Shadrack Osei Frimpong’s journey to Yale medical school serves as an inspiration to those who may face rejection and setbacks. Despite being rejected by all 15 medical schools he applied to five years ago, he didn’t give up. Instead, he reworked his application, fixed his weaknesses, and continued to pursue his dream. Along the way, he earned two master’s degrees from top universities, won the prestigious Gates-Cambridge scholarship to pursue a PhD, published over a dozen manuscripts, and founded a successful tech startup.
Announcing the good news in a Facebook post, Shadrack wrote;
“Today, the charcoal seller’s son got accepted into YALE MEDICAL SCHOOL. I AM GOING TO BE A DOCTOR!! And I will be the first doctor in my family’s generational line!
It’s been humbling interviewing at some of the very top medical schools in the world this past cycle.
But getting here wasn’t this easy.
Five years ago, I applied to 15 medical schools and was rejected by everyone. (The reasons are a story for another day).
I lost friends, and some people I thought were “close folks” then.
Some folks even said, “maybe it’s not the will of the Lord for you.”
But I didn’t give up.
I believed in God’s word, and called up schools to see what I could’ve done better. I then reworked my application and fixed every weakness possible.
Next, I put my plans on hold to gain some clarity. Then I decided to study some more to fine-tune the tasks God had placed in my hand then (public health and social impact). So, I proceeded to; -Get 2 masters from Penn and Yale, graduating with top prizes.
-Win the prestigious Gates-Cambridge to do a PhD at Cambridge.
-Publish 12+ manuscripts in 2 years.
-Be awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from a top 25 U.K university.
And along the way, I founded a tech startup (in stealth) that recently completed a multi-million dollar valuation fundraising! And assumed the Chief Science Officer role.
I may not know what you are going through, but I hope my story inspires you to trust God and be patient.
Grateful to everyone who helped me to get here. God bless you!
Sincerely,
The Charcoal Seller’s Son who will soon be in a white coat.”
In June 2018, Shadrack also received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from a top 25 UK university and was awarded the Queen’s Young Leader Award by Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Shadrack’s story shows that with perseverance and hard work, one can overcome obstacles and achieve their goals.
