When Emergency Medicine Physician Stanford White applied to medical school, he did not get in on his first attempt — or his second attempt. It was only on his third attempt that he was finally accepted to Louisiana State University School of Medicine, and by then, he was already married with his first daughter.
“Being a dad and a husband during medical school was also a challenge,” White said. “But definitely doable, definitely worth it.”
Though White was an untraditional applicant and had a newborn daughter to raise, he still opted to pursue his education. White was particularly interested in biology throughout his childhood. Furthermore, NBC sitcom The Bill Cosby Show that was airing during White’s childhood was coined by a Time article as “quietly radical” as it showcased the lives of three successful upper-class Black professionals. Inspired by Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, a fictional obstetrician-gynecologist featured on the series, his interest in science deepened and grew.
During his senior year of high school, White received the Alton Ochsner Future Physician Award, funded by the Ochsner Health healthcare system. He went on to major in kinesiology, cell and molecular biology at Tulane University on the pre-medical track, and also played college football and baseball.
White attended the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine before earning his Master’s of Business Administration degree from the Erivan K. Haub School of Business at Saint Joseph’s University. Finally, he attended Louisiana State University School of Medicine.
“Being an athlete and a student is probably one of the most difficult things there is, but it also prepares you for the days after college, when you have to be in the boardroom at a certain time or the hospital at a certain time,” White said. “You’ve already grinded so many hours on the football field or baseball field that it’s a little bit easier for you mentally.”
Upon finishing medical school, White completed his three year emergency medicine residency at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. He went on to work at both New Orleans East and Terrebonne General Health in Houma, Louisiana.
The Association of American Medical College’s 2019 Diversity in Medicine report showed that Black or African Americans comprised only 5.0% of all active physicians. However, a 2022 U.S. Census reported that the population of New Orleans consisted of 58.1% Black or African Americans. Thus, working as an emergency room physician gave White the opportunity to make a change in the lives of his patients, particularly as one of the few African American males in the emergency room setting.
White noted that his presence makes the hospital experiences of his Black patients easier when they see him as their physician.
“I make sure that I treat every patient as if they were my own family member, which means I’m going to do my best every day, with every patient to make sure that I give my best care as a board certified emergency medicine physician,” White added.
Three years ago, White’s life took an unexpected turn when he took a 23andMe DNA test and met his biological sister. He was born in New Orleans but was adopted at the age of eight months and had remained separated from her for most of his life. Currently, they are working on publishing a book together, describing how they found each other after growing up 1000 miles apart.
“And it’s funny because we’re not twins, we’re two years apart,” White added. “But we are so similar. It’s sometimes scary.”
White noted that he aims to set the bar high, aspiring to be professional, knowledgeable and better than average. He added that by displaying these qualities, he strives to bring out the best in his colleagues.
“I try to show up early, always in a lab coat,” White said. “I’m courteous, but at the same time, I think I’m a really good ER doctor.”
White also noted that some physicians may feel “hardened” after enduring their medical residencies and lose the ability to be courteous, forgetting that their patients are sometimes fearful and scared.
“Just being nice and courteous can lessen their fears, and you try to give them great care and take care of them,” White added.
