Family, Loss and Legacy: Farah Abaza's Journey to Becoming a Physician
For Farah Abaza, medicine isn’t just a career — it’s a calling deeply rooted in family, resilience and service. A fourth-year medical student at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), Abaza grew up in Georgia as the middle of five children in a Jordanian family. Following in the footsteps of her older siblings, both MSM alumni, she has continued a legacy of medical excellence while forging her own path in the field of urology. Read More
Breaking Barriers in Mental Health: Eden Obomehgie's Mission to Serve
During undergrad in Houston, I took an African American psychology course while majoring in psychology. This was around Trump’s first election, and I was learning more about systemic racism and its impact on the Black experience in this country; I am originally from Nigeria. That course opened my eyes to ways we support each other, and that was when Morehouse School of Medicine first came onto my radar. Read More
From Business to Psychiatry: Miles Simms' Path of Purpose
One day, an invitation to the Health Careers Society caught my attention. I decided to attend, and that meeting changed everything. For the first time, I was in a room with Black physicians — people who looked like me. Until then, I had never been treated by a Black physician or even considered medicine as a realistic career path. Hearing their stories and seeing myself in them inspired me to switch my major to biology pre-med with the goal of becoming a physician. Read More
Honoring Excellence in Philanthropy: Hank and Yvonne Thomas
This year, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is proud to honor Henry “Hank” Thomas and Yvonne Thomas with the Excellence in Philanthropy Award at the 15th Annual Gloster Society Celebration. With a lifetime of dedicated activism, business success and philanthropy, the Thomas family’s contributions to MSM have made an indelible mark on the institution, impacting both the lives of students and the broader healthcare community. Read More
From Tech Enthusiast to Future Physician: Michael Okafor's Journey to Match Day
For Michael Okafor, the path to medicine was anything but predictable. Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Michael grew up in a bustling household as the youngest of four — though, in actuality, his family was much larger. With his mother adopting three of his cousins from Nigeria, his home was always full, teaching him the values of teamwork, resilience and compassion from an early age. Read More
Walking in Purpose: Shelbi Ware's Journey from Patient to Physician
My journey into medicine began with my own surgical experience. At just six years old, I underwent bilateral hip surgery and was told I might never walk again. I still remember being confined to a cast from the waist down, navigating life in a wheelchair. But through hard work in physical therapy and the dedication of my physicians, surgeons and therapists, I made what they called a remarkable recovery. Since then, I like to say I haven't stopped walking towards my destiny. Read More