Prison Professors

Abstract

In this MasterClass, students will learn how Dr. Ronald—a physician who graduated from Cornell Medical School and served underserved communities—built a life of discipline, self-directed learning, and service. From growing up in New York City to facing a life-altering medical crisis, Dr. Ronald’s journey models what it means to define success, pursue excellence, and adapt through adversity. His story offers practical lessons on education, resilience, and legacy—and how anyone, regardless of circumstance, can begin sowing the seeds for a better future, starting today.

Detailed Narrative: A Master of Medicine, a Student of Life

Dr. Ronald didn’t begin life wearing a white coat or answering to “Doctor.” He began like so many of us do—observing the world around him, trying to make sense of his place in it. Born in New York City, the son of a physician and a schoolteacher, Ron’s life was rooted in expectations—but also in love, structure, and the unspoken legacy of sacrifice.

His father had risen from rural Georgia, the youngest of several children born to a farming family. Back then, opportunity for a Black man in the South was as scarce as rain in a drought. Yet somehow—perhaps through the quiet force of his mother, Ron’s grandmother—Ron’s father had broken from the expected script of field work and subsistence living. He became a doctor. One of his brothers became a professor. Another became a minister and rose to prominence in the Black Baptist Church. Education became their family’s inheritance—not passed down in money, but in mindset.

Ron didn’t need to be told education was important. He lived it. His mother, a graduate of Winston-Salem Teachers College, had finished first in her class. She made sure Ron could read by age three or four. By the time he entered first grade, books were already his closest friends.

But his journey wasn’t one of unbroken privilege or ease. His family lived in a part of the city where gangs, drugs, and violence began to encroach on their sense of safety. His parents, aware of the dangers, made a courageous decision. They sent Ron to a Quaker boarding school—an environment radically different from the noise and risk of his neighborhood. There, in the quietude of Quaker meetings—where no formal sermons were given, and anyone could rise to speak from the heart—Ron learned something essential: everyone has a voice, and often, wisdom comes not from control, but from calm.

This exposure to silence, to listening, to genuine reflection, became part of his operating system. It shaped how he would later approach medicine—not as a technician, but as a diagnostician, someone who listens deeply, observes patterns, and then acts with precision.

Still, success wasn’t guaranteed. Even with a strong foundation, Ron was drawn, like many young men, to the social life of college. At Hobart College in upstate New York, he joined a fraternity, experimented with his freedom, and drifted academically during his first two years. His grades slipped. But unlike so many who get lost in that drift, Ron snapped back. He realized the cost of casualness. “If I stay on this path,” he told himself, “I won’t reach my goal.”

So he made a radical shift. Each night, he locked himself in the physics lab—alone—for four to five hours of focused study. He did this five nights a week, every week. It was an internal internship in self-mastery.

The results spoke for themselves. By his senior year, Ron had earned grades strong enough to earn early acceptance into Cornell University Medical College—an Ivy League institution with one of the most competitive admissions standards in the world. While other students waited anxiously until April or May for acceptance letters, Ron had his spot locked in by October.

At Cornell, he immersed himself in the full range of medicine—from delivering babies to treating strokes. He chose electives that exposed him to real-world challenges: rotations at Watts Health Center in Los Angeles, a military hospital in Denver, and a pulmonary unit in San Francisco. He didn’t just want to know medicine—he wanted to understand people.

After graduation, Ron began his internship at Harlem Hospital, affiliated with Columbia University. There, he rotated through every floor—ICU, ER, step-down units—often being the first to respond to patients arriving with complex and urgent needs. He was on call every third night, working without sleep, making split-second decisions. It was, in his words, the period where he truly “learned to be a doctor.”

But it wasn’t enough to complete just one year. Ron wanted to go deeper. He moved across the country to begin a two-year residency at UCLA, where he specialized in internal medicine. Internists, he explained, are the ones who figure out what’s going wrong inside the body—from the neck to the waist—and design the treatment plan. They are the detectives of the body’s mysteries, the ones who interpret signals and solve puzzles before passing the baton to a surgeon or specialist. That’s the kind of thinker Ron wanted to be.

