HBCU Grad Becomes First Black Female Neurosurgeon Resident at Vanderbilt [Photos + Video]

Tamia Potter is currently going viral on social media for a groundbreaking reason. The 2018 Florida A&M University graduate just became the first Black woman to ever become a neurosurgeon resident at Vanderbilt University.

via: Black Enterprise

The Florida native found out the exciting news last week during “National Match Day,” the third Thursday of March, where medical students all over are matched to a specialty and residency for training.

“Today on March 17th, 2023 I was blessed to be selected as the first African American female neurosurgery resident to train @VUMC_Neurosurg,” Potter wrote on her Twitter page to accompany videos and photos of her special day.

My first job was a certified nursing assistant at 17 years old in 2014.

Today on March 17th, 2023 I was blessed to be selected as the first African American female neurosurgery resident to train at @VUMC_Neurosurg .#Match2023 #Neurosurgery #BlackGirlMagic pic.twitter.com/4tizYmzDpB

— Tamia Potter (@PotterTamia) March 17, 2023

Dr. Chelsea Mooreland extended her congratulations to Potter on Instagram.

“I could not be more proud of my amazingly talented and brilliant mentee who just so happens to be a Beta Alpha Soror and FAMU Alumnae,” Mooreland wrote in a post.

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A post shared by Chelsea Mooreland (@drchelseamooreland)

VUMC Neurosurgery posted a short message to its Twitter account welcoming the young doctor and its other newest residents to its family. “We are thrilled to announce our new Vanderbilt Neurosurgery residents! Congratulations- we are so excited to have you on our team!” the tweet read.

We are thrilled to announce our new Vanderbilt Neurosurgery residents! Congratulations- we are so excited to have you on our team! pic.twitter.com/6tVLmtHGZi

— VUMC Neurosurgery (@VUMC_Neurosurg) March 17, 2023

According to Rattler Nation, Potter completed her bachelors in chemistry at FAMU, where she was also an initiate of the Beta Alpha Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. The young scholar then went on to receive a full scholarship to attend Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine in Ohio. During her time studying at CWRU, Potter had 17 research publications, 12 citations, and 262 reads.