5 Black Friends Who Became Doctors Share Their Stories, From Middle School to Medical School

Nationwide — Drs. Diane Boykin, M.D.; Leah Matthews, M.D., MPH; Sylvia E. Morris, M.D., MPH; Jessica Osborn, M.D.; and Angela C.B. Walker, M.D. – all Black women – first came together while studying at Georgetown University School of Medicine in the late 1990s. And now, together they’ve authored a book entitled The Game Plan: A Woman’s Guide to Becoming a Doctor and Living a Life in Medicine that speaks to the hearts and minds of girls — from middle school to medical school — who want to learn about the rewards and frustrations of medicine from a woman’s perspective.

They quickly learned the significance of having a support system rooted in a singular goal of becoming a female doctor. Throughout their more than 30-year friendship, the women have shared strategies for succeeding in classes, cheered each other on through residencies, offered advice on balancing family responsibilities while addressing adversity in the healthcare workforce, encouraged each other’s ideas for achieving mental wellness, and dreams of writing a book.

“We have watched each other mature over the past three decades in ways that are dynamic to us as women and women of color,” said Dr. Morris. “It was actually during one of our annual getaways that we realized we needed to dig into our collective and individual experiences to offer the knowledge that we have obtained to help young girls who aspire to wear a white coat one day.”

“While the number of female practicing physicians and graduating medical students is on the rise, women continue to face unique factors that can impact patient and career outcomes,” said Dr. Walker. “That’s why we collaborated on this book that illustrates the importance of developing a game plan that addresses enjoying science, attending medical school, entering residency, compensation expectations, work-life balance, and career trajectory.”

What People Are Saying:

“Eye-opening… A really good guide, not just to being a woman in medicine, but to being anyone in medicine, or really anyone in a very time-demanding profession.” — Julie Rovner, Chief Washington Correspondent, Kaiser Health News

“The book takes a holistic approach, encompassing both the personal and professional, with frank revelations from each of the authors about the challenges they’ve faced as women in a male-dominated career field.” — Georgetown Health Magazine cover story

The book, The Game Plan: A Woman’s Guide to Becoming a Doctor and Living a Life in Medicine, is available now on Amazon.

Be sure to visit https://adjlsllc.com/authors/ to learn more about the doctors.

For press inquiries or media interviews, contact Doug Pennington, Morphology Media Relations at doug.pennington@morfaleji.com or 202-330-2974.