On May 19, Amanda Calhoun received her medical degree from Saint Louis University School of Medicine and officially became the third Dr. Calhoun.
Her grandfather, Dr. Emory Martin Calhoun Sr., attended Meharry Medical and Dental School and was one of the first African-American dentists in Macon, Georgia.
“At that time, the medical licensing board of Georgia was purposefully failing African-Americans in their medical and dental licensing exams,” Dr. Amanda Calhoun said.
“You had to register in person for the exam, so my grandfather had his white friend register him. When my grandfather passed his licensing exam with flying colors and walked onstage to collect his license, jaws dropped because he had outwitted the racist administration.”
Her father, Dr. Joshua Calhoun, is a child and adolescent psychiatrist trained at Yale and Harvard universities. He is the medical director of Hawthorn Children’s Psychiatric Hospital, 1901 Pennsylvania Ave. in St. Louis the only state psychiatric hospital for children and adolescents in Missouri.
“My dad takes care of children with complex psychiatric issues who have been in and out of other hospitals, sometimes dozens of times,” Amanda said. “He is amazing.”
The newest Dr. Calhoun is now following in her father’s footsteps to Yale University to specialize in child and adolescent psychiatry.
“I plan to continue my global psychiatric research as well as anti-racism social activist research for the African-American community,” Dr. Amanda Calhoun said.
“I hope to be half the psychiatrist that my dad is and as witty as him and my grandpa. I am so proud to join the ranks!”
