Shameeke: I DEFINITELY KNEW THAT MEDICINE WAS THE RIGHT PATH FOR ME BECAUSE I WANTED TO GO BACK TO MY COMMUNITY AND HELP PEOPLE.

SO MR. D CAME TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT YESTERDAY, AFTER PAIN AND SWELLING IN HIS LOWER BACK THAT PERSISTED FOR TWO WEEKS.

- LOOK AT THE LUNGS, LOOK AT THE CHEST.

- AND KIND OF, INSTILL THE FERVOR IN OTHER CHILDREN WHO, WHO GREW UP IN KIND OF, IMPOVERISHED ENVIRONMENTS THAT HAD BIG DREAMS BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW THAT THEY COULD BECOME A DOCTOR.

- I REALLY LIKE THE MEDICAL FIELD.

I WANT TO BE A NEURO, NEUROSURGEON.

Narrator: MEDICINE IS A DIFFICULT CAREER CHOICE.

TOUGH ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS, LONG HOURS, AND MEDICAL SCHOOL ITSELF IS VERY EXPENSIVE.

BUT IT'S ALSO ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING PROFESSIONS.

- LIFE IS ABOUT LIVING AND EXPERIENCING AND CONSTANTLY LEARNING.

AND THAT'S WHAT'S SO BEAUTIFUL ABOUT MEDICINE.

IT'S TRULY LIFELONG LEARNING.

- I LOVE CARING FOR MY PATIENTS.

I LOVE BEING THERE FOR THEM.

- I WANTED TO BE A DOCTOR EVER SINCE I WAS PROBABLY SIX YEARS OLD.

Narrator: BUT IT'S NOT A FIELD THAT AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN TURN TO IN GREAT NUMBERS.

- THERE ARE ABOUT 980,000 PHYSICIANS IN THE UNITED STATES, OF WHICH 34,000 ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN, WHICH ACTUALLY IS ABOUT TWO TO THREE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PHYSICIANS.

Narrator: SO, WHO'S WORKING TO ATTRACT MORE AFRICAN AMERICANS TOWARD MEDICINE?

- WE CAME UP WITH A MENTORING PROGRAM TO TRY TO HELP YOUNG MEN UNDERSTAND HOW TO BECOME DOCTORS.

Man: I WOULD LIKE TO ENROLL AROUND 30 STUDENTS A YEAR IN OUR FIRST YEAR CLASS WHO ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN MEDICINE.

Narrator: THEY ARE TEACHING, MENTORING, POINTING MORE YOUNG MEN TOWARD A CAREER THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE CONSIDERED, GUIDING THEM ON THEIR JOURNEY TO MEDICINE.

- ARE YOU ON HIS TEAM?

- YEAH.

Narrator: SHAMEEKE TAYLOR IS A THIRD YEAR MED STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.

HIS JOURNEY TO A MEDICAL CAREER BEGAN IN THE PROJECTS OF NEW YORK CITY.

- I WAS BORN AND RAISED, JUST MY MOTHER AND I, KIND OF, ALL AROUND BROOKLYN, JUST UM, KIND OF POOR FAMILY, JUST THE TWO OF US TRYING TO MAKE ENDS MEET.

MY MOM HAD TO WORK TWO JOBS USUALLY TO TRY TO HELP AFFORD THINGS FOR THE FAMILY.

SHE ALWAYS KIND OF, INSTILLED IN ME EDUCATION WAS VERY IMPORTANT.

AND WITHOUT EDUCATION, YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GO VERY FAR IN LIFE.

WHEN I WAS A CHILD, WHILE MY FRIENDS WERE OUTSIDE PLAYING BASEBALL IN THE STREETS AND YOU KNOW, HANGING OUT, I WAS MORE THE PERSON WHO HAD THE BOOK IN THE HOUSE.

I DID HAVE MY FUN, BUT MY MOTHER WANTED TO KEEP ME OUT OF TROUBLE.

Narrator: IN A ROUGH NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT A STRONG SUPPORT SYSTEM.

SHAMEEKE HAD THREE GENERATIONS OF WOMEN WATCHING OUT FOR HIM.

Shameeke: MY MOM, MY GRANDMOTHER, AND GREAT GRANDMOTHER HAVE ALWAYS BEEN STRONG SUPPORTS FOR ME.

WHENEVER I HAD A SPELLING BEE, I COULD ALWAYS HEAR MY GRANDMOTHER IN THE FOURTH ROW SCREAMING, "THAT'S MY BABY."

Narrator: TEACHERS CHEERED HIM ON, TOO.

IN SCHOOL, SHAMEEKE WAS INTERESTED IN SCIENCE EARLY ON AND SOMETIMES SPENT HIS LUNCH HOUR IN THE LAB.

FROM A MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL, IT WAS A SHORT STEP FOR SHAMEEKE TO THE IVY LEAGUE.

Shameeke: I KIND OF EXCELLED IN SCIENCE AND MATH AND WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA FOR UNDERGRAD.

