Distinguished Newark Doc to Speak at Essex College

Dr. Sampson Davis, one of Newark’s renowned “Three Doctors,” will be signing his newest book and talking about his experiences on Thursday, Feb. 20, at the Newark campus of Essex County College. The program, a part of the College’s Black History Month celebration, will be held from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in the 4th Level Multi-Purpose Room of the Dr. A. Zachary Yamba Building.

The free program is co-sponsored by ECC’s Office of the President and Student Life and Activities Office.

Living and Dying in Brick City: An ER Doctor Returns Home was released in paperback this month by Spiegel & Grau, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It is Dr. Davis’ personal exploration of the healthcare crisis facing inner-city communities. He is a board certified emergency medicine physician at several hospitals in northern New Jersey.

“While working on the front line of healthcare in my community for more than a decade, I have seen remarkable resilience and I have also witnessed far too many tragedies,” said Dr. Sampson. “This is why I am sharing my experiences and offering preventative health tips, which can mean the difference between illness and health. Each of us has to be in charge of our health. It is too important to leave to chance.”

Dr. Davis was a Newark teenager at University High School when he met Rameck Hunt and George Jenkins. The trio made a promise to each other to someday become doctors, a pact that became an American success story reality. The three collaborated on the New York Times bestseller, The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream, which chronicled the agreement that  the friends made to each other back in high school.  Living and Dying in Brick City is his first solo writing effort and a continuation of where The Pact left off.

In 2000, they created The Three Doctors Foundation, a non-profit offering free public programs focusing on health, education, leadership, and mentoring.

A graduate of Seton Hall University, Dr. Davis earned his medical degree from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, where he was born. Now 41, he is the youngest physician to have received the National Medical Association’s highest honor, The Scroll of Merit.

Dr. Davis has appeared on numerous talk and radio shows including Oprah, Dr. Oz, the Today Show, The View and the PBS News Hour. Visit Dr. Davis at drsampsondavis.com, or follow on Twitter @DrSampsonDavis.