Black History Month Spotlight: Dr. Ben Carson, the Great Black Neurosurgeon
Dr. Ben Carson is the stuff that legends are made of. He is black history in the flesh, and the winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. Dr. Carson also serves as the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Dr. Carson became the youngest physician to ever head a major division at Johns Hopkins University, becoming the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the age of 33. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, raised by a single mother. He struggled in school initially, but his mother put the clamps down and forced him to stop watching so much television. She also made him read two books per week and write reviews for her.
Dr. Carson eventually graduated with honors from Southwestern High School and attended Yale University, where he earned his degree in Psychology. From there, he went on to the University of Michigan Medical School.
Dr. Carson did his Neurosurgery residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore where he was the first doctor to be able to relieve pressure from a little girl’s brain with an intrauterine procedure that helped the girl to stop having uncontrollable seizures. The doctor later became the first physician ever to successfully separate two conjoined twins who were connected at the back of the head. The team had 70 members, with Carson being the leader, and the procedure lasted for 22 hours.
I looked at that situation. I said, ‘Why is it that this is such a disaster?’ and it was because they would always exsanguinate. They would bleed to death, and I said, ‘There’s got to be a way around that. These are modern times.’ This was back in 1987. I was talking to a friend of mine, who was a cardiothoracic surgeon, who was the chief of the division, and I said, ‘You guys operate on the heart in babies, how do you keep them from exsanguinating’ and he says, ‘Well, we put them in hypothermic arrest.’ I said, ‘Is there any reason that – if we were doing a set of Siamese twins that were joined at the head – that we couldn’t put them into hypothermic arrest, at the appropriate time, when we’re likely to lose a lot of blood?’ and he said, ‘No way .’ I said, ‘Wow, this is great.’ Then I said, ‘Why am I putting my time into this? I’m not going to see any Siamese twins.’ So I kind of forgot about it, and lo and behold, two months later, along came these doctors from Germany, presenting this case of Siamese twins. And, I was asked for my opinion, and I then began to explain the techniques that should be used, and how we would incorporate hypothermic arrest, and everybody said ‘Wow! That sounds like it might work.’ And, my colleagues and I, a few of us went over to Germany. We looked at the twins. We actually put in scalp expanders, and five months later we brought them over and did the operation, and lo and behold, it worked.
Dr. Carson is the author of several books, including “Gifted Hands,” “The Big Picture,” “Take the Risk,” and “Think Big.” Dr. Carson met his wife Lacena in 1971 and married her in 1975.
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7 Responses to Black History Month Spotlight: Dr. Ben Carson, the Great Black Neurosurgeon
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Irregardless of opinions, I would rather we focus on people of substantial achievements rather than shallow and sometimes idiotic rappers.
John H Hill
February 13, 2013 at 2:15 am
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The President is a community organizer with a degree from Harvard.
Now do you really want to compare that to Dr. Carson!
Onesilverbac
February 14, 2013 at 6:15 am
A great man. Never mind his race, we need more people like this around. And those attacking him for speaking out against the ACA, he is entitled to his OWN opinion!
Deborah
February 14, 2013 at 9:51 am
Thank you. Another important black history fact. I collect them. With all the ignorance out there about blacks (from all ethnicities), it’s good to have them. You’ll never know when you might need the data.
ST
February 14, 2013 at 10:45 pm
His success is undeniable. I haven’t seen his speech at the Prayer Breakfast. The one thing I know is how the media and press love to exaggerate certain incidents out of proportion. Although I don’t agree with some of President Obama’s politics, he is the President of the United States. That means he deserves respect. I always felt this way, even with Republican Presidents. I would hate to think Dr. Carson who blatantly disrespect and belittle the President. It is something I have grown tired and disgusted by in people’s attempts to delegitimize the office of the Presidency simply because a bi-racial man occupies the seat. That is plain repulsive to me. That’s why I must see the complete speech for myself. And if Dr. Carson truly wants to make a valid point, please stay off of ring wing networks like FOX News, a channel that has built a reputation in recent years by degrading people of African descent, especially in their prime time programming. I don’t mind a conservative perspective, but I do mind racist/offensive and hateful dialogue in the name of conservative thinking. Since this type of thinking of hate has become the new conservative outlet, I turn a deaf ear. MSNBC and CNN are no better, but these networks don’t have a vile record of daily offensive commentary pass off as “facts” relating to African Americans.
Renee
February 15, 2013 at 1:36 am
An opinion is an opinion. Dr. Carson has earned the right to address his opinion on a subject in which he is anauthority. I am sick an tired of indiciduals defending t he President
He should hear all t he criticisms He is the man in the besrseat. Heneedt o know wha t hizs constituent are thinking good bador indiffersent . It does not matter tjat he is a blk Pres.
He did not turned down any votes. It is tImewe stop lookong at the democratic larty as our saviour. It is the party in power rezponsible for giving direction and encourAgement to its people blk or white based on the support he received
What e ncouragement has he given to the ones who voted 90% for him. The white staff is whIter than it was under G. Bush. What crumbs hav blks got from the table. We could have went fizhing on voting
. We could hav don no worse.
Earl Smith
February 18, 2013 at 4:08 pm