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  Jessica Gingles: Okay. And so, we’re now recording. My name is Jessica Gingles. I am a second-year medical student at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine. And today, we’ll be completing a oral history interview as a part of the larger southern oral history project. I have the pleasure of speaking with this wonderful gentleman, who will introduce himself.

  Dr. Cathcart: I am Dr. Cornelius Cathcart.

  Jessica Gingles: Thank you. And so, the to begin, what is your place of birth and date of birth? (Laughs) Good question.

  Dr. Cathcart: I was born in Durham, North Carolina in 1951.

  Jessica Gingles: Okay. And can you tell me a little bit more about what your family is like? What was it like growing up with them?

  Dr. Cathcart: Well, I grew up in a total family 鈥� mother, father, and I had three sisters. And we grew up in Hillsborough. I had a lot of family around us visiting and coming [around]. So, I had a very good childhood and I kind of went through the stages. I went through segregation, integration by choice, total integration 鈥� all three stages, and here to tell about it.

  Jessica Gingles: And we so appreciate your time. And who would you say 鈥� I know you said that you have a really, like what it sounds like, got to meet a lot of family members 鈥� but was there one person you’d say was probably the most sort of influential during your youth?

  Dr. Cathcart: Well, my father was a physician. My mother was a registered nurse. And I would have to say that my mother was probably [the one who] influenced me most because my dad had to work out of state. And so, he was in and out, but my mom was always there. I grew up listening to stories of her, you know, pediatric cases that she would work with and so forth. And so, yeah, my mom probably was the most influential.

  Jessica Gingles: Oh, great. And did 鈥� we’ve covered this but sort of went into the 鈥� was there a family doctor? And so, you said your father served as a physician. Was there like a history of service 鈥� like medical service in your family?

  Dr. Cathcart: No. My father was the only physician. My father was Cuban. And back in the day when he finished med school, the situation was one where a physician had to basically work under the supervision of an established doctor. After 2 to 3 years of working under that doctor, the doctor would sign off for that physician to get a license. And so, my father worked in Hillsborough under a physician. And when it came time to sign off, the physician wouldn’t sign off.

  Jessica Gingles: Oh.

  Dr. Cathcart: Right. It was one of those situations: a [white physician], my father Cuban. And so, that鈥檚 why my dad ended up not being at home because he accepted a position in Detroit as a hospital administrator there. And so, he was basically, you know, back and forth between North Carolina and Detroit, since our home was here in North Carolina.

  Jessica Gingles: Wow the 鈥� I鈥檓 so 鈥� wow, I mean that’s such a 鈥� was that common during in the day for that type of thing to happen in Hillsborough?

  Dr. Cathcart: Well, the physician back in that day there was only like one main physician in Hillsborough. And, you know, the story was that he had some imbibing issues. And my father had worked with him for several years and you know, people got to know my father. And so, when it came time to sign off, he felt like he might be, you know, losing a number of patients. He opted not to sign off.

  Jessica Gingles: Well, I, you know, have to apologize for history. I’m sure that there’s 鈥� I think the focus on, though, that your father was able to find a way to support your family, and you know, is just a wonderful example of how through many of a different struggle and impediment that people have sort of found a way. And it’s definitely something that sort of being from North Carolina, born and raised, and having real roots here, and my own larger family having experienced sort of similar things, where people don’t want what鈥檚 right doesn’t necessarily happen because of things that are really out of your control and very unfair. But we find a way, and so.听

  Dr. Cathcart: Right.

  Jessica Gingles: The next thing, the sort of next big block is just sort of you getting to medical school. And so, what options did you sort of consider after high school? Were you always going 鈥� interested in being a physician?

  Dr. Cathcart: Well, (Laughs) all my relatives always referred to me as 鈥淟ittle Dr. Cathcart.鈥�

  Jessica Gingles: Really? (Laughs)

  Dr. Cathcart: So, you know, all my life, I was 鈥淟ittle Dr. Cathcart.鈥� But in actuality my expertise was in math. I can remember when I was, you know, in grade school helping my mom do her taxes.

  Jessica Gingles: (Laughs) You could probably help a lot of us. That鈥檚 wonderful.

