By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, only about 5 percent of active physicians identify as African American, despite making up 13.6 percent of the U.S. population. In 1906, only 1.8 percent of U.S. physicians were Black, according to a study by Benjamin W. Chrisinger.
This graduation season, thousands of Black students are aiming to change that as they walk across the commencement stage and into their various roles in the medical industry.
Dr. John-Kevin Dolce
Dr. John-Kevin Dolce graduated from the Ross University School of Medicine on May 16 and matched into the highly competitive orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Virginia.
“In a profession like medicine, there’s no greater reward than knowing you’re making a difference in the lives of people who need you,” said Dolce.
Dolce said he always wanted to be a veterinarian or a doctor and enjoyed helping people. After pursuing other careers, he returned to his dream of becoming a doctor, facing the challenges that came with his non-traditional path into medicine.
“One of the greatest challenges I faced in applying for residency was overcoming barriers as an International Medical Graduate (IMG),” said Dolce. “It’s difficult to attain rotations in orthopedics because, as an IMG, you don’t have a home hospital. But through endless hours of studying, preparing for cases, and proving my genuine passion for orthopedics, I was able to earn interviews at every program I rotated at and even more.”
Dolce credits his mother, Dr. Marie-Ange Dorval Eugene, as a major inspiration.
“As an immigrant from Haiti, she came to the U.S. and worked multiple jobs to make ends meet while raising two boys,” he said. “For her to juggle all those responsibilities and still achieve her goal of becoming a physician again speaks volumes about her determination, passion and resilience as both a mother and a physician.”
Eugene, a board-certified family physician, applauded her son’s accomplishment.
“I am extremely proud of him,” said Eugene. “It’s 100 percent his dream, and we are blessed that he never quit. He often credits me, but I always remind him that he put in the work. His faith in God has kept him on track and opened so many doors for him and our family.”
Dolce said he wants to inspire others.
“You’re going to hear a lot of ‘no’ or ‘that’s impossible,’ but I believe that impossible does not exist—and you only fail when you stop trying,” he said. “The key is to work hard and approach every opportunity with humility.”
Dr. Anthony and Dr. Justice Dove
Dr. Anthony Dove, Jr., and his wife, Justice, graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine South Georgia on May 20. They matched into radiology and obstetrics and gynecology, respectively.
“When we found out we matched, we were very happy that we had jobs and we would be able to feed our kid,” said Justice Dove. “We’re from North Carolina, our schools are in Georgia, we’re rotating in Jacksonville, Fla. We did try to stay on the East Coast.”
Justice matched at Reading Hospital in Pennsylvania, Anthony at Arnot Medical Center in New York—three and a half hours apart.
The couple got married before medical school and had their son, Anthony “Trey” Dove III, during their fourth year of their studies.
“There were a lot of mentors, and each played a different role, depending on the stage that we were in,” said Justice. “Dr. Robert Walker was instrumental in helping us get leadership roles and find opportunities to serve the community. Dr. Stacy Fairley and Dr. Jennifer Mitchell helped us during medical school, mapping out our application process.”
As a physician, Anthony hopes to mentor other students and help them make a positive impact on their local community. While studying as a medical student, he founded “Brothers in Medicine,” an outreach program offering health checks and education in barber shops and churches.
“We would go to different places like barber shops and churches, and we do things like checking blood pressures and sugar levels and just kind of educating the public about all the importance of going to see a physician on a regular basis,” he said.
The couple graduated in the top 10 percent of their class. Justice said she looks forward to advocating for Black mothers and building a strong future for their son.