Greetings!
My name is Samille Vanessa. Born in New York City, I am the proud daughter of Haitian immigrants. I was raised along with seven siblings (2 brothers; 5 sisters) in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn by my mother and father.
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Growing up in Crown Heights in the 90’s was not an easy task for me. During that decade, struggling ethnic relations plagued the community. Besides the Crown Heights riots between African Americans and Jews, there was also the outcast of Haitians in the Caribbean community. Haitians were tormented with accusations of bringing HIV/AIDs to the U.S.; and Haitian refugees were flooding U.S. shores to escape political instability and poverty in the motherland. As a young Haitian-American, I was often teased and bullied for my nationality as a result of those current events. Although such experiences may have shamed many Haitians living in the U.S., I took those experiences as a source of pride and strength.
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In my junior high school years, I became a young advocate and literally fought for the rights of fellow Haitian students. The constant fighting and protesting got me in lots of trouble. I would go on to attend 3 different junior high schools. Despite that fact, I remained an honor student and even turned down an opportunity to skip a grade. I continued to excel academically in high school, earning countless awards and certificates for being a top student. The opportunity to skip a grade presented itself yet again and this time I gracefully accepted. At the tender age of just 16 years old, I was a freshman student at Hofstra University after graduating in the top 10 list of my high school senior class and earning a regents diploma with honors.
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During my undergraduate years at Hofstra University, I struggled with my decision about a career path that best suited me. This struggle affected my grades and made the process of getting into medical school more challenging. After years of pursuing other careers, my passion for medicine never died. Following the earthquake in Haiti on January 12th, 2010, I decided to become a doctor by any means necessary. I became certified EMT, as well as a phlebotomist and EKG technician. I retook pre-med classes at my local community college and the new MCAT. I shadowed my local primary care physician. But the competition was fierce for US medical schools. After 3 years of knocking so many schools’ doors in the USA, I gave the Caribbean a try. I am beyond grateful that Trinity School of Medicine opened their doors to me for what I feel is a once in a lifetime opportunity. This opportunity has brought me to the Caribbean island of St. Vincent & the Grenadines. As you come along this journey with me, I hope to inspire, enlighten, and motivate you to pursue your goals in medicine, too.
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Thank you for your support!
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~SaVa MD~
SaVa MD 