Narrator: AFTER PENN, SHAMEEKE DID NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH AT MOUNT SINAI MEDICAL CENTER BEFORE ENROLLING IN PITT'S MEDICAL SCHOOL.

- SO THIS IS A 50-YEAR-OLD MALE WITH THE CHIEF COMPLAINT OF BACK AND LEG PAIN; WITH SOME SWELLING IN HIS BACK, HANDS AND FEET.

Narrator: SHAMEEKE IS GLAD HE CHOSE PITT.

THE ACADEMICS HAVE BEEN STIMULATING AND HE'S FOUND A STRONG SUPPORT SYSTEM IN THE FACULTY, STAFF, AND FELLOW MED STUDENTS.

BUT STILL, THERE ARE SOME CHALLENGES.

- AS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALE IN MEDICINE, ESPECIALLY GOING THROUGH MEDICAL SCHOOL, I FEEL AS THOUGH YOU HAVE TO TRY MUCH HARDER TO IMPRESS DOCTORS AND SOME OF YOUR OTHER FACULTY MEMBERS IN THE SCHOOL.

SOMETIMES YOU FEEL AS THOUGH PEOPLE ALREADY LABEL YOU, KIND OF, PUT YOU IN A BOX BECAUSE OF YOUR RACE, BECAUSE OF YOUR RELIGION, BECAUSE OF YOUR BACKGROUND GROWING UP, YOUR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC STATUS.

- WHAT ARE YOU GUYS IN NOW?

- IMMUNO, SO... - IMMUNO.

NOT BAD, JUST GOING THROUGH THIRD YEAR.

JUST KEEP PUSHING, MOVING ALONG.

Narrator: SHAMEEKE'S GOAL AFTER MED SCHOOL IS PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, POSSIBLY WORKING IN THE KIND OF NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE HE ONCE LIVED.

Shameeke: THERE WAS BROKEN GLASS AND THE CRACK VIALS AND THE THINGS OF THAT NATURE, AND IT WAS KIND OF SADNESS IN SOME OF THE POVERTY THAT WE SAW.

GROWING UP, YOU SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE FALL OFF THE WAYSIDE, OF PEOPLE WHO PASS AWAY, PEOPLE WHO HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS THAT NEEDED JUST A LITTLE BIT OF MEDICAL ATTENTION, THEY COULD HAVE BEEN RIGHT BACK ON PATH.

Narrator: SHAMEEKE STILL KEEPS IN TOUCH WITH HIS OLD FRIENDS, AND HAS INSPIRED SOME OF THEM TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL.

BUT THE ONE PERSON HE ESPECIALLY WANTS TO MENTOR, HIS BABY BROTHER CHRISTIAN, BORN WHEN SHAMEEKE WAS IN COLLEGE.

Shameeke: MY LITTLE BROTHER WANTS TO BE A DOCTOR.

EVERY TIME I GO HOME, I TRY TO TEACH HIM A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT MEDICINE.

I'LL BRING HOME MY STETHOSCOPE, I'LL BRING HOME MY BLOOD PRESSURE CUFF AND TRY TO TEACH HIM AND JUST KIND OF, PRACTICE ON MY MOTHER, TO HIS DELIGHT.

Dr. Chenits Pettigrew: MR. TAYLOR, WHAT'S HAPPENING?

WHAT'S HAPPENING, HAVE A SEAT, MAN.

I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH YOUR BOARD PREPARATION.

Narrator: HELPING THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE RECRUIT MORE MINORITY STUDENTS IS DR. CHENITS PETTIGREW.

- WE ENROLL ANYWHERE FROM 145 TO 150 STUDENTS EACH YEAR, GIVE OR TAKE.

Narrator: THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN ENROLLMENT IN MEDICAL SCHOOLS IS SEVEN PERCENT.

AT PITT, THE NUMBER IS SLIGHTLY BETTER, STANDING AT EIGHT PERCENT.

Dr. Pettigrew: EVEN THOUGH PITT HAS SUSTAINED EFFORTS OVER TIME, WE HAVE NOT NECESSARILY MOVED THE NEEDLE AS FAR AS WE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO.

Narrator: IN PART, DR. PETTIGREW SAYS THERE ARE FEWER BLACK DOCTORS BECAUSE STUDENTS AREN'T PROPERLY PREPARED.

Dr. Pettigrew: YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR RIGOROUS COURSE WORK.

IF YOU DON'T BEGIN TO ENGAGE THAT COURSE WORK EARLY IN YOUR ACADEMIC CAREER, THEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO MEDICAL SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE LIMITED.

SO IF YOU DON'T START SCIENCE AND MATH ON TIME, IF YOU DON'T DO A-B WORK IN MATH AND SCIENCE, IF YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO ADVANCED COURSES AND HONORS COURSES, AND IF YOU DON'T GAIN THAT CUMULATIVE EXPERIENCE, ANYWHERE THAT YOU DROP OFF IN THAT PIPELINE, YOU WON'T BE ELIGIBLE.

