Trailblazers in Kidney Care: Meet the First Black Woman Transplant Surgeon

Dr. Velma Scantlebury-White dreamed about being a doctor from a young age. Born in 1955, she faced the harsh realities of racism and sexism as a Black woman pursuing her passion. But with her unwavering perseverance, she shattered barriers and made history as the first Black woman transplant surgeon in the United States.

Dr. Scantlebury-White was born in Barbados. In 1970, her family moved to New York City for better education opportunities.

She did well in school but faced discrimination. Instead of letting it hold her back, she used it as motivation to succeed. She wanted to prove that anyone—no matter their race or gender—could make a difference in medicine.

She graduated with honors in biology and pre-med from Long Island University in Brooklyn. Then, she earned her medical degree from Columbia University.

Medical school was tough. Dr. Scantlebury-White was often the only person of color in her classes. Few resources existed for students like her. Many teachers and advisors doubted her dream of becoming a surgeon.

"It was almost as if they expected me to fail," She told TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine. "As the only person of color who wanted to be a surgeon, I was met with comments like ‘you don't have what it takes’."

Luckily, she met Dr. Barbara Barlow, a pediatric surgeon at Harlem Hospital, who became a mentor. 

Dr. Scantlebury-White excelled in the classroom, showing a talent for surgery. Despite her success, Dr. Scantlebury-White was not recommended for a transplant surgery fellowship after graduating. 

The discrimination in this decision could have ended her dreams. However, the team at Harlem Hospital liked working with her. With Dr. Barlow's help, she got a one-year residency there.

After seeing her skills and passion, Harlem Hospital offered her a full general surgery residency.

After finishing residency, Dr. Scantlebury-White completed a transplant surgery and clinical fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt).

In 1989, she made history as the US's first Black female transplant surgeon. 

That same year, National Kidney Foundation (NKF) honored her with the Gift of Life Award.

However, Dr. Scantlebury-White was repeatedly overlooked for promotions at Pitt. Looking for better opportunities, she accepted a position at the University of South Alabama. Here, she became the Director of the Kidney Transplant Program and Assistant Dean of Community Education.

In the South, Dr. Scantlebury-White faced even more racism. But she stayed focused on her goal—to help people.

When that program ended, Dr. Scantlebury-White became Director of the Kidney Transplant Program at Christiana Care Health System. Later, she became a professor at TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine and co-founded the Delaware Health Equity Coalition Inc.

Dr. Scantlebury-White has also dedicated herself to educating Black communities about kidney disease and organ donation. She has served as vice-chairperson of the African-American Outreach Committee at NKF of Western Pennsylvania and advocates for health equity as a member of NKF’s Health Equity Advisory Committee. 

This work is incredibly important since Black Americans represent 35% of people on dialysis, despite being only 13% of the U.S. population. 

"I would like to see more pre-emptive work in terms of prevention, and also early diagnosis with people of color," Dr. Scantlebury-White told UNOS. "There's a lot of work to do in terms of education about renal (kidney) failure. Education becomes important for people to see that dialysis is not the only option if you have kidney disease."

Today, Dr. Scantlebury-White continues to inspire the next generation, mentoring young doctors of color and advocating for healthcare equity. 

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Before retiring from surgery, Dr. Scantlebury-White performed over 2,000 kidney transplants. But her legacy is not just in the thousands of lives she helped save. It is also the barriers Dr. Scantlebury-White broke and the future she continues to shape. She is a testament to the power of perseverance and representation in medicine.

Inspired by Dr. Scantlebury-White? You can make a difference too! See all the ways you can get involved with NKF.