  Dr. Cathcart: And so, you know, when I was going off to school, my thought was that I was going to be a mathematician. And, you know, that kind of broke my dad’s heart because of course, he wanted me to be a physician. You know, but my thought was well hey, you know, I’m so good at math, it’s just, you know, what’s easy. And, you know, by the time I finished high school, total integration had come about. Like I said, I started going when I was in undergrad 鈥� I mean undergrad (Laughs) 鈥� when I was in grade school, it was, you know, segregation. You know, we were quote 鈥淏lack school and the White school.鈥�

  Then, we had, you know, integration by choice, which meant that, you know, students could register to go to a school of choice. And so, my two sisters and about five or six other Black students opted to go to the quote 鈥淲hite school,鈥� which was Orange High School. And we went through a lot, you know, that year. And then, when I got to the 10th grade, I opted to go to Orange High School. And there was still, you know, integration by choice. And then, my junior year is when state laws changed, and it was total integration. And so, the quote 鈥淏lack school鈥� and the quote 鈥淲hite school鈥� became one school.听

  And that was some trying times. We had some issues putting the two schools together. I can remember fights and all kinds of issues. But the thing that brought the school together was sports. Yeah, we had a basketball team and of course, the basketball team from Central became the basketball team for Orange High. And so, a couple of us that played at Orange High were able to, you know, we made the team. And so, it was a whole big thing. And we started off the year like 7-0. And all of a sudden, the school wasn’t fighting anymore. Everybody was behind the team, and we went on to win at the state championship that year.

  Jessica Gingles: Wow. What year was that again? I’m sorry.

  Dr. Cathcart: Well, that was ’69鈥�’68 鈥� ’69. And so, when I got my senior year, I had gone through a lot of stuff. Academically, I was like a straight A student almost, and, you know, when you got nominated for the Beta Club, you know, that year, I didn’t get nominated, which was [an interesting] thing, you know? The [next] year I got nominated and I got in. And so, you know, when it came time to apply to colleges, 黑料网 was one of the colleges I applied to because that was THE school, THE university to apply to for my high school.听

  And only two students from my high school got accepted to 黑料网 that year. So, you know, I was one and [the other was] one of the white guys that actually was a friend of mine. The two of us got accepted. And so, I went to 黑料网 was more of a dig to the people that I grew up with than just 鈥� because I got accepted to a lot of different universities. So, I ended up at 黑料网. And, yeah, that’s where it started.

  Jessica Gingles: It all sort of took off from there, wow. So, what was your experience like at 黑料网? I know that Hillsborough is not too far from Chapel Hill.

  Dr. Cathcart: It’s only about a 20鈥�30-minute drive.

  Jessica Gingles: But I’m sure that even now, it sometimes feels like Hillsborough is quite different from Chapel Hill. So, I’m interested what that was like for you.

  Dr. Cathcart: Well, even then, the numbers were not great. My freshman class at 黑料网 was probably the largest entering freshman class of minority students. And so, we got to be close. We, you know, we partied together. We sometimes studied together, but, you know, we got to be close. And so, my undergrad years, you know, my freshman year, I actually made the basketball team. I was a walk on. And, you know, my sophomore year, you know, I had a lot of academic issues that gave me some credits 鈥� extra credits. And so, I was [able] graduate from undergrad in three years.

  Jessica Gingles: Oh, wow.

  Dr. Cathcart: And I met my wife (Laughs) my sophomore year. She was a freshman. And so, my third year in school, we got married.

  Jessica Gingles: Wow, so a lot took place in that undergraduate sort of career. So how 鈥� during this time period, were you still interested primarily in mathematics or sort of how did medicine sort of take shape in staying with 黑料网?

  Dr. Cathcart: Well, after my first semester/first two semesters in 黑料网, being in math, after the second semester, I decided hey, this just wasn’t for me. I mean, you know, it got not to be numbers, but it got to be letters and computers, and I lost interest. So, as I said, I graduated in three years. So, after my sophomore year, my advisor called me in and said, “Look, what are you going to do with yourself?” I said, “What do you mean?” He said, “Well, you know, if you pick a degree, you could actually graduate, you know, in another year.” And this was about 鈥� I was married at the time and so, [I said] 鈥淲ell, what degree am I closest to?鈥�

  Well, I had a lot of math, of course, and science courses, so, the guy said, “Well, you could get a degree in biology if you just took a couple biology courses.” I said, “Okay, let’s do that.” (Laughs) [I took] biology and, you know, graduated my third year. And when I went back to him, he said, “Well, look, you know, as a minority student, you can apply to multiple schools.” He said, “What do you want to do?” I said, 鈥淲ell, you know, I’d like to take the law degree 鈥� I mean the law exam. I鈥檓 thinking about becoming a lawyer.鈥� “Okay,” he said, with all your science, why don’t you take the med school entry exam?” And I said, “Okay, well, I’ll do that.”