- WHEN I GET THE CHANCE, I'LL PREPARE ON THE SIDE FOR BOARDS.

Dr. Pettigrew: OUR GOAL IS TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS SO THAT THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR ENDEAVOR TO GET THROUGH MEDICAL SCHOOL.

SO WE PROVIDE THE PROGRAMS, INITIATIVES, INFORMATION AND SERVICES FOR THAT TO OCCUR.

Narrator: DR. PETTIGREW IS ALSO PITT'S DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY PROGRAMS.

HE HOLDS WORKSHOPS AND "MEET AND GREETS" WITH PHYSICIANS ALREADY IN PRACTICE TO HELP PREPARE THE STUDENTS FOR WHAT'S TO COME.

- WE DO A DIVERSITY WORKSHOP SERIES FOR OUR INCOMING STUDENTS WHERE WE TALK ABOUT GENDER, WE TALK ABOUT RACE, WE TALK ABOUT ETHNICITY, WE TALK ABOUT SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AND GENDER IDENTITY AND SO FORTH.

I TRY TO EXPOSE THEM TO AS MANY ATTENDINGS WHO MAY BE AFRICAN AMERICAN, BLACK, LATINO, HISPANIC, SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE A SENSE OF THEIR EXPERIENCE.

I TRY TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A VERY SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE IF THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE COME THROUGH THIS INVERSE FUNNEL, THEY HAVE A HUGE OBLIGATION, NOT NECESSARILY JUST TO SERVE THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES, BUT TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

Benjamin Cobb: WE JUST DO THIS TO FEEL FOR THE CORRECT LOCATION.

Narrator: STUDENTS ON THAT ROAD TO SUCCESS ARE OFTEN TRAILBLAZERS, LIKE FOURTH YEAR MED STUDENT, BENJAMIN COBB.

- I'M THE FIRST IN MY FAMILY TO GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE.

NEITHER ONE OF MY PARENTS HAVE UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES.

NO PHYSICIANS IN THE FAMILY.

I'M THE FIRST.

Narrator: BENJAMIN DIDN'T ALWAYS WANT TO BE A DOCTOR.

HE MAJORED IN CHEMISTRY AT HAMPTON UNIVERSITY IN VIRGINIA.

- I WAS WORKING ON A NASA PROJECT FOR MY LAST THREE YEARS OF UNDERGRAD.

AND WHILE IT WAS EXCITING, IT WASN'T VERY FULFILLING.

Narrator: WHEN BENJAMIN BEGAN MENTORING MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS IN MATH AND SCIENCE, IT CHANGED HIS LIFE.

- SOMEONE ACTUALLY RECOMMENDED, SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU'D BE A GREAT PEDIATRICIAN.

SO I SAID, HMM, MAYBE MEDICINE WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ME, AND I STARTED LOOKING INTO IT.

- OKAY, BEN, WE'RE GOING TO GO IN AND DO AN EPIDURAL.

SHE'S IN LDR 16, SO SHE'S ABOUT THREE OR FOUR CENTIMETERS-- Benjamin: THINGS THAT I WANTED FROM A CAREER ALL ALONG, I FOUND IN MEDICINE.

ONE THING I REALLY WANTED WAS A PROFESSION THAT ALLOWED ME TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND TO MAKE A CHANGE.

I WANTED SOMETHING THAT I WOULD ALWAYS BE A LEARNER IN THE FIELD.

I WOULDN'T BECOME STAGNANT.

ALSO SOMETHING THAT REALLY INVOLVED ME TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH PEOPLE.

Narrator: HE'S GETTING ALL THAT NOW, ESPECIALLY WITH HIS ROTATION AT MAGEE WOMEN'S HOSPITAL.

HE DECIDED TO GO INTO ANESTHESIOLOGY IN OBSTETRICS.

Benjamin: OKAY, SO THE FIRST THING YOU'RE GOING TO FEEL ME DO YOU'RE GONNA FEEL ME, CLEAN OFF YOUR BACK WITH SOME COLD SOLUTION, OKAY?

WITH OB-ANESTHESIA, I FIND IT VERY REWARDING BECAUSE WHEN I GO INTO THE ROOM, PATIENTS ARE AGONIZING IN LABOR PAINS AND ONCE WE PLACE THE EPIDURAL, WITHIN MINUTES THEY'RE THANKING ME, AND READY TO NAME THEIR CHILD AFTER ME.

- WE'RE GOING TO NUMB YOU UP.

- OKAY?

QUICK PINCH, OKAY?

Narrator: BENJAMIN HAD PARENTS WHO ENCOURAGED HIM, AS WELL AS TEACHERS WHO MADE HIM WORK HARD.

AND HIS OWN EXPERIENCES AS A MENTOR HELPED HIM FIND HIS WAY.

- I THINK ONE REASON THAT THERE'S NOT A LOT OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN PARTICULARLY INVOLVED IN MEDICINE IS BECAUSE THERE'S A LACK OF MENTORSHIP.

