4
The News Argus
Feb. 25, 2008
Health
Reality Check
Black surgeon s can-do message envisions
kids 'futures beyond sports and music
Cassandra Spratling
MCT WIRE SERVICE
DETROIT
If Dr. Roderick Claybrooks
had his way, academic
superstars would be as pop
ular as "American Idol" and
as publicized as the Super
Bowl.
It pains him that many
youths — especially
African-American boys and
girls — see entertainment or
athletics as their only ticket
to success.
"You have a much better
chance of becoming a sur
geon than of becoming the
next Kobe Bryant,"
Claybrooks, a spine sur
geon, tells them.
To which he often gets a
puzzled look. But
Claybrooks, 36, doesn't back
down. He backs it up with
numbers. He says there are
about 400 men playing in
the NBA, but hundreds of
thousands of doctors. There
are 921,904 physicians,
including 161,370 surgeons,
in the United States, accord
ing to the American Medical
Association.
"An education, a good
education, is the surest
ticket out of the ghetto,"
Claybrooks says emphati
cally.
He knows because,
although he didn't grow up
poor, education opened
doors to opportunities he
would have had no other
way.
He's so convinced of it
that he wrote "The Black
Student's Guide to Success"
and published it himself late
last year.
Claybrooks says he was
driven to write the book
because it bothered him that
so many kids he talked to
had limited aspirations and
many people he treated had
promise but were doing
nothing to develop their
potential.
National radio personality
Steve Harvey was so
Impressed with Claybrooks
and his message — he inter
viewed him on his nation
ally syndicated show — that
he invited him to be among
a group of people from a
variety of professions to
speak to 100 students at the
Disney Dreamers Academy
in Florida recently.
Six Michigan teens were
among the students chosen
for the all-expense-paid
weekend of information,
encouragement and enter
tainment at DisneyWorld.
And while Claybrooks
was honored to be invited to
speak, what he appreciated
most was the opportunity to
take his can-do message to
students from across the
nation. Claybrooks was
especially pleased that the
event introduced the stu
dents to many technical, sci
entific and behind-the-
scenes job options.
"You could see the light
bulbs going off as they
learned about job opportu
nities they didn't even know
existed," Claybrooks says.
And that's one of
Claybrooks' goals: to
encourage black children to
vigorously pursue educa
tion so they have options.
"I'm not opposed to kids
wanting to play ball," he
says. "I used to want to do
that myself. But for many
kids it's the NBA or bust.
When playing ball doesn't
pan, they have no other
options."
The Disney honor was the
latest in a string of recogni
tions for Claybrooks, a part
ner in the Southfield-based
Michigan Spine and Brain
Surgeons practice. He's one
of an estimated 1 percent of
African- American doctors
in the United States who
specialize in complex spine
surgery and last year, he
was named one of metro
Detroit's Top Docs by Hour
magazine. He also was
named one of the top ortho
pedic surgeons in the coun
try by the Washington, D.C.-
based Consumer's Research
Council of America. He's
also been recognized by the
nationally syndicated "Tom
Joyner Morning Show."
But you won't leam about
those accolades from
Claybrooks. He's a quiet
man who keeps a lot about
his life private. In fact, his
mother says she learned
about the Hour magazine
honor when his wife,
DaLisha, brought her a copy
of the magazine.
"I appreciate the fact that
he's so humble," says
Gladys Claybrooks, who,
with her husband, Odessa,
both retired postal clerks,
raised four sons on Detroit's
northwest side. She says
her son was always self
motivated.
"He never liked to lose at
anything," she says. "And I
never had any discipline
problems out of him. I could
send Roderick out in white
pants and he'd come back in
white pants."
His oldest brother, the
Rev. Devay Myatt Sr., pas
tors Christ Temple Baptist
Church in Detroit, where
Claybrooks is an active
member.
"If you didn't know who
he was, you wouldn't know
he was a doctor," Myatt, 45,
says. "He's still somewhat
quiet; not flamboyant or
boastful.
"As a kid growing up, we
called him the great genius.
He was always tinkering
with things, video games,
computers. He had a knack
for breaking codes."
At church, he often talks
to young people about the
importance of staying in
school. Lakechia McCreary,
23, of Southfield, Mich., says
he encouraged her to con
tinue her education after she
earned her bachelor's degree
in applied health science
from Bowling Green State
University in Ohio in May.
She's taking classes at
Wayne State University to
prepare for medical school.
"After I graduated, I
wanted to take time off to
make some money before
going on to medical school,"
she says. "But he discour
aged me from doing that.
He said a lot of people take
time off and never go back."
McCreary says she appre
ciates that Claybrooks is
always available if she has
questions or concerns.
"He's like a mentor to
me," she says. "He makes
himself available even
though he has a busy sched
ule."
Although he now touts
the gospel of getting a good
education, his own route to
college wasn't the well-
planned path he now rec
ommends. He didn't decide
to go at all until a counselor
at Benedictine High School,
a since-closed Catholic
school in northwest Detroit,
encouraged him to apply
well into his senior year.
"My counselor was
shocked that I hadn't
applied anywhere," he says.
"She said she felt I was
bright enough and chal
lenged me to try."
Photo courtesy of MCT Wire Service
Dr. Roderick Claybrooks, a surgeon, encourages young people to seek academic
excellence. He has written a book called “The Black Student’s Guide to Success.
Claybrooks says he knew
he wanted to do something
other than hanging out in
the city as he saw many
people do after high school.
