Home » Health » First duo mother-daughter graduates of the school of medicine at the same hospital, and at the same time | medical | Medicine | Louisiana State University

First duo mother-daughter graduates of the school of medicine at the same hospital, and at the same time | medical | Medicine | Louisiana State University

This duo of mother and daughter african american made history by graduating together from the school of medicine. In addition, both were assigned to the same hospital system to complete their residencies.

To Dr. Cynthia Kudji Sylvester, 49, and his daughter, Dr. Jasmine Kudji, of 26 years, were offered places in the health campus of the Louisiana State University (LSU), reported the u-m. Cynthia is studying family medicine at the LSU Lafayette while Jasmine is concentrated in general surgery at LSU in New Orleans; both begin their residencies July 1, 2020.

(Courtesy of Adrienne Battistella Photography)

“This is a time in which physicians can be leaders (…) to make a difference in the lives of people,” said Cynthia to NBC News, speaking of the growing global need for doctors in the wake of the pandemic, which has enveloped the world.

“I am pleased to be able to do something that people need now more than ever with my daughter”, he added.

Jasmine described to learn that she and her mother had been together in the Health Center of LSU as “one of the best moments” of his life, up to the moment. “Our life has never been planned,” he said, “and you never know what’s going to happen”.

(Courtesy of Adrienne Battistella Photography)

Cynthia immigrated to the united States with his family from Ghana, west Africa, at the age of 2 years. She was inspired by the medicine on a trip back home when he went to visit some relatives with his mother. At that time, an encounter with a young mother who had approached them for help for his sick son caused him to be a witness of the lack of services in health care.

“See that disparity really struck me, you know, and it made me want to do something about it”, explained in a joint interview with his daughter in TODAY. Cynthia decided then to train as a doctor.

However, as a last year student at the University of Tulane in New Orleans, Cynthia became pregnant with their daughter and froze their plans. “I needed a job,” he explained. “I needed to bring in an income.

(Courtesy of Adrienne Battistella Photography)

The new mother attended then University William Carey to study in the school of nursing and then went to Loyola University to obtain a Master of Science degree in Nursing. He then worked as a registered nurse and nurse practitioner for nearly a decade. But a sense of urgency convinced her to return to her original ambition of becoming a doctor.

Meanwhile Jasmine grew up inspired by his mother to continue his own career in medicine. “Growing up, I saw that being a doctor was a position of service and I really valoré,” he told NBC. “I saw me doing that from an early age”.

Jasmine took lessons from premedicina in the LSU before enrolling in the School of Medicine of the same university in 2015. Cynthia enrolled at the University of Medicine and Health Sciences in the caribbean island of St. Kitts.

In the image example, doctors reviewing a patient with COVID-19 to evaluate the conditions of your lungs, at the Hospital Angeles, in the city of Tijuana, state of Baja California (Mexico). EFE/Joebeth Terriquez/File

The strait duo mother-daughter found countless ways to support each other in their time of medical student -including video calls and the sharing of case studies – despite their prolonged separation. For Cynthia, the school of medicine was a balancing act between their roles as a mother and as a student.

“I was still the mother of Jasmine”, said Cynthia to the u-m Endeavour. “So, if she needed something financially, or needed someone, I still had to be there as a mom no matter if it was in the school of medicine or not.”

People often are confused believing that they are sisters, since they look so young.

“I always tell people that laughed together, we studied together, we cried together,” shared Jasmine. “I think that the school of medicine is one of those experiences that you don’t understand truth until you’re in it”.

(Courtesy of Adrienne Battistella Photography)

The couple, newly graduated, is now ready to represent other african american women in the field of medicine.

A report of the Association of Medical Colleges American in 2019, stated that only 5 percent of doctors in the united States identify themselves as black or african americans beginning in 2019. However, african americans were 13.4 percent of the population of the united States, in the census of 2019.

In response to this disparity and to encourage other black women to follow their dreams, Cynthia and Jasmine started a blog together, “The M. D. Life“, to share your journey with others.

“Representation matters,” said Cynthia TODAY. “It is not often that I see people that look like me in my field, that is why it is so important to us to make sure we show our faces and spread our story.”


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