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN BEING A PHYSICIAN, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THE THOUGHT HAS TO BE THERE.

AND IF YOU DON'T SEE ANYONE, YOU KNOW, THAT LOOKS LIKE YOU, OR YOU THINK IS COOL DOING IT, YOU WON'T EVEN, YOU WON'T INITIALLY PLANT THE SEED.

OKAY, I'LL KEEP THAT IN MIND.

YEAH, PERFECT.

Narrator: THE REASON YOUNG MEN LIKE BENJAMIN HAVE TROUBLE FINDING ROLE MODELS, ESPECIALLY IN THE FIELD OF MEDICINE IS PART OF HISTORY.

Dr. Laurence Glasco: IT'S A STORY THAT REALLY HASN'T BEEN TOLD, IT HASN'T BEEN RESEARCHED LIKE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

Narrator: BUT DR. LAURENCE GLASCO HAS BEEN ABLE TO TRACE THE STORY BACK TO THE 1850S.

Dr. Glasco: PROBABLY THE FIRST MAJOR FIGURE ONE ENCOUNTERS IN TERMS OF BLACKS IN MEDICINE HERE WOULD HAVE BEEN MARTIN DELANY, THE GREAT ABOLITIONIST AND CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER OF THE PRE-CIVIL WAR ERA.

Narrator: DR. GLASCO HAS BEEN TEACHING AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SINCE 1969.

HIS CLASSES OFTEN COVER MARTIN DELANY, ONE OF THREE BLACKS ADMITTED TO HARVARD IN THE LATE 1850S.

Dr. Glasco: HE HAD TO LEAVE HARVARD BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY THE WHITE STUDENTS AT HARVARD THOUGHT THAT HAVING BLACKS IN THE SCHOOL WOULD DIMINISH THE VALUE OF THE HARVARD DEGREE.

LATER, THE FIRST PITTSBURGH EDUCATED PHYSICIAN, GEORGE TURFLEY, HE WAS BORN IN PITTSBURGH IN THE 1850S, THE FIRST BLACK GRADUATE OF CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL, AND WENT ON TO GET A MEDICAL DEGREE AT WESTERN RESERVE IN CLEVELAND.

Narrator: DR. TURFLEY WAS THE FIRST REGISTERED AFRICAN-AMERICAN DOCTOR IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY.

HE OPENED HIS PRACTICE HERE AFTER HIS GRADUATION FROM MEDICAL SCHOOL.

- FOR A LONG TIME, HE WAS THE ONLY BLACK PHYSICIAN OPERATING IN THE CITY, WHICH IS, GIVES AN IDEA OF THE LACK OF ADEQUATE MEDICAL FACILITIES, AND ADEQUATE MEDICAL SERVICES AVAILABLE TO BLACKS.

THERE WERE INDIVIDUAL DOCTORS WHO TOOK CARE OF THEM.

HOSPITALS DID TAKE BLACKS IN.

MERCY HOSPITAL, FOR EXAMPLE, DOWNTOWN, TOOK IN BLACKS.

THEY WERE USUALLY IN SEGREGATED WARDS, BUT THERE WERE SERVICES AVAILABLE TO THEM, BUT IT WAS NOT WHAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN, AND BLACKS HAD A LOW RATE OF SURVIVAL HERE IN PITTSBURGH COMPARED TO WHITES.

Narrator: THINGS IMPROVED SLIGHTLY AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, WHEN SIX BLACKS GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH MEDICAL SCHOOL, BUT MOST LEFT THE AREA.

- FROM ABOUT WORLD WAR I, THE UNIVERSITY STOPPED ADMITTING BLACK STUDENTS.

JUST HOW THAT WAS AND WHY IS NOT REALLY CLEAR.

Narrator: AFTER AN INVESTIGATION BY STATE LEGISLATORS, BLACKS BEGAN TO BE ADMITTED, BUT STILL FACED OBSTACLES.

MEDICAL SCHOOLS WOULD ADMIT BLACK STUDENTS, BUT WHEN THE TIME CAME TO PLACE THEM IN HOSPITALS FOR THEIR RESIDENCIES, THEY WERE EXCLUDED.

Dr. Glasco: BY THE 1940S, MONTEFIORE HOSPITAL CHANGED ITS POLICY AND BEGAN PLACING BLACK PHYSICIANS ON THE STAFF THERE.

SO THIS WAS A BREAKTHROUGH.

AND BY THE 50S, WEST PENN AND OTHER HOSPITALS BEGAN ADMITTING BLACK PHYSICIANS AND PLACING THEM ON THE STAFF.

Narrator: ONE HOSPITAL THAT DID HIRE BLACK PHYSICIANS WAS THE TUBERCULOSIS HOSPITAL LOCATED IN THE HILL DISTRICT.

IN THE 1930S, THEY GAVE DR. RODERICK BROWN A JOB.

Dr. Glasco: THIS WOULD HAVE PROBABLY BEEN THE FIRST HOSPITAL THAT HAD BLACKS ON STAFF.

