In 2017, Nancy Abu-Bonsrah broke a thirty year record as the first black to be accepted to train as a brain surgeon at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, an incredible feat!
For three whole decades, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine’s neurosurgical department has accepted residents, no black woman has been accepted in the ranks – the prestigious program
which boasts of an enviable list of alumni including Dr. Ben Carson, only accepts 2-5 residents per year, according to Lauren Nelson, Media Relations Specialist at Johns Hopkins Medicine. Shattering the divide, Nancy Abu-Bonsrah changed the narrative as the first black female neurosurgery resident at Johns Hopkins.
At age 15 Abu-Bonsrah left Ghana for the United States. She attended Hammond High School in Columbia, Maryland before proceeding to college at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland, after which she went to Johns Hopkins .
She also makes history as the first physician in her family.
Abu-Bonsrah has lens set on providing medical care in undeserved settings, specifically surgical care as well as dreams to return home to Ghana to help in building sustainable surgical infrastructure.
“I am very much interested in providing medical care in underserved settings, specifically surgical care,” Abu-Bonsrah said in a statement. “I hope to be able to go back to Ghana over the course of my career to help in building sustainable surgical infrastructure.”
“I want to be remembered for serving my community, whether it is through providing quality surgical care or helping mentor the next generation of surgeons. Unique thing: Everything is special about the match. It will be a dream come true,” she said.
