Dr. Velma Scantlebury GCM also Velma Scantlebury-White (born 6 October 1955) is a Barbadian-born American transplant surgeon. She was the first

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

woman transplant surgeon of the United States. She has received many honors in her career, having been named to both the "Best Doctors in America" and "Top Doctors in America" lists multiple times. Scantlebury has been awarded the Woman of Spirit Award for inspiring others and the "Gift of Life Award" from the

National Kidney Foundation The National Kidney Foundation, Inc. (NKF) is a voluntary health organization in the United States, headquartered in New York City, with over 30 local offices across the country. Its mission is to prevent kidney and urinary tract diseases, impr ...

. In addition to recognition by the Caribbean American Medical and Scientific Association, she received the

Order of Barbados The Order of Barbados is a national Order of honours and decorations for Barbados. History The first Order of Barbados was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II by letters patent dated 25 July 1980. With Barbados becoming a republic on 30 November ...

Gold Crown of Merit, for her efforts to educate minorities about organ transplant. She has performed over 2,000 transplants and published many peer-reviewed papers.

Early life and education

Velma Patricia Scantlebury was born on 6 October 1955 in Goodland, St. Michael Parish, Barbados, to Kathleen (née Jordan) and Delacey Whitstanley Scantlebury. She attended three years at Alleyne School in St. Andrew Parish, before her family moved to New York City in 1969. After completing her secondary education at Prospect Heights High School in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, Scantlebury began studying biology in 1973 at Long Island University Brooklyn. Though offered a one-year scholarship to

Barnard College Barnard College of Columbia University is a private women's liberal arts college in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a group of women led by young student activist Annie Nathan Meyer, who petitioned Columbia ...

, she was concerned about the financial burden of continuing her studies and instead opted to attend school in Brooklyn, where she thrived.

Medical school and surgical residency

Graduating in 1977 with her BS in biology, she was accepted at both

Yale School of Medicine The Yale School of Medicine is the graduate medical school at Yale University, a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was founded in 1810 as the Medical Institution of Yale College and formally opened in 1813. The primary te ...

and

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) is the graduate medical school of Columbia University, located at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. Founded i ...

(P&S). She chose to attend P&S, earning her medical degree in 1981. Despite discouragement from the surgical faculty, Scantlebury completed her general surgery internship and residency at

Harlem Hospital Center Harlem Hospital Center, branded as NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, is a 272-bed, public teaching hospital affiliated with Columbia University. It is located at 506 Lenox Avenue in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City and was founded in 1887. The hosp ...

, finding a mentor in Dr. Barbara Barlow, head of the pediatric surgical department. While in her third year of residency, she began interviewing to select her specialty. After meeting with Dr.

Mark M. Ravitch Mark Mitchell Ravitch (September 12, 1910 – March 1, 1989) was an American surgeon. He pioneered the use of surgical staples, the treatment of chest wall deformities, and non-operative management of intussusception. Early life and education R ...

, one of the pioneers in the use of medical stapling in the US, at the University of Pittsburgh Children's Hospital, she was convinced to study pediatric transplantation. In 1986, Scantlebury began her fellowship at the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

(Pitt) School of Medicine, under the direction of Dr.

Thomas Starzl Thomas Earl Starzl (March 11, 1926 – March 4, 2017) was an American physician, researcher, and expert on organ transplants. He performed the first human liver transplants, and has often been referred to as "the father of modern transplantatio ...

and spent the next two years in clinical work.

First African-American woman transplant surgeon

Between 1988 and 2002, Scantlebury worked as a transplant surgeon at the Pitt School of Medicine, earning her Doctor of Surgery in 1989, as the first

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

woman transplant surgeon. That same year, she married Dr. Harvey White, received the "Gift of Life Award" from the

and began teaching as an assistant professor at Pitt. In 1996, she was awarded the

Carlow University Carlow University is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1929 by the Sisters of Mercy. Carlow's thirteen athletic teams are the Celtics, a reflection of the university's Irish heritage and roots. In 201 ...

Woman of Spirit, award for her inspiration to other women. Scantlebury worked her way up to associate professor by 2002 and was recruited by the

University of South Alabama The University of South Alabama (USA) is a public research university in Mobile, Alabama. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in May, 1963, and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alabama. The first ...

(USA) as a surgical professor and as director of the USA's Gulf Coast Regional Transplant Centre.

Physician honors and recognition

In 2003, she was honored as one of the "Best Doctors in America" and inducted into the Achievers Hall of Fame of the

United Negro College Fund UNCF, the United Negro College Fund, also known as the United Fund, is an American philanthropic organization that funds scholarships for black students and general scholarship funds for 37 private historically black colleges and universities. ...

. In 2004 and 2006, she was listed as one of the "Top Doctors in America", and then in 2006 she began working with other transplant surgeons, the Coalition on Donation, and the National Minority Organ and Tissue Transplant Education Program in an endeavor called Linkages to Life to educate the black community and dispel myths regarding transplants. She was rewarded for her work by the Caribbean American Medical and Scientific Association and received the

Gold Crown of Merit.

Kidney transplant program director

Scantlebury accepted an offer from the

Christiana Care Health System ChristianaCare is a network of private, non-profit hospitals providing health care services to all of the U.S. state of Delaware and portions of seven counties bordering the state in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey. The system includes two h ...

of Delaware in 2008 to serve as director of their kidney transplant program and the family relocated. In her career, Scantlebury estimates she has completed over 2,000 transplants, and has published more than 85 peer-reviewed research papers, as well as 10 monographs and several book chapters.

References