AND DR. BROWN WAS REALLY AN OUTSTANDING PHYSICIAN.

BY THE 1940S, HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NATIONAL TB ASSOCIATION, AND HE WAS QUITE A LEADER IN TB RESEARCH AND PRACTICE.

AND, IN FACT, AT THAT TB HOSPITAL IN THE HILL DISTRICT WHERE HE WORKED, IT WAS NATIONALLY AND EVEN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED.

Narrator: IN THE 1950S, DR. BROWN WAS MADE HEAD OF THE TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL UNIT HERE IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY.

OVER THE NEXT FEW DECADES, MEDICAL SCHOOLS REVERSED THEIR POLICIES OF DISCRIMINATION AND BEGAN TO ACTIVELY SEEK MINORITY ENROLLMENT.

Dr. Glasco: IN THE 1960S, THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH MOVED FORWARD, IN THE 60S AND 70S, AND ACTUALLY THE MEDICAL SCHOOL HERE BEGAN RECRUITING BLACK STUDENTS TO GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL AS WELL AS WOMEN.

AND SO, ON BOTH COUNTS, THE MEDICAL SCHOOL AND THE MEDICAL PROFESSION HERE HAS REALLY TURNED AROUND.

Narrator: BUT IT STILL HASN'T PRODUCED GREAT NUMBERS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN DOCTORS.

Dr. Glasco: IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE FIELD TO GO INTO, FOR ONE THING.

IT'S A LONG HARD CLIMB, FOR ANOTHER.

AND PEOPLE DON'T OFTEN HAVE THE ROLE MODELS, THE EXAMPLES OF SOME PHYSICIAN WHOM THEY KNOW WHO KIND OF, INSPIRES THEM AND SPONSORS THEM AND GIVES THEM A FEEL THAT THIS IS SOMETHING YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT.

- GIVE IT A LITTLE PUSH WITH A LOT OF FORCE.

Narrator: WOULD-BE MED STUDENTS CAN FIND THEIR ROLE MODEL IN DR. DWIGHT HERON.

- AND IT'S GOING TO DEFORM THE VOLUMES INTO THE NEW CT. Narrator: HE'S THE DIRECTOR OF RADIATION SERVICES FOR THE UPMC CANCER CENTER, AND HE'S A PROFESSOR OF RADIATION ONCOLOGY AT THE PITT MEDICAL SCHOOL.

Dr. Dwight Heron: I AM A CANCER DOCTOR, ONE OF THREE GROUPS OF DOCTORS THAT CARE FOR CANCER PATIENTS.

WE HAVE SURGICAL ONCOLOGISTS, WE HAVE MEDICAL ONCOLOGISTS, AND THE THIRD LEG IS RADIATION ONCOLOGIST, THAT'S WHAT I DO.

I HAVE A SPECIFIC FOCUS ON SOMETHING CALLED RADIOSURGERY AND SO I DO A LOT OF NEURORADIOSURGERY.

BRAIN AND SPINE AND UM-- HEAD AND NECK CANCERS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

AND SO IT INSPIRES ME BECAUSE I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, I BELIEVE, MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Narrator: THOUGH DR. HERON GREW UP IN NEW YORK CITY, IT WAS HIS SUMMERS IN JAMAICA WHERE HIS INTEREST IN MEDICINE BEGAN.

- THERE WAS A PHYSICIAN THAT WAS IN THE COMMUNITY AND HE WAS KIND OF, WELL-KNOWN, RESPECTED, AND IF YOU WERE ILL, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY WOULD JUST GO TO HIM AND IT WAS JUST SO FASCINATING TO SEE HIM SORT OF, TRANSFORM THE ILL, AND IT WAS ALWAYS FASCINATING TO ME.

Narrator: AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, DR. HERON WENT TO COLLEGE IN CONNECTICUT.

WHILE CONDUCTING RESEARCH, HE AND A COLLEAGUE FOUND A CANCER CELL THAT HAD ELUDED RESEARCHERS FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS.

- WE WROTE THE MANUSCRIPT, WE SENT IT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER WHICH IS WHERE I GOT INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL.

SO THIS KIND OF DROVE MY INTEREST.

AND I STARTED REALLY THINKING ABOUT MEDICINE.

Narrator: HE GOT INTO OVER A DOZEN MEDICAL SCHOOLS.

ROCHESTER WAS HIS TOP CHOICE AND HELPING CANCER PATIENTS BECAME PERSONAL.

- WE ALL HAVE A PARENT, A GRANDPARENT OR A NEIGHBOR, SOMEBODY THAT WE KNOW THAT'S BEEN TOUCHED BY CANCER.

AND SO IT'S, AND IT'S LIFE-- IT'S TRANSFORMING IN MANY WAYS.

Narrator: THROUGH ENCOURAGEMENT FROM HIS PARENTS, AND HIS OWN HARD WORK AND DETERMINATION, DR. HERON IS NOW ONE OF PITTSBURGH'S TOP DOCTORS.

