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More from @KeiMD

Keiko Cooley, MD

@KeiMD

Sep 24, 2020

I do my very best not to say politically rousing statements on here because I recognize how impactful it could be on my life and future. I will make a few points, however.

As a professional student, it is easy for my peers/colleagues to think of me as the kind of 1/x

Black/AA person who would never find themselves in a compromising position with law enforcement. Additionally, there’s falsely ascribed increased worth on my life. Further, some people even go as far as to think we may share very similar viewpoints on current events.

It is 2/x

important to recognize and appreciate that when I am on the street, I am not Student Dr. Cooley. I am a Black woman from Gary, IN with locs who has been transplanted to SC.

Miss Taylor deserved her life because she was a human being. Using her profession as a 3/x

Read 8 tweets

Keiko Cooley, MD

@KeiMD

Sep 14, 2020

God’s timing, a thread:
When I started medical school I was disappointed in my non-traditional route. Although “Black don’t crack” & my peers never believe how old I am, 😂, I felt “behind”. I now recognize everything happens for a reason, there is a purpose & plan. 1/

Truly, I stumbled into Urology. Our Cardiothoracic attendings were thought to be on away at a conference and it would have been too much for students to remain on the service with fewer attendings. They asked what OTHER surgical subspecialty I would like to see and I 2/

thought to myself, “We’re not doing NS, ENT has too many tight holes, I’ve seen MIS on colorectal and that knee scope wasn’t what I thought it would be. I guess that leaves...Urology?” It was on this rotation I met who would become my mentor and started developing 3/

Read 7 tweets

Keiko Cooley, MD

@KeiMD

Aug 30, 2020

I have a mentee who is a MS2 that graduated from an HBCU as well. I have NO idea when I told her I was an HBCU alumnae. Nevertheless, she said when she found out it gave her comfort & made her feel like she could succeed.

I got her a medical desk dictionary and wrote a little

note on the front page. I hope she likes it 😭😭.

I’ve never been a believer in “pull yourself up by your bootstraps”. I believe everyone’s success
is dependent on someone else’s.

I will do EVERYTHING in my power to help make someone’s dream a reality.

Mentors matter.

Lift as you climb. Leave spaces better than they were when you arrived. Pour into people so they pour into others.

Differently, I’m trying to turn her into a Urologist and away from ortho.

Read 6 tweets

Keiko Cooley, MD

@KeiMD

Aug 29, 2020

So Chadwick Boseman passed from colon cancer at the age of 43.

I think this is an opportunity for Black healthcare providers to discuss the importance of knowing your family history of disease.

If he was 39 when he was diagnosed that means if he had children, they need to be

screened beginning at age 29 and any siblings he may have should also be screened if they have not been.

The general distrust Black people have for the institutions in this country is warranted. How as a Black healthcare provider do I plan to change this? I’m not sure yet, but

it is my hope that the mere act of seeing a Black doctor walk into their room to treat them will help. I CANNOT wait to champion and advocate for my future patients.

Read 6 tweets

Keiko Cooley, MD

@KeiMD

Aug 24, 2020

I grew up in a single parent home with my mother.

We never owned a home when I was a kid. Location permitting, I’ll be a homeowner next year.

That is W I L D.

A considerable percentage of my classmates are the children physicians and most are from upper middle-class/well-off/wealthy families. It’s hard for me to articulate what this means to some of them.

What it means to me is that, if we want, my family can host holidays at

my home, my younger sister can have a place she can ALWAYS come to, I can keep it and pass it on to a family member, I can use it to generate income and be able to support my family, and more. This is CRAAAAZYYYY 😅😭😍.

Read 5 tweets

Keiko Cooley, MD

@KeiMD

Aug 15, 2020

https://twitter.com/dermangelo/status/1294659172555005953

Unpopular opinion: I’ve, largely, enjoyed medical school. There have been experiences that have been CONSIDERABLY less than ideal, but it’s my belief they happened to press me to become my best self.

I maintain many people enter medical school medical to be doctors

https://twitter.com/dermangelo/status/1294659172555005953

without appreciating there’s an entire process to *BECOME* a doctor.

Also, my mentor Dr. Dray and I discuss A LOT varying levels of resilience. Medical school has not been the hardest thing I’ve ever encountered in my life. I am unfortunately fortunate for that. For people

who have never *truly* had to deny themselves something for a means to an end, it can be hard. I appreciate that. I challenge you all to bask in the beauty of now, however.

Medical school is an amazing time for student physicians. Literally there are numerous eager ppl willing

Read 4 tweets

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