When Adia Ross, MD, and Erica Taylor, MD, first met in 2001 as pre-medicine students, they had no idea they’d form an 18-year friendship that would endure living and learning in different states. Now, the two work alongside each other daily as leaders of their respective services at Duke Raleigh Hospital (DRAH).
Ross, who attended the University of Florida, and Taylor, coming from the University of Virginia, met at what is now known as the Summer Health Professions Education Program. Both participated in the program, which offers education and mentorship for students representing a range of diverse backgrounds.
“We’ve each come together with our own achievements, but also a connection of ‘I knew her when,'” said Taylor, an orthopaedic hand surgeon and the DRAH orthopaedic medical director. “That builds on our collaborative spirit to share ideas, ask questions and find ways to focus on enhancing patient care together.”
Part of leadership at DRAH, the pair talk regularly about collaborative ways to integrate their medical and surgical service lines towards improvements in patient care. It’s something neither takes for granted. They continue to speak and volunteer at the summer program to mentor the next generation of health care professionals.
Ross said that the fact that they both ended up at Duke highlights the organization’s commitment to diversity and integrity.
“As a college student, I did not always see a lot of people with my background as providers at the bedside” said Ross, a hospitalist and medical director at DRAH. “I have witnessed firsthand Duke’s investment in the future of medicine and the continued commitment to create diversity in medicine. It has made a lasting impact on me and others.”
With Ross and Taylor’s paths full circle at Duke, they recognize how special their past and future can be.
“We went through training together wanting to succeed together,” Taylor said, “and it’s exciting to see that happen for us both and to support each other going forward.”
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