BUT IT WASN'T AN EASY PATH.

Dr. Heron: IN MY FIRST YEAR, AS A FRESHMAN IN COLLEGE, I HAD A CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR TELL ME, TO MY FACE, THIS IS A STRAIGHT "A" STUDENT, ALL THE WAY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL, TELL ME THAT I WOULD NEVER AMOUNT TO MUCH, THAT I WOULD NEVER GET INTO MEDICINE, THAT I SHOULD CHANGE MY MAJOR FROM MEDICINE TO SOMETHING ELSE.

IF I HAD LISTENED TO THAT MESSAGE, I WOULDN'T BE WHERE I AM TODAY AND HELPING PATIENTS ACROSS THE SPECTRUM.

Narrator: AND HEADING A DEPARTMENT THAT HAS THE MOST INNOVATIVE METHODS TO TREAT CANCER IN THE WORLD.

Dr. Heron: THIS IS THE CYBERKNIFE.

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL TOOLS IN THE TREATMENT OF CANCER.

I USE THIS TO TREAT TUMORS IN THE BRAIN AND SPINE, AND FRANKLY, ALMOST ANYWHERE IN THE BODY AND IT DELIVERS THE RADIATION THROUGH THE TIP HERE.

AND YOU CAN SEE IT, IT LOOKS LIKE A ROBOT; IT'S IN FACT A GIANT ROBOT, WHERE THE PATIENT LIES ON THE TABLE AND IMAGING IS ACQUIRED AND WE CAN SEE INSIDE THE BODY AND WE CAN DELIVER RADIATION, EVEN IF THE TUMOR IS MOVING INSIDE THE BODY.

THIS MACHINE IS THE BUSIEST CYBERKNIFE IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE THIRD BUSIEST WORLDWIDE.

Narrator: "BUSY" ALSO DESCRIBES DR. LAWRENCE GIPSON.

HE'S AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST WHO HAS BEEN IN PRACTICE FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS.

WHEN HE'S NOT EXAMINING PATIENTS IN HIS CHARLEROI OR SOUTH SIDE OFFICE, HE'S PERFORMING EYE SURGERY.

Dr. Lawrence Gipson: I THINK ALL OF MY LIFE, AS FAR BACK AS I CAN REMEMBER, I LIKED MEDICINE.

I REMEMBER, AS A CHILD, DOING DISSECTIONS ON FROGS, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS EIGHT, NINE, YEARS OLD AND THAT ALWAYS INTRIGUED ME.

I, I LIKED THE CARING NATURE OF MEDICINE.

Narrator: IT WAS A HARD BUT REWARDING ROAD FOR DR. GIPSON.

BORN IN ALABAMA, HE WAS RAISED IN PITTSBURGH.

HE DID HIS UNDERGRADUATE WORK IN MICHIGAN BUT RETURNED TO PITTSBURGH TO GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL.

Dr. Gipson: I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO DO SOME RESEARCH MY LAST YEAR OF MEDICAL SCHOOL, AND THAT RESEARCH WAS FOCUSED IN OPHTHALMOLOGY, AND THAT'S WHERE I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE FIELD AND WAS ACCEPTED AT SEVERAL PROGRAMS BUT ELECTED, AGAIN, TO DO MY, MY RESIDENCY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT WHAT WAS CALLED THEN, EYE AND EAR HOSPITAL.

I MAY HAVE BEEN THE FIRST MINORITY TO EVER GO THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH OPHTHALMOLOGY PROGRAM, AFRICAN AMERICAN, AT THAT TIME AND, AND WHEN I PASSED MY BOARDS FOR MY BOARD CERTIFICATION, I RECALL THAT I WAS EITHER THE FIRST OR SECOND OR SO BOARD CERTIFIED OPHTHALMOLOGIST OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN DESCENT IN PENNSYLVANIA.

LOOK DOWN A LITTLE BIT.

OKAY.

Narrator: AT TIMES, IT WAS CHALLENGING.

- I THINK THAT FOR AN AFRICAN AMERICAN TO SAY THAT THERE AREN'T EXTRA OBSTACLES, I THINK THEY'RE PROBABLY IN DENIAL.

BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU GET USED TO THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE.

I WENT TO AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NO MORE THAN ABOUT AN HOUR FROM WHERE WE'RE SEATED, AND I REMEMBER VERY CLEARLY MY FOURTH GRADE TEACHER REFUSING TO TEACH ME BECAUSE I WAS AFRICAN AMERICAN.

AND SO, THEY HAD TO PUT ME INTO THE FIFTH GRADE.

SOME OBSTACLES, YOU KNOW, MAKE YOU STRONGER IF THEY DON'T BREAK YOU.

Narrator: DR. GIPSON HELPED DEVELOP THAT STRENGTH FROM HIS FAMILY.

Dr. Gipson: MY PARENTS BOTH FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL.

NEITHER OF THEM WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GO TO COLLEGE.

