Italo Brown, MD, MPH

There is immense power in understanding and owning one’s narrative. Each is unique, and if expressed at the right moment — it can change lives, maybe even save them. ⠀

I take pride in my imperfect narrative. As an underrepresented minority in medicine, I also recognize that we are working against a false narrative – one that would lead you to believe that our lived experiences were insignificant. This could not be farther from the truth.

Because we are all points along a continuum, and I represent the composite investments of community members who didn’t have much, or who encountered numerous failures, or who loved despite never being loved in return, or who relinquished their own livelihoods such that kids like me could flourish…I wear my white coat as a reminder to others that WE are seen.⠀

Their narratives are with me every second of every day, and I make a concerted effort to honor them through my actions. As I enter spaces that many of my community members will never set foot in, I am comforted knowing that their stories are interwoven with my own. So we are all represented — and in sharing words, we are all liberated.

Italo Brown
MD, MPH l Class of 2020
Stanford University School of Medicine