In Bootless II, Dr. Russell Ledet Shares his Story

Dr. Russell Ledet is a 2021 Tillman Scholar. At 18, Ledet enlisted in the U.S. Navy and after five years of active duty service, Ledet transitioned to the Navy reserves, based in Pensacola, Florida, while also attending Southern University. He also worked as a security guard at Baton Rouge General Hospital. He went on to complete degrees in chemistry and biology, then earned his Ph.D. in molecular oncology and tumor immunology from the NYU School of Medicine. His scientific work focused on protein modifications in prostate cancer progression. His thesis work was most recently published in Nature Communications. After NYU, he began his medical training journey with a joint M.D. / M.B.A. program at Tulane’s School of Medicine and Freeman School of Business.

Ledet has been awarded multiple Navy achievement medals for his leadership, cofounded The 15 White Coats, a world-renowned organization that helps to propel underrepresented minority students into medicine, and secured a spot training for a triple board residency, the only Black man to do so in 2022. He returned to Baton Rouge General Hospital in 2020 for his pediatrics rotation, a story that was covered by People, the Washington Post, The Steve Harvey Show, Good Morning America, and others.

Pretty impressive, right? What is even more inspiring than Ledet’s impressive list of accolades, is how he got there.

Russell shared on his YouTube channel the trials and tribulations he had overcome to be where he is today with hopes that it inspires the next generation of physicians. Bootless II is his original story, from the prospective of a Black man, produced by himself. Watch it here: