LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A student in Central High School's Pre-Medical Magnet Program got the opportunity of a lifetime, meeting the doctor who delivered her.
Through the program, students shadow UofL Health doctors during their rounds at the hospital, and get hand-on medical experience to inspire their future careers.
Sylvia Karmo, 17, said her mother told her the story of Dr. Tanya Franklin, the physician who delivered Sylvia 17 years ago.
During her shadowing rounds, Sylvia tracked down Dr. Franklin, who still works at UofL Health.
"I saw her and I said 'oh my gosh that's really her'," Karmo said.
Franklin said she was shocked, but thrilled to meet one of the babies she's delivered.
"We do expect it to come down the road," Franklin said of seeing former patients later in life. "But I did not expect this day."
"We get to be a part of their origin story, a small piece of their big life," she added.
Franklin and Karmo rekindled a deep connection. Franklin then began mentoring Karmo, who decided she wants to become an OB-GYN too.
"As a Black woman, I want to be a voice in this field," Karmo said. "She sees something in me and that gave me another reason to be like 'ok I need to do this'."
Dr. Eddie Miller, who helped launch the Pre-Medical Magnet Program, said stories like Karmo and Franklin's show the power of mentorship in medicine, particularly for students of color.
"Representation matters, seeing yourself," he said. "She sees herself in Dr. Franklin and that is so important."
Miller said the Central partnership with UofL Health has already expanded, now including junior students. Many of the seniors students have already been accepted to college at UofL.
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