  Well, the entry exam for med school came a month before the entry exam law school. (Laughs) So, I took the med school exam. Because I was I minority student, I had seven schools that I could apply to. And, you know, I did well on the entry exam. I got a letter from 黑料网 that said, 鈥淲ould you like to be considered for med school here?鈥� And, you know, I said, 鈥渟ure.鈥� (Laughs) So, three years in undergrad and then accepted to med school.听

  Jessica Gingles: Wow. So, it sounds like sort of just being open to where 鈥� sort of worked best for your life and people that were in it. Wow, and so just sort of 鈥� sorry, just sort of reviewing the questions that we went over. And I guess one of them 鈥� the of course 鈥� as a student myself, I’m always acutely aware of sort of how much 鈥� the price of my schooling. How were you able to sort of finance your undergraduate and graduate education?

  Dr. Cathcart: Well, I got scholarships for undergrad. And then, I had some scholarships and a loan for med school. And then after my second year in med school, Nixon became president and his first thing he said was he was going to get rid of student loans and student scholarships. (Laughs) And now, I have a wife and a daughter. So, it just so happens that they had a recruiting thing for the military. So, the military recruiter came and had this little session, and he says, “You know, if you join the military, we’ll pay all your tuition and fees and we鈥檒l give you a $700 a month stipend. All you have to do is pay back a year for a year.”听

  I mean, that sounded pretty good. I didn’t have to worry about any more loans, you know. And if my scholarship got taken away, that wouldn’t be a problem either. So, I enlisted. And so, that, you know, that paid everything from that point on.

  Jessica Gingles: Oh. And so, were you, is that the same thing as the 鈥� has that sort of program continued? I think that I’m familiar with a version of what that sounds like.听

  Dr. Cathcart: It is, yeah. I was in the first year of the program, and that was a real big plus. When I enlisted, they commissioned me as a First Lieutenant. And so, every summer, we were supposed to do two weeks of active duty, which I never did. Cause 鈥� but that’s another story. Anyway (Laughs), after I finished, when I graduated from med school, I got a call, and I was promoted to First Lieutenant. And I said 鈥淥kay! You know? Not one week of boot camp, no military experience, nothing. I’m a First Lieutenant.鈥澨�

  And so, then when we had to apply for internships, at that time the program said you had to apply to Army scholarships. And, if you got an Army scholarship, you had to accept. But you could also, we had 鈥� we were also at the time doing interviews for (Phone buzzes) Yes ma鈥檃m let me just get rid of this. Okay, sorry, a call was coming in.听

  Jessica Gingles: That鈥檚 totally fine.

   

  Dr. Cathcart: Yeah, so anyway, I got accepted to, you know, a children’s program at DC Children’s, which I was elated to get. And but I also got accepted to an internship with the military, which I had to accept. But, you know, it turned out to be really, really a great start to my career.听

  Jessica Gingles: And I’m sure we’ll sort of touch more, get touch base back 鈥� sorry, I’m sure that we’ll sort of circle back to that just to sort of keep us in line with how we’re going. But that’s very, very interesting. And (Hums) sort of looking here 鈥� were there 鈥� so, we’ve sort of discussed how you were brought to medicine. Were there any enrichment programs, such as like 黑料网, for example, has the MED program that is basically for prospective Black medical students. And so it provides tutoring as well as now, I believe, preparatory course for the medical school admissions test, the medical college admissions test, the MCAT. Were there things that you were familiar with or had the chance to participate in?

  Dr. Cathcart: In undergrad, going into med school, no, there were no programs. And, you know when I got to med school, there were only a few medical students. You know, my entering class, you know, we were less than 20 students, Black students, in the class of 100 and so, we got to be real close. But we also got to be close to those students that were going into the second year. But there was a history. All of the Black medical students ended up in summer school, and you know then, from there, progressed. So, they all went into summer school, but they all progressed the next year. So, my thing was that, you know, I was not planning on doing summer school.听

  So, I actually did well my first year in med school and I had to do the two years of military service. Well, I accepted a two-week rotation in Denver, Colorado. Well, at the same time, that enrichment program that you were talking about, I got asked if I would be vice president of the enrichment program or the recruiting program for 黑料网 Med School. And so, I said yes. So, my job for the summer was to go to universities, you know the HBCs, and you know recruit students.听

  And I did that in between my first and second year of med school. And so, then for my second year to my third year, I again accepted a military rotation in Denver. And I got called and said, you want to do this again? It’s summer. And so, I called Denver again and said 鈥渓ook, I’m not coming.鈥� (Laughs) Then, I did the program again, yeah. So, that was the first 鈥� the start of the enrichment programs and recruiting programs for Black students and minority students.

