ambition for a career in medicine never waned. She worked hard and pursued her goal despite the obstacles she faced in school.
Gaston faced racial discrimination as a black woman in medical school as a young girl. Fortunately, she had strong female role models and a supportive family. She had a godmother who led a desegregation movement in her neighborhood and worked hard to get herself a medical degree. But she could not become a physician until she had graduated from medical school.