ER doctor speaks about his memoir, struggles

Emergency physician Dr. Sampson Davis grew up in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Newark, N.J., where he saw everything from hard drugs to crime.

After a difficult childhood, Davis knew he wanted to make something of himself, and decided he wanted to be a doctor.

Davis will be speaking at IU Monday, alongside friends Dr. Ramack Hunt and Dr. George Jenkins.

The three men, co-authors of the autobiographical book “The Pact”, will speak at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Leadership Breakfast, beginning 8:30 a.m. in the

Indiana Memorial Union Alumni Hall.

Davis met Hunt and Jenkins in ninth grade. The men shared his goals of entering the field of medicine.

The three remained close during their high school years, and in their junior year made a pact that they would make it through medical school together.

The pact they made led them all to be accepted at Seton Hall University in South Orange Village, N.J.

Upon graduation from Seton Hall, the trio gained entry to Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, N.J.

Davis graduated with honors from both colleges, but he said it wasn’t an easy road.

Davis said he had a difficult period in medical school, and went through a time when
he needed something to inspire him.

“The mantra I have is the three D’s: dedication, determination, and discipline,” Davis said. “I encourage everyone to come up with their own mantra. Anytime I got down on myself, I just said the three D’s, and they have stuck with me.”

Davis said he chose to practice emergency medicine because it provides variety in his day-to-day work. He also chose it because it reminds him of the disorganized chaos he saw growing up in Newark, he said.

“It keeps me busy and focused on different things at one time,” Davis said. “Like when

I was growing up, I had so many influences coming all at once I just had to find a way to through it all. That is why I love emergency medicine.”

In addition to his medical work, Davis works as an inspirational speaker for young people and adults.

“I tell the kids you can make it out with your education,” Davis said. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be from athletics.”

Davis said he draws from everything he has been through to inspire his audiences.

“I try to touch some lives when I speak,” Davis said.

When he arrives at IU on Monday, he said that he hopes to inspire students with his story.

Davis knows what it’s like to be the student who is struggling and needs inspiration to drive them forward.

“Remember your dream and what you did to get to where you are today,” he said.

Follow reporter Angela Hawkins on Twitter @angelalhawkins.