  Jessica Gingles: Sort of the next question here is sort of what was a reputation of the 黑料网? I’d be interested, I guess, as a two-parter to sort of hear what reputation you instilled (Laughs) to other people, to some of the historical Black colleges as well as in your experience, just like working as a 鈥� in recruitment, like as a student but then also sort of a bit more, if you know about sort of the 鈥� was there a particular reason like why there was this trend in which all lot of the Black students would do summer school? Or what was that experience like sort of with your medical education at 黑料网?

  Dr. Cathcart: Well, you know, we had all of the same stresses that everybody else has. But, you know, we were Black students. And so, our groups were the Black kids. You know, I was fortunate, and I did undergrad, and so I had a pool of friends that I had accumulated through undergrad. And then, what was really big for me was a wife and a one-year-old daughter. So, my priorities were set. And the rising second-year students were very helpful in that, you know, they would tell us different things, what professors were, you know, most helpful, you know, just little different helpful hints, I鈥檇 say.

  And so, you know, after my freshman year, I mean we 鈥� our class had a couple students that didn’t have to go to summer school, so that we broke the trend. And then that second year, when I was going into my second year, I was also on the admissions committee for the med school. And at that time, we had the first Dean of Student Affairs for med school, and it was a Black gentleman. And so, he and I got to be friends and we were on the admissions committee together. And the class that came beyond 鈥� the class that came after me had actually the highest number of Black students ever. (Laughs) That’s [strange now] but we had some about 30 students, Black students that we admitted that second year.听

  So, the whole academic process was changing. We were recruiting Black students. We had started a program, to, you know, for pre-academic program for the students that were coming in. So, this stuff that you were asking about, that was being started, back between my first and second year.

  Jessica Gingles: Oh, that’s incredible. And it’s just so, I feel like just such a pleasure to know that sort of as a, now as my first-year ends and going to second year that you as a first year and a second year were able to be a part of that. I think that the medical education is so incredibly important and diversifying medical education, but diversity comes in so many different forms. And specifically, I think, you know, age and experience and sort of where you envision and what the possibility of what we could be doing and how we could be better serving our community is so important.

  So, wow, that’s incredible. And so, the next 鈥� we’ve sort of covered the getting into medical school portion. In the next one we also sort of went into. It’s a sort of learning more about your experience as a Black medical student. And so, we, (Hums) again, doing a little bit of a peruse, I’d love to know more again 鈥� we’ve already sort of run into this 鈥� about your time at 黑料网 overall. But then really, were there, when thinking of your support system and who you were closest to when going through medical school where we talked about students, but were there sort of, faculty, as well as administration, but were there faculty or administrators you were close to and what did that support system look like?

  Dr. Cathcart: Well, when you ask me were there faculty, I’m going to have to tell you no. I can’t remember a single one of my faculty. So, you know, my colleagues, my classmates, the other Black students, you know, the ones in the second year above us were successful, we knew the successes. We knew their stories. And, you know, in our class, you know, we did what we could do to help each other. We encouraged and pushed each other. And like I said, you know, my priorities were set. You know, I had a wife and a child. And so, you know, the things that 鈥� I have to say that the racial things that were 鈥� they were there. I mean, they were there, you know. But I’d already gone through that. I went through that when I was in high school.

  Jessica Gingles: Yeah.

  Dr. Cathcart: And so, you know, I wasn’t taken back by it as much as some of my other colleagues, which is probably why I got along better, because that didn’t bother me. And, you know like I said, you know, I had a strong support group, you know, my wife, my child, and my friends. Yes, 99% of them were Black (Laughs) but yeah, they got me through med school.

  Jessica Gingles: Yeah, and so that’s community. I guess one of the things when you were sort of speaking earlier, was wondering what was the decision-making process like when you were deciding, and I guess you and your family in high school of whether when was sort of an integration by choice, right, of like who would go and who would not go. I’m sure that was a very difficult choice, especially sort of when facing what you faced during integration.

