Ben S. Carson

Presidential Candidate

Dr. Carson's modest beginnings are what make his career success amazing and almost unfathomable. Born and raised in inner-city Detroit, Dr. Carson credits his mother Sonya's influence with much of his success. She performed domestic work to keep her family financially afloat. With only a third grade education herself, Sonya Carson prayed diligently for wisdom to help Ben and his older brother Curtis succeed in school. Vigorous studying and a thirst for knowledge enabled young Dr. Carson to graduate from high school with honors and gain admission to Yale University where he pursued a degree in Psychology. He then went onto medical school at the University of Michigan, where his interest shifted from psychiatry to neurosurgery.<br /> <br /> It was then that Dr. Carson realized that his ability to visualize the brain in three dimensions, his excellent hand-eye coordination, and extensive neurological background were qualities fitting for a career as a neurosurgeon. After medical school, Dr. Carson became a neurosurgery resident at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. At age 33, Dr. Carson became the youngest physician to ever head a major division at Johns Hopkins. He served as the director of pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions from 1984 until 2013, and as a professor of neurosurgery, oncology, plastic surgery, and pediatric medicine.<br /> <br /> Dr. Carson has also received multiple honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, as well as 67 honorary doctorate degrees. He is also the author of 8 books and, along with his wife Candy, the founder of the Carson Scholars fund, a charity providing scholarships to more than 7500 scholars. Dr. Carson is currently a candidate for 2016 Republican Presidential nomination.