“What if I were to have someone who looked like me, worried about my mental health when I was a child? How much better of a human would I be now? How many of those internal doubts that I had would be eliminated? And I wanted to be one of those people who really drove the conversation and utilized every ounce of my influence to really create something that can revolutionize what’s accessible in terms of mental health.”
- Dr. Russell Ledet MD PHD MBA
On December 14, 2019, 15 African American medical students from T...
“What if I were to have someone who looked like me, worried about my mental health when I was a child? How much better of a human would I be now? How many of those internal doubts that I had would be eliminated? And I wanted to be one of those people who really drove the conversation and utilized every ounce of my influence to really create something that can revolutionize what’s accessible in terms of mental health.”
- Dr. Russell Ledet MD PHD MBA
On December 14, 2019, 15 African American medical students from Tulane University School of Medicine posed in front of a former slave cabin at the Whitney Plantation in Edgard, Louisiana, while donning their white coats. “We are truly our ancestors’ wildest dreams,” said a tweet of one of the photos. The image went viral and multiple national news outlets picked up the story.
The students formed The 15 White Coats organization, a nonprofit group with a threefold mission: To reimagine cultural imagery in learning spaces, lessen the financial burden of medical school for applicants of color, and influence cultural literacy in learning spaces. Donations and the sale of photographs and posters allow The 15 White Coats to distribute their photos to classrooms across the U.S., establish scholarships, and more.
Master Certified Coach Jill Farmer welcomes Dr. Russell Ledet, MD, PhD, MBA to talk about the barriers and doubts he faced as a black man and aspiring physician along his journey from security guard to MD PhD MBA. Specifically, Dr. Ledet shines light on the disadvantages that medical school applicants from marginalized communities face. In recognition of how important it is to have role models, Dr. Ledet encourages listeners to take action. He is receiving national recognition for starting 15 White Coats. Dr. Ledet talks about his journey from being in the military to becoming a security guard to realizing that he could go to college, and eventually to medical school after earning his PhD at NYU. He is a native of Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Dr. Ledet earned his bachelors degree from Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College at Baton Rouge. He earned his PhD in Molecular Oncology from NYU School of Medicine, Sackler Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences. He earned his MD and MBA from Tulane University. He is a Triple Board Resident (Pediatrics/Psychiatry/Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) at Indiana University School of Medicine.
LinkedIn: Dr. Russell J. Ledet https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjledet
Instagram: @drrussellledet
Find @the15white coats on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
Dr. Russell J. Ledet, MD, PhD, MBA co-founded The 15 White Coats, an organization that helps to propel underrepresented minority students to the next levels of education by providing inspiration and economic support. Dr. Ledet has been featured on CNN, MSNBC, People Magazine, NPR, Washington Post, The Steve Harvey Show, and Good Morning America. Following medical school, he plans to focus on mental health accessibility for marginalized communities. He is a husband of 14 years to Mallory Alise, and the father of two little girls, Maleah Ann and Mahlina Abri.
Socials:
@drrussellledet (IG/TikTok); FB
Find full transcripts of DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast episodes on the DocWorking Blog
The past few weeks have been busy at DocWorking! We have been working behind the scenes to add even more CME credits to the THRIVE memberships.
Let your CME budget help you prioritize your own wellness so you can get on with living your best life on your own terms, as defined by you, with DocWorking THRIVE.
You can take the first step today by taking our 2 Minute Balance to Burnout Quiz! Where are you on the Balance to Burnout Continuum? Take the quiz and find out today!
DocWorking empowers physicians and entire health care teams to get on the path to achieving their dreams, both in and outside of work, with programs designed to help you maximize life with minimal time.
Are you a physician who would like to tell your story? Please email Amanda Taran, our producer, at podcast@docworking.com to be considered.
And if you like our podcast and would like to subscribe and leave us a 5 star review, we would be extremely grateful!
We’re everywhere you like to get your podcasts! Apple iTunes, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Google, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, ListenNotes, Amazon, YouTube, Podbean
You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Some links in our blogs and show notes are affiliate links, and purchases made via those links may result in payments to DocWorking. These help toward our production costs. Thank you for supporting DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast!
Occasionally, we discuss financial and legal topics. We are not financial or legal professionals. Please consult a licensed professional for financial or legal advice regarding your specific situation.
Podcast produced by: Mara Heppard