THEY GREW UP ON FARMS IN RURAL ALABAMA, PICKING COTTON, AND ALL THAT TYPE OF THING.

BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THEY STRESSED TO US WHEN WE WERE YOUNG WAS EDUCATION.

- I DON'T HAVE CATARACTS, RIGHT?

- NO, YOU DO NOT.

- IS THAT GLAUCOMA?

- NO, I DOUBT YOU HAVE GLAUCOMA.

[both chuckle] Dr. Gipson: ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT OPHTHALMOLOGY IS, IS YOU GET THIS SATISFACTION FROM YOUR WORK THAT I THINK NO OTHER SPECIALTY CAN GET, BECAUSE WE MAKE SUCH A GREAT IMPACT UPON THEIR LIFESTYLE, AND WHAT THEY CAN DO WITH THEIR LIVES.

WE DO CATARACT SURGERY AND GLAUCOMA SURGERY.

WE TAKE CARE OF, OF DIABETICS, YOU KNOW, WITH THE HEMORRHAGES IN THEIR EYES.

OR SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS GIVING AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD THEIR FIRST PAIR OF GLASSES, YOU SEE THEM SEE THE WORLD IN A WAY THAT THEY'VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE.

Narrator: HELPING YOUNG MEN SEE THE WORLD OF MEDICINE AS A CAREER OPTION IS HAPPENING HERE.

- GOOD MORNING.

HOW IS EVERYBODY DOING TODAY?

OKAY, WHY DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE ASLEEP?

LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT WHAT LITHIUM IS.

- WELCOME TO OUR END OF THE YEAR ACTIVITY.

WE'RE GOING TO PRACTICE OUR ORAL PRESENTATIONS.

Narrator: THESE YOUNG MEN ARE TAKING PART IN A UNIQUE MENTORING PROGRAM.

ON THIS DAY, THEY'VE GIVEN UP PART OF THEIR WEEKEND TO DISCUSS CURRENT EVENTS IN SCIENCE.

- YOU CAN CHANGE THE SHAPE OF YOUR MOUNTAIN.

Narrator: AND THIS SESSION IS NOT JUST ABOUT SCIENCE.

DR. WILLIAM SIMMONS WANTS THESE YOUNG MEN TO BE COMFORTABLE SPEAKING ANYWHERE IN THE BOARDROOM, OR THE CLASSROOM.

HE WANTS TO NURTURE THEIR INTEREST IN SCIENCE.

Dr. William Simmons: WE'VE TAKEN IT UPON OURSELVES TO CREATE AN ACADEMIC MENTORSHIP PROGRAM, IT'S CALLED "THE JOURNEY TO MEDICINE PROGRAM," AND THIS PROGRAM ALLOWS US TO ENRICH THE ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE OF YOUNG AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALES.

Narrator: DR. SIMMONS IS THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE GATEWAY MEDICAL SOCIETY.

THE ORGANIZATION PROMOTES COMMUNITY HEALTH, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON MINORITY AND DISADVANTAGED POPULATIONS.

GATEWAY'S PROGRAM DIRECTOR, DR. ANITA EDWARDS, CAME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR "JOURNEY" IN 2009.

- ONE OF THE THINGS WE SAW A NEED FOR WAS MENTORING OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN YOUNG MEN.

AND IF SOMEONE WOULD HAVE A PROGRAM THAT JUST HELPED YOUNG MEN TRY TO FIND A VOCATION.

SINCE I'M A PHYSICIAN, THE VOCATION I THOUGHT OF WAS PHYSICIAN.

Narrator: MORRIS TURNER WAS PICKED TO LEAD THE NEW PROGRAM.

- WE START RECRUITING STUDENTS FROM THE SIXTH GRADE AND THE PROGRAM IS SET UP TO MENTOR THE CHILDREN UNTIL THEY GO THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL, HOPEFULLY INTO COLLEGE, AND DEFINITELY INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL, AS WE LIKE TO SAY.

- THE GOAL ALSO IS TO GIVE THEM EXPOSURE, HANDS-ON, TO THE DIFFERENT FIELDS OF MEDICINE.

MANY OF THESE YOUNG BOYS DON'T HAVE MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILIES THAT ARE INVOLVED IN MEDICINE.

Narrator: DR. SIMMONS OBSERVES THAT THROUGH THE FIFTH GRADE, BLACK AND WHITE CHILDREN PERFORM AT SIMILAR ACADEMIC LEVELS, AND TEST ABOUT THE SAME.

BUT IT'S THE PERIOD FROM SIXTH GRADE ON, THAT THE DISPARITY DEVELOPS, AND THAT'S REFLECTED IN GRADUATION RATES.

IN PITTSBURGH, FOR EXAMPLE, FEWER THAN 60% OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALES FINISH HIGH SCHOOL, AS COMPARED TO 85% OF CAUCASIAN MALES.