But he simply hadn't filled
out college applications.
He applied to Michigan
State University because
Benedictine graduates who
went there and came back to
visit talked about how much
they liked it.
The death of his beloved
grandmother, Mary Myatt,
after his first year of college
was a pivotal moment in his
life. It was the first time
anyone close to him had
died. It suddenly sunk in
that one day he'd have to
take care of himself. He
decided to become a doctor
because it was a career that
assured he'd be able to do
that. And he'd always done
well in math and science.
Subjects he enjoyed most
dealt with the human body.
"I never wanted to come
back home a failure, because
unfortunately I saw a lot of
people who started and did
n't finish college," he says.
He decided to become a
surgeon because he likes
that surgeons have a direct
impact on outcomes. He
was drawn to spinal surgery
because he has always been
fascinated with the nervous
system.
"It's just interesting to me
that with a thought I can tell
my foot to go up and down;
a thought will signal my
mind to cause my hand to
turn a knob," he says.
Although Michigan State
ended up providing an
excellent education, he'd
never tell students to select
a college because other stu
dents like it. He advises stu
dents to determine what
they want to do and apply
to the best schools that offer
that program. But MSU
worked out well for him in
a couple of ways. Not only
did he earn his degree in
medical technology, during
his second year there he met
the woman who became his
wife six years later. "What I
really love about him is his
giving spirit," says Da Lisha
Claybrooks, a homemaker.
"He's always willing to help
and offer his knowledge
and expertise."
Two factors influenced his
decision to write the
book.As a young African-
American orthopedic sur
geon — too rare a combina
tion, he says; he got more
requests to speak to stu
dents than he could fulfill.
Also, especially in his early
years as a surgeon, he fre
quently worked in hospital
emergency rooms. "I've met
some very gifted, bright
young people in emergency
rooms," he says. "We are
losing a lot of talent. You
never know, the person who
may have the cure for AIDS
may be out there some
where wasting time."
His book took five years
to write. It forcefully but
simply urges students to
focus on achieving academic
success.
"I try to get kids to under
stand that the only thing
stopping them is them," he
says. "If you have the will,
there will be a way."
He dismisses suggestions
that he did well in college
because he was somehow
smarter than other children.
"It's a belief system. Some of
our young people don't
excel because they don't
believe they can excel. They
believe they can be NBA
stars because that's what
they see so that's what they
do. They practice outside
when it's 90 degrees outside.
When it's too cold to play
outdoors, they play inside.
And now, some of them
even play basketball on a
PlayStation.
"Transfer those same
habits to studying. Study
when it's cold, when it's hot,
when it's raining," he says.
"Participate and practice no
matter what the season. If
you have the same approach
to academics that you have
to athletics, you can suc
ceed."
His passion for wanting to
reach out, yet remain hum
ble, comes from his faith.
"My faith keeps me
grounded," he says. "It
would be easy to simply
want to attain comfort for
yourself and your family.
But I don't think God would
be satisfied if our cupboards
are full, yet others are hun
gry"
Most chapters of his book
begin with a Biblical verse.
The first chapter begins
with Hosea 4:6,
"My people are destroyed
for the lack of knowledge."
Graduates in hot pursuit of health insurance
- . 1 . . rrd f/-A a
Senae Hall
Black College Wire
A recent graduate has been diag
nosed with a serious eye injury and
needs surgery. She no longer has col
lege insurance since graduation and
cannot pay for it out of pocket.
Therefore, she cannot have the sur-
g‘^'-y.
She is not alone, as a number of
recent graduates find it hard obtaining
insLirance after being taken care of
from their parents/guardians or col
lege while in school.
"Finding insurance after leaving
Dillard is not easy. You are no longer
on your parents' insurance and you
can't use Dillard's (insurance) any
more," says Chantell Garrett, a 2007
graduate of Dillard University.
Upon enrolling, Dillard University
students are provided insurance under
Koster Insurance Agency. The price
given to the school adjusts often. This
year the amount was $460. If students
don't want to use this coverage, they
must show proof of another type of
insurance. Therefore, every shident at
Dillard University is covered with
some sort of insurance whether it is
through the school or a different plan.
"Most students who decide to use
their personal insurance are covered
here in New Orleans. However, some
out of state insurances are delayed
when responding to a medical request,
causing students to have to wait on
medicine or surgeries," said Nurse
Adrienne Gill, Dillard University's on
campus nurse.
Students who plan to continue edu
cation through graduate school and
are on their parents' insurance are
likely to have a longer time frame
before they have to go through the
process of getting insurance on their
own. However, students who are con
sidering going from college directly in
the work force have less time to search
for the right coverage.
According to Thomas Anderson of
Kiplinger's magazine, "Many insur
ance companies drop dependents
from their parents' policies once they
prove to have their own income.
Others limit a child's coverage to a
specific age, usually 22-25.
Some insurance companies offer a
student health-insurance policy. A stu
dent policy is an affordable way to fill
the gap between the times the student
graduates and the time they qualify
for insurance with their job. Flowever,
student health plans are only available
to full-time students under the age of
30. Assurant Health is the largest
provider of student health plans. Any
student interested in applying to
Assurant Health Insurance must apply
31 days before their college graduation
date. Like other insurance agencies,
there are stipulations and qualifying
conditions.
"I started researching for insurance
the semester before graduation. It was
extremely hard to find a plan that
worked for me," said Alicia Davis,
2006 graduate of Dillard University.
Students who have insurance
through Dillard have a three-month
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