  Dr. Cathcart: Well, you got to go back to the fact that my father was a doctor. My mother was a registered nurse. Education, it was not an option. (Laughs) You know if you’re in this household, you’re my child, you’re going to school. And not only are you going to school, you’re going to college and not only are you going to college, but you’re going to do something beyond college. And so, you know, my mom had, you know, six sisters and brothers and, you know, every family had had one male child. And all of the male children had ended up in the military and never had finished college. And so, you know, I swore that I was going to finish college and I wasn’t going in the military. (Laughs)

  But yeah, the 鈥� I may have gotten off from what I was going to say but, you know, going through what I went through when I had school by choice, my parents automatically put my two sisters in Orange High School. I mean, that was the quote 鈥渂est education.鈥� You know? And so then, when I got to the 10th grade, because it was a 10th, 11th, and 12th grade school, I was obviously going to Orange High School. And so, you know, we dealt with the issues that, you know, Black students in a predominantly White school that didn’t want you there, you know, teachers that, you know, 鈥� if you got it, you got it. If you didn’t, you know 鈥� and so to have a, you know, student like myself who was playing sports and an A student and just was not what they were used to, but that’s what was expected. That’s what my parents expected. So, yeah, that鈥檚 鈥� education was a priority irregardless and so, when I got accepted to 黑料网, it was like you know, yeah well, you know, you deserved it. (Laughs)

  Jessica Gingles: You most certainly did.

  Dr. Cathcart: And so then, when I got into med school, that was, you know 鈥� my dad was elated and that was just the part of the process. But all through school, I had the support of family and support of friends. And yeah, you know, of course, I was a Christian, so yeah, I had throw that in too. I tell everybody, you know, medicine is a blessing and it’s a talent that’s given to us by God. And you use that talent to the best of your abilities. And that was part of the process.

  Jessica Gingles: Yeah, the 鈥� and sort of going into, you know, we’ve also discussed this which has been great. Do you recall sort of facing, you know, specific hardships? We talked about sort of pivoting (Laughs) with the change in presidency, which is also like as I guess my generation has definitely witnessed a bit, a bit of political tumult and you sort of just pivot. But did you ever really 鈥� I’m really interested to hear like have you ever sort of doubted your own abilities as a med student? And sort of, was during those time periods or that time period, have you ever felt sort of what we now define as 鈥渋mposter syndrome,鈥� or that questioning your sense of not belonging and not be able to 鈥� to practice medicine? And sort of how did you overcome that?

  Dr. Cathcart: From day one, it has always been said, you know, as a Black physician, as a Black medical student, as a Black student, you have to be better than everybody else to even be considered equal to everybody else. Okay? And so, you know, all through med school, through you know, residency, my thing was to be the best, you know, amongst my peers. And that was my goal. Yeah, and I always heard it, you know, you’ve got to be better. When I did my internship and residency, I mean those first two years at 黑料网, all academics and, you know, it was the stress of class and stress of grades, stress of exams.听

  But when I got into, you know, the third year and we went into the hospital, you know, that was just 鈥� that was neat. I really felt like I had made it, you know. But the one thing that really solidified it for me鈥� (pauses) I’ll never forget鈥� (pauses) my first loss. This kid, I mean, he was a kid, married, 18 years old, athlete sent in from a local doctor who had a history with 黑料网, who was, you know, known at 黑料网. And he sent him in with a diagnosis of VSD. But the kid was having issues and so he sent him in to get a cath done. And everybody 鈥� in the rotation I was in, because I was in a cardiology rotation at the time, they just accepted the fact that this kid had a VSD.听

  And one night, he started having issues, desat, he got really 鈥� and the intern, because I was med student, said, “Maybe we should get a scan.” And I said, “Well, why do that? I mean, he’s got a VSD, and he’s schedule tomorrow for a cath, you know.” Well, he listened to me. He didn’t get the scan. The kid coded the next morning. And they took him to cath lab. He did not have a VSD. He had a pulmonary embolus. And he died. (Pauses). When that happened, I walked out of the hospital. I was done. I was ready to quit (voice breaks). And I started out the hospital. I started across the parking lot, and I said I will not 鈥� quit. And I will not make this mistake. And I turned around. And went back.

