{UAH} Ben Carson inspired a generation of black doctors. Now we don’t know what to make of his second act. - The Washington Post

When I first met Ben Carson in 1996, at his luxurious home outside Baltimore, I stood before one of my heroes. I was a college senior at the nearby University of Maryland at Baltimore County, and Carson was a leading neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital. I had been accepted to Johns Hopkins for medical school and was invited to campus as part of a "second look" weekend, where admitted African American students got the chance to interact with black medical students, young doctors and faculty members, all offering assurances that if we chose Hopkins, we would not be isolated.

Our experience culminated with brunch at Carson's home. As a future doctor, I felt genuinely thrilled to meet him. Here was a black man who had excelled in academics, rather than the familiar avenues of sports and entertainment. His important work not only saved lives but gave him entrée to the highest echelons of society. Carson's impact on other African American students who aspired to become physicians was equally profound. In every group of black pre-meds or medical students I met, someone invariably wanted to become a neurosurgeon, and Carson's name was always mentioned. This wasn't just my experience: Black medical students are about five times as likely as their non-black classmates to choose neurological surgery as their specialty.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/10/08/ben-carson-inspired-a-generation-of-black-doctors-now-were-disappointed-in-him/?tid=sm_fb

Sincerely,

Brian M. Kwesiga