Dr. Natalia Tanner was the first African American to be accepted into the residency program at the University of Chicago, the first African American board certified pediatrician in Detroit and the first African American woman fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Yvette Roubideaux, M.D., a member of the Rosebud Sioux tribe, served as director of the Indian Health Service and a senior adviser to the Health and Human Services Secretary for American Indians and Alaska Natives during the Obama Administration.
Dr. Benjamin was appointed U.S. Surgeon General in 2009.
Maxine Hayes has dedicated her life to teaching and public service, focusing her efforts on disease prevention.
Dr. Matilda Evans was the first African American woman licensed to practice medicine in South Carolina.
Marilyn A. Roubidoux, M.D., works to bring existing medical tools to the underserved to diagnose cancer and identify risk factors for the disease.
Dr. Lillie Rosa Minoka-Hill earned her doctor of medicine degree at the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1899, making her the second Native American woman in the United States to hold an M.D. degree (Susan La Flesche Picotte was the first). She used her professional status to help other Native Americans, working at public clinics and dispensaries and at a school for Native American children.
Margaret Hamburg, one of the youngest people ever elected to the Institute of Medicine (IoM, an affiliate of the National Academy of Sciences), is a highly regarded expert in community health and bio-defense, including preparedness for nuclear, biological, and chemical threats. As health commissioner for New York City from 1991 to 1997, she developed innovative programs for controlling the spread of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
Lucille Perez, M.D., was associate director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. She was a leading authority on substance abuse and HIV prevention, and headed the internationally renowned Faculty Department Program at CSAP.
As a teenage mother, Laurie McLemore was told she would not be able to become a physician. Despite the lack of encouragement she received from academic advisors, and the challenges of raising a family whilst building a career, she went on to complete premedical training with honors and was offered a scholarship to attend medical school.