Dr. Simmons: WHEN THEY DO GO TO COLLEGE, THEY'RE NOT TAKING THE KINDS OF COURSES THAT WILL GET THEM PREPARED FOR THE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, MATH, KINDS OF BACKGROUND.

Narrator: AND THAT LEAVES MANY UNPREPARED TO ATTEND GRADUATE SCHOOL, AND ESPECIALLY MEDICAL SCHOOL.

Dr. Simmons: WE ARE URGENTLY TRYING TO CULTIVATE A GROUP OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALES THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE RIGORS OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH, AND TO FILL THIS VOID AND TO INCREASE THE NUMBERS.

- STAY WITH THE TUBE.

Narrator: KEVIN PROCTOR IS A FOURTH YEAR STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH.

HE'S ONE OF THE PROGRAM'S MED-SCHOOL MENTORS.

TODAY, KEVIN IS HELPING YOUNG STUDENTS LEARN TO INTUBATE PATIENTS AT PITT'S WISER SIMULATION CENTER.

Kevin Proctor: I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THIS GROUP OFF AND ON FOR ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS, I GUESS.

Narrator: KEVIN KNOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING A ROLE MODEL TO THESE YOUNG MEN.

Kevin: AS MUCH AS AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN IN MEDICINE IS GROWING, AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN HAS STAYED PRETTY STAGNANT.

YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TO START EARLY AND ENCOURAGE THEM THROUGH INTEREST IN SCIENCE AND MATH AND TO HAVE SUPPORT THROUGH MENTORS.

Narrator: PARENTS LIKE CECIL WATKINS AND RENEE RAWLS BELIEVE THE JOURNEY TO MEDICINE GIVES THEIR SONS OPTIONS THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE CONSIDERED OTHERWISE.

Cecil Watkins: WHEN WE FIRST HEARD ABOUT IT, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THEY WOULD HAVE A CHANCE TO BECOME A DOCTOR OR TO WORK IN THE MEDICAL FIELDS IN SOME WAY, AND THIS IS A CHANCE FOR THEM TO NOT ONLY HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY BUT TO START TAKING STEPS TOWARDS IT NOW.

Renee Rawls: IT'S AN EXCELLENT PROGRAM.

IT'S DESIGNED TO HELP CHILDREN STAY FOCUSED, STAY IN THE CORE CLASSES THAT ARE IMPORTANT IN AMERICA, MATH AND SCIENCES, HELPS THEM WITH PRESENTATION SKILLS AND HELPS THEM TO BE FOCUSED IN THE MEDICAL FIELD.

- SINCE THEY STARTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM, THEY'VE BEEN A LOT MORE FOCUSED AND A LOT MORE GOAL-ORIENTED IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT THE FUTURE AND TRYING TO MAP THINGS OUT.

- I ORIGINALLY WANTED TO GO INTO SPORTS, LIKE SOCCER, BUT THEY SAID THAT THE AVERAGE SOCCER PLAYER DOESN'T HAVE A VERY LONG CAREER AND THERE'S INJURIES AND STUFF, SO I DECIDED I WANTED TO GO INTO SPORTS MEDICINE.

SO I COULD LAST A LONG TIME.

- THE BEST PART ABOUT THIS PROGRAM IS KNOWING THAT THERE ARE OTHER AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALES IN THIS WITH ME, AND THAT I KNOW I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE, AND THAT I KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING, AND I CAN GET HELP WITH THEM, AND MAKING FRIENDS WITH NEW PEOPLE.

- WE'VE BEEN INTO THIS FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TO A LOT OF GREAT PLACES, AND IT'S BEEN GREAT.

- SO THE FIRST PERSON I WANT TO CALL TO THE STAGE: MR. ISAIAH WILSON.

Narrator: ONCE A YEAR, THE "JOURNEY TO MEDICINE" PROGRAM MARKS A MILESTONE.

THE YOUNGER STUDENTS GET THEIR SCRUBS... AND ALL OF THE STUDENTS ARE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR ACADEMIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

- YET ANOTHER 4.0 STUDENT, MR. GREGORY TALBERT.

Morris: YOUR SONS ARE MOVING FORWARD EVERY SINGLE YEAR.

LONG TERM, WE WANT THEM TO GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL AND BECOME DOCTORS.

SHORT TERM, STAY IN SCHOOL, GET YOUR EDUCATION.

Narrator: THIS CEREMONY REPRESENTS THE FIRST STEPS ON THAT JOURNEY.

- I GOT TO WHERE I AM TODAY BECAUSE OF WORKING HARD AND STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE.

Narrator: IT'S ALSO A REMINDER OF THE CHALLENGES AHEAD-- Shameeke: AND ANY OBSTACLES THAT COME IN YOUR WAY, YOU CAN GET PAST THAT.

Narrator: ...AND THE REWARDS THAT COME ALONG THE WAY.

- I WANTED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR PEOPLE.

AND THAT ACTUALLY FILLS MY OWN WELL.

OH, WOW.

[♪♪] Announcer: FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE HEINZ ENDOWMENTS.

THANK YOU.