  Jessica Gingles: You went back.

  Dr. Cathcart: And ever since that time, I will not allow anyone that works with me or under me to short step anything. You do your best and if there’s a test you want to do, do it because you never trust what somebody else says.

  Jessica Gingles: Yeah. Thank you for sharing that. I mean I think, there鈥檚 鈥� we can only anticipate that there will be moments sort of in our careers, me knowing nothing, and really, we’ve done a couple of weeks in the hospital. But that 鈥� it鈥檚 true that there’s just certain moments that give us really essential lessons and so, I’d like to take the time to thank you for memorializing that with our project and then also recentering of as a outside party, an unbiased person, your sort of pathway here has been incredible.听

  And I can only imagine being one of the first students to do this and paving the way for the enrichment programs that have made our experience better and that have sort of helped me see a class that’s reflective of 50+ people of color and knowing that the Memorial Hospital and the majority of the patients that I’ve seen still look like me and what it means to have someone like us enter the room. And I’m just so glad that you were able to come back and spread that message, and now spread that with us, too. And so, you know, thank you, truly.听

  And. I can only 鈥� one thing I also wanted to sort of comment is that I would imagine and as I sometimes sort of again, growing up in 鈥搒o my family originates from sort rural Clayton and one of 鈥� my grandmother is one of 12. Education was not, is either education or military for my brother and I and the sort of being the product of not first-generation but that was my mom and my dad, the first to go to school and the first to finish and do certain things.听

  And that 鈥� the mentality of needing to be the best because that’s how you succeed and are able to pass things on and better people is also can be considered a great burden because you never have the chance to also be human and to emote and to feel, and that those are things that we also sort of deserve. And so, I just want to put that out there that that is incredible to sort of hear and hear your story as well from that framework. And so, the 鈥� we covered a lot and I want to keep us in time.听

  So, the next sort of section is sort of beyond 黑料网, which we talked about a little bit, so beyond 黑料网 and more about sort of your residency experience. So, what was 鈥� what was residency like in comparison to the rigor of medical school and were there any special moments in which you did feel like sort of that you came into this is the type of medicine that I want to practice sort of for the rest of my life? And what was most influential in that?

  Dr. Cathcart: Well, like I said, I ended up with a military residency. And my internship and residency was done in Hawaii (laughs). When I got the call that said, you know, you been accepted to Tripler Army Medical Center as an intern, pediatric intern, my first thought was oh, you know, I was upset because, you know, I had been accepted鈥�

  Jessica Gingles: To the DC program.

  Dr. Cathcart: And that was the pediatric program. Yeah. But Tripler, unbeknownst to me, was the medical center of the Pacific. I mean, everything came through Tripler. You know, Guam, Philippines, Germany, you know they had sick patients that needed referral, they referred them to Tripler. So, we saw basically everything. I mean, I saw stuff that was written in pediatric textbook that you know you only read about.听 So, my internship and residency, I just 鈥� I loved it, besides being in Hawaii. But the experience was truly, truly great.

  Jessica Gingles: That鈥檚 fantastic. The like 鈥� of course, I’m sure that being being in Hawaii didn’t hurt.

  Dr. Cathcart: It did hurt. I had to suffer through that (laughs).

  Jessica Gingles: (Laughs) But alas, here we are. And well that the 鈥� residency section is actually quite short. So now were sort of 鈥� onto our last part, which is titled, rightly, 鈥淧assing on the Torch.鈥� And so, to you today, sort of how does being a Black physician matter sort of in your workplace, in family and sort of in the community at large?

  Dr. Cathcart: Well, you know, I am very, very proud of my practice. I have the only pediatric practice in Vance County, Warren County, Franklin County, and Granville County. So, I’m [the only] pediatric practice in a four-county area. And out those four counties, we’re probably 70% Medicaid. So, you know, I see, you know, everybody. And that was one of the things coming out of the military into private practice. My thought process was that I was not going to have a practice that was not diverse. I want to be a physician for all people, not just a group of people.听

  And, you know, my practice was the first integrated practice in the area by way of staff. And, you know, even to date, you know, there’s nobody that doesn’t come to my practice. And you know, being a part of the community, you know, I’ve seen the community go from being separatist type to being readily accepted and requested in its [years]. And I think I’ve played a major part in advancing the social atmosphere in this county. So, yeah, I’m very proud of that fact.

