4. Pipelines, Pathways and Persistence: Moving the needle in Medical Education with Dr. Cedric Bright

Dr. Cedric Bright has been described colleagues as a resident-recruitment “secret weapon" because of his passion - and how difficult it is to turn him down. He has been involved in college admissions since his early career, helping recruit students during his residency at Brown University. Join us as Dr. Bright discusses his journey from Brown to Duke University, the Durham VA, and the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, with podcast host Dr. Randall Morgan, President and CEO of the W. Montague Cobb Institute. Dr. Bright highlights the challenges and successes in recruiting and retaining Black medical students and faculty, the importance of cultural humility, and the transformative power of intentionality in medical education. Dr. Morgan and Dr. Bright also reflect on the legacy of W. Montague Cobb, comparing his stature in the 1960s to that of President Barrack Obama today. 

Dr. Cedric Bright, is a general internal medicine physician. He is Senior Associate Dean for Admissions and Professor of Medicine at The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. 

He was previously Associate Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine and Community and Family Medicine at Duke University and a staff physician at the VA Medical Center in Durham. Dr. Bright also served on the North Carolina Medical Society Patient Safety Taskforce; chaired the board of directors at the Lincoln Community Health Center; has spoken about health disparities before the Congressional Black Caucus; was a medical ambassador to Ghana; and has served as a mentor for the Student National Medical Association.

Dr. Bright is a dedicated leader in delivering patient equity through broader access, and is a staunch proponent of healthcare reform. He is a published author, lecturer, and thought leader on current trends and best practices in healthcare, healthcare policy and management, medical education, health equity, and DEI issues.

Randall C. Morgan, Jr., MD, MBA, is the President and CEO of the W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute based in Washington, D.C. In that role he leads a staff of scholars and research specialists who focus upon the elimination of Health Disparities. He is also an active orthopedic surgeon who has practiced in Sarasota and Bradenton, Florida since 2005. He serves as founder and President of University Park Orthopedics in that community. He is also Clinical Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Florida State School of Medicine and is also a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Community Medicine at the University of Connecticut. He is a graduate of Grinnell College with a B.A. in Chemistry. He received the M.D. degree from Howard University. He served as a resident in Orthopedic Surgery at Northwestern University and served a Pediatric Orthopedic Fellowship at Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati. He later received an MBA degree from the University of South Florida.

Dr. Morgan served as the 95th President of the National Medical Association during the years 1996 and 1997. He was the first board-certified orthopedic surgeon to hold that position. Dr. Morgan is a true pioneer in his profession and was among the first surgeons to perform total joint replacement surgery at Northwestern University. Dr. Morgan has practiced General Orthopedic Surgery and Pediatric Orthopedics in Evanston, Illinois, and as well in his hometown of Gary, Indiana, for more than 30 years prior to his relocation to Sarasota. With the assistance of his father, Mr. Randall C. Morgan, Sr., he founded the Orthopedic Centers of Northwest Indiana and served as its president from 1975 to 1999. At one time, this was the largest minority-owned orthopedic practice in the United States. He has written and published extensively throughout his career on Orthopedics, Social Responsibility, Health Equity and the Education Pipeline for Underrepresented young scholars.  He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and the American Board of Managed Care Medicine. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of Alpha Omega Alpha honorary medical society.