The Lake Charles native and Navy veteran tells WDSU getting matched to Indiana University’s Triple Board was the result of 16 years of hard work and dedication for himself and his family. As a security guard at Baton Rouge Medical in 2010, Ledet asked a doctor there if he could shadow him in the operating room. The doctor obliged and Ledet spent several months following the physician around the hospital – thus began the start of his journey in medicine.
WDSU first covered Ledet in 2019 as he pursued his medical career at Tulane while also working on an MBA. Before his move to New Orleans, Dr. Ledet received his Ph.D. in Molecular Oncology from New York University. While at Tulane, he began working on a strong message to the public about the need for more Black doctors.
His non-profit, “The 15 White Coats,” was created after a picture of his fellow Black medical school classmates at the Whitney Plantation went viral in 2019.
The organization has received national recognition and is actively working to provide scholarships for students of color applying to medical school.
“For those young Black boys on my corner, this is everything, says Ledet at the Match Day Ceremony. “This is what we prayed for.”
According to Tulane’s website, up until Match Day, senior medical students complete numerous applications and interviews at the residencies of their choice. They rank the places where they would like to continue their medical training. The residency programs in turn rank the applicants and the National Resident Matching Program produced the computer-generated matches. Ledet says getting matched with Indiana was a dream come true. He was overwhelmed with tears as he opened his letter to find out the news, surrounded by his wife and children.
“We did it! C’mon man! I’m proud of you, Black man! I’m proud of you, Black man,” says Ledet as he points to himself in excitement. “It’s us against the world, and we’re going to win every time.”
Indiana’s Triple Board Residency includes studies in Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Ledet aims to have a focus on mental health accessibility for marginalized communities.
Credit – wdsu.com