  Jessica Gingles: That’s wonderful to hear. Do you like 鈥� I’m sure that there’s, there鈥檚 a certain beauty of being able to sort of see children grow into adulthood quite really in pediatrics. That’s also an interest area of mine. The 鈥� how, sorry 鈥搘hat has building, going off of all of really what we’ve talked about, like what has your experience taught you? And it’s interesting because I’m sure that these are 鈥� we have a general sort of framework of questions. But even sort of during 鈥� it sounds that during your medical education, you were really instrumental in sort of supporting minority students and have continued that.听

  And so, what is your experience in all these decades of work taught you about ways to support our present day like minority students and as well as minority patients? And how does that sort of play into the decisions that you’ve made sort of clinically about sort of what practice you want to run?
  听
  Dr. Cathcart: Like I said, you know, my thing has always been to be the best at what I do. And, you know, being the only pediatrician in the area doesn’t mean that I鈥檓 the best, but it is (laughs). And, you know, I think back to when I started. And you know, when I came into this county, we had the second highest morbidity and mortality rate for neonates in the state of North Carolina. And within the first two years, of my being in practice, that changed completely. I had expertise in neonatology, almost decided to stay in the military to become a neonatologist but I opted to come and get into private practice because I had some loans to pay off from that first two years. And my wife, you know, she鈥檚 from North Carolina.听

  And so, I wanted to get back and give back. So coming here to this area, you know, to be able to advance the thought processes of people, I mean I can remember, you know, seeing patients in my practice and going to the local grocery store and, you know, look up and see a mother coming up the aisle and would see me and turn around and go the other way so she wouldn’t have to speak to me in public. And, but as the practice grew as, you know, the relevance of what I do 鈥� because the thing that, and I give this to all of my colleagues and to you guys as you coming up.

  You know, hopefully, you know, you’re not going into medicine for status or for social standings but for a real desire to improve the lives of those that come in contact with you, whether as a physician, a role model, or just as a person. You know, remember that the really sick person doesn’t care about the color of your skin. Okay? What that sick person wants to know is your knowledge and your skill. And, you know, you’ve been given a talent, a God-given talent so give glory and thanks to God. And then use your talent to the best of your abilities. Okay? And believe me, the rewards, the social, all of that will come.

  Jessica Gingles: That’s a beautiful message. Thank you. Whew, I needed to hear that (laughs). As we round our final week of what has been a tough year. The honestly, the 鈥� without even 鈥� without even me daring to ask, you actually answered the remaining, our last question already. It was what advice would you give to current medical students? And the 鈥� this conversation has been absolutely you know so thought provoking for me and restorative to hear. And I hope it’s been, you know, really pleasurable for you, too. And so, I’m going to go ahead and stop the recording.听

  [End of Audio]

  Duration: 54 minutes

   

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About

Dr. Cornelius Cathcart was born in Durham, NC and raised in Hillsborough, NC. Growing up as the son of a physician and registered nurse, he valued education and was referred to as 鈥淟ittle Dr. Cathcart鈥� throughout the years. Once old enough, he opted to go to Orange High School through integration by choice and set his sights on receiving a degree in mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was one of only two students from Orange High to be accepted, along with receiving many other acceptances and scholarships. His undergraduate career was only three years but filled with life-changing events, including the decisions to switch majors, get married, and apply to both medical and law schools. Outside of academics, a key part of both his high school and undergraduate experience was playing basketball, where he felt student communities successfully integrated over a shared passion. His family and community ties made the decision to stay in Chapel Hill and attend the 黑料网 an easy choice. While in medical school, he found his greatest support system from the other Black medical students in his class and the class above him. He helped start a recruiting program for minority students and traveled to historically-Black colleges during his summer months as Vice President of the new recruiting program. Facing potential financial aid and student loan uncertainty in the Nixon era, he opted to enlist in the military in his second year and eventually became a First Lieutenant. His most impactful moment in medical school was his first patient loss, an 18-year-old with an inaccurate cardiac history that led to inadequate care on his team鈥檚 watch. This experience shook him and instilled the essential lesson of never short-stepping patient care. After graduating in 1976, he applied to pediatric residency programs and fulfilled his military agreement by training at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Afterward, he returned to North Carolina and built the only pediatric practice in Vance, Warren, Franklin, and Granville counties. His practice was the first to integrate staff in the area. He still works in the four-county practice to this day and provides care to everyone in the community regardless of their background.