The name Nancy Abu-Bonsrah is one that should be honoured. She is the first black woman to be accepted to the prestigious Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where neurological surgery as a field of medicine was initially developed.
Nancy was raised in Ghana, where she was born and went to school at Cape Coast’s Wesley Girls’ High School. When she was 15 years old, she and her parents relocated to Maryland where she attended Mount Saint Mary’s University to complete her undergraduate studies in chemistry and biochemistry. She subsequently enrolled at Johns Hopkins University’s medical school, where she excelled both academically and clinically.
During her junior year of college, Nancy travelled to Ghana where she shadowed a neurosurgeon and saw the amazing surgeries he performed as well as the dire need for additional medical care in the nation. This trip ignited her interest in neurosurgery. “Usually when I think about brain surgery, I think the brain is sacred and you don’t touch it or do anything to it,” she said. “But to see them do these remarkable surgeries, and have good outcomes, was something that impressed me.” “I thought it would be nice to combine my interest in this field with an opportunity to give back to my country and other nations that don’t have as much surgical infrastructure,” she continued.
Kwabena Yamoah, a physician from Ghana who also attended the University of Maryland School of Medicine, is married to Nancy. When they were both in college, they first connected at a church function. Nancy is a devoted Seventh-Day Adventist who attributes her success to her faith. I want to be known for giving back to my community, whether it’s by offering high-quality surgical treatment or by supporting the training of the doctors of tomorrow, the woman added.
Given that neurosurgery is one of the most difficult and competitive medical specialities, Nancy’s accomplishment is impressive. Only 6% of neurosurgeons in the US are women, and only 1% of them are black, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Additionally, Johns Hopkins Hospital’s neurosurgery programme, which is ranked second in the nation, only accepts two to five residents yearly. Dr. Ben Carson, a former US secretary of housing and urban development and current presidential candidate, is one of its noteworthy former students.
Many young girls and women, especially those of African heritage, who want to work in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) find inspiration in Nancy’s story. Nancy is a role model who shows that everything is possible with hard work, enthusiasm, and dedication, and we at Rising Africa want to recognise her today.
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Ref:
: https://www.cnn.com/2017/03/21/health/hopkins-black-woman-neurosurgeon-trnd/index.html
: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/nancy-abu-bonsrah-johns-hopkins-university-neurosurgery-black-female-a7640326.html
: https://edwardasare.com/meet-nancy-abu-bonsrah-the-first-black-neurosurgery-resident-at-johns-hopkins-hospital/
: https://venturesafrica.com/meet-ghana-s-nancy-abu-bonsrah-the-first-black-female-neurosurgeon-at-john-hopkins-university/
: https://www.aans.org/en/Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and-Treatments/Neurosurgeon
