Black women are underrepresented among physicians. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), they make up 2.8% of doctors in the U.S. This percentage is significantly lower than their representation in society at 13%. Jyla Hicks is an internal medicine resident, an alumna of historically Black North Carolina Central University (NCCU), and a first-generation college student. She is determined to increase the percentage of Black women pursuing medical degrees in the nation. In 2023, Hicks was hooded by Samantha Kaplan, a Black OB/GYN and advocate for equity in medicine who has led a life dedicated to HBCU students and first-generation college students. To pay it forward, Hicks hooded her best friend Malaika Singeton Towns, a Hampton University alumna, who is currently a psychiatry resident. In 2025, Hicks and Towns hooded their best friend Keyona Pointer, a Spelman College graduate who will also be a doctor.

All three young women earned medical degrees from the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM). This is the same institution where Rebecca Lee Crumpler became the nation’s first African American woman physician in 1864. According to Hicks, “That legacy is not lost on us. We are three Black women. All first-generation. All HBCU alumnae. And over three years, we’ve created our tradition: hooding one another into medicine, lifting as we climb, and building a legacy of support in a field that still makes us the exception, not the norm.”

Hicks journey is one of challenges and successes. I asked her why she pursued a degree in medicine. Hicks, who joined NCCU on a Division I basketball scholarship, was not a science major upon matriculating to the North Carolina-based HBCU. She doubted her abilities in science despite having strong high school grades. However, as Hicks shared, “the supportive environment at my HBCU introduced me to professors and mentors who recognized potential in me that I hadn't seen in myself. Their encouragement inspired me to shift my focus to STEM and pursue medicine. I soon after relinquished my athletic scholarship to concentrate fully on academics.”

During her sophomore year, Hicks was accepted into Boston University’s Early Medical School Selection Program (EMSSP), a nationally recognized initiative focused on increasing diversity in medicine. Through EMSSP, she spent summers and her senior year at BUSM, eventually transitioning into the medical curriculum. The experience culminated in Hicks earning a Master of Medical Sciences and an MD from BUSM. According to Hicks, “I was inspired to pursue medicine after witnessing the gaps in care in my own community. Over time, I realized medicine wasn’t just a career for me, it was a calling to serve, advocate, and create space for people who are often overlooked by the healthcare system.”

One of the significant barriers Hicks faced was “learning how to navigate spaces without a blueprint.” She added, “I didn’t have college graduates or doctors in my family to help guide my way, I had to figure things out as I went. At times, I struggled with impostor syndrome, as I sometimes still do, and the pressure to represent more than just myself.” Imposter syndrome – a persistent feeling of self-doubt and a fear of being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of success – is prevalent among first-generation students and students of color who often carry the weight of their communities’ hopes while navigating Historically White Institutions (HWIs) that were not built with them in mind. Hicks learned to manage by creating a community, seeking out mentors who looked like her and had similar experiences. She leaned on their guidance.

Curious about Hicks and her friends hooding each other, I asked her to tell me how the tradition began. She shared, “I was the first out of our friend group to graduate, and our mentor, Dr. Samantha Kaplan, was an instrumental reason for my being at BUSM. She was the EMSSP program director, saw so much in me, and pushed me when I couldn’t do the same for myself. It only made sense for her not only to hood me when I received my master’s degree from BUSM but also my medical degree.”

The following year, Hicks’ best friend, Towns asked Hicks to hood her. They both hailed “from HBCUs, were roommates, came through the EMSSP program together, were each other’s support system for years, pushing through the same struggles, late nights, and moments of doubt.” Then this year Pointer, their other best friend graduated and asked both Hicks and Towns to be present on stage to hood her. According to Hicks, “She too, an HBCU graduate walked the same path as us both. We all leaned on each other to get through this tough journey. I believe this speaks to the sentiment of community and sisterhood, and this being bigger than just a moment on stage, it symbolized everything we had overcome together as first-generation students, as Black women, as doctors.” The women hope that their actions “inspire others to honor those who walk alongside them, and not just the people who stand in front of them.”

Being a Black woman and supporting Black women in medicine means a great deal to Hicks. She shared, “It means carrying both pride and great responsibility.” She added that she carries the verse “To whom much is given, much will be required” with her. Professionally, she plans to use her voice to advocate for overlooked patients and create spaces for those coming after her. Hicks further explained, “It is a daily reminder that representation matters, not just in the room but also at the decision-making table as this is the placed where policies and practices are implemented that have a great impact on everyone.”

Hicks experiences as a Black woman physician remind her that “every patient comes with their own story, shaped by culture, identity and lived experience.” She aims to “lead with empathy, listen without judgement, and recognize the impact of systemic barriers on health.” She also wants to “cultivate a space where patients feel seen, heard, and respected, especially those who have historically felt invisible, mistreated, and dismissed in healthcare settings.”

In 10 to 20 years, Hicks hopes people will look back and not just see “a group of doctors but a community of servant leaders, individuals who showed up for others, created space for those who felt unseen and show that you don’t have to do it alone.” She believes that her legacy and that of her friends will always be “community-centered because we truly see ourselves as servants to others, whether that’s our patients, mentees, or peers. I hope that ripple effect continues long after we hang our white coats.”