After finishing his residency, Ron co-founded one of the largest Black internal medicine practices in the country, serving communities that were often underserved, overlooked, and overburdened. For 14 years, he worked 60 to 80 hours per week, splitting his time between private practice and emergency rooms, determined to provide care where it was needed most.

Then, in 1992, while attending a medical convention in San Francisco—a conference he joined to continue his education—he suffered a near-fatal heart attack. He nearly died.

Doctors told him the truth he didn’t want to hear: If you go back to that life, it will kill you.

For many, such a moment might have meant the end. But not for Ron.

Though his time as a practicing physician was over, his life of learning was not. Deprived of his medical career, he pivoted to a new field: finance. The stock market had always been a mystery to him. He had made money as a doctor but had never had the time to understand how money worked. So, he started over—again. He read books, newspapers, took courses, learned about risk, asset allocation, and the unpredictable psychology of markets.

He compared it to gambling—if you don’t know the rules, you’ll lose. But if you learn the language and study the patterns, you gain clarity. And control.

Today, Ron uses the same diagnostic mindset—curious, humble, persistent—to navigate his financial life that he once used in medicine. He serves in leadership roles in medical organizations, volunteers his time, and, as he did in this interview, gives back through mentorship.

His story is not about becoming a doctor. It’s about becoming a student for life.

It’s about adapting when life turns on you, about learning new systems when old ones fall apart, and about honoring the invisible people—your grandmother, your mother, your mentor—whose quiet sacrifices lit the torch you carry.

In his own words:

“You can’t control what happens on the outside. But you can prepare. You can always have a backup plan.”

Dr. Ronald never abandoned learning. He reinvented it.

And now, his story becomes part of yours.

Vocabulary Development

The following vocabulary words were selected to reinforce comprehension, build communication skills, and expand professional fluency. Each word appeared in bold in the narrative above. Students are encouraged to learn these words, write them in sentences, and use them in journaling or profile-building on the Prison Professors platform.

Legacy – Something handed down from the past, such as traditions, values, or achievements.
Dr. Ronald inherited a legacy of learning and public service from his parents and uncles, even if it wasn’t passed down in wealth.
Privilege – A special right or advantage available only to certain people or groups.
Though Ron had strong family influences, his success wasn’t due to privilege—it was earned through discipline.
Immersed – Deeply involved or absorbed in something.
Ron immersed himself in rotations during medical school to better understand medicine in underserved communities.
Pedigree – A record of accomplishments or lineage, often used to signal quality or status.
A degree from Cornell gave Ron a powerful academic pedigree, but it was his service that made his work meaningful.
Rotation – A temporary assignment in a specific department, often used in medical or corporate training contexts.
During his fourth year of medical school, Ron took elective rotations in San Francisco, Denver, and Los Angeles.
Underserved – Not receiving sufficient resources or attention, especially in healthcare, education, or public services.
Ron dedicated his career to serving medically underserved communities, where care was needed most.
Diagnostician – A person skilled in identifying problems or diseases through careful observation and analysis.
As an internist, Ron acted as a diagnostician—analyzing symptoms and determining the best course of treatment.
Asset Allocation – An investment strategy that distributes resources across various categories to reduce risk.
Ron’s later studies in finance taught him how proper asset allocation helps protect against financial loss.
Psychology – The study of the mind and behavior; in finance, it refers to the emotional factors that influence market decisions.
Ron noted that the stock market often moves based on psychology, not logic—similar to how fear or stress affect health.
Reinvented – To change something so completely that it appears entirely new.
After his heart attack, Ron reinvented his life—shifting from medicine to finance while continuing his lifelong pursuit of knowledge.

Self-Directed Reflection Questions

How do you define success for yourself right now, and how has your definition changed since your incarceration?
Consider how Dr. Ronald defined success early in life, and how his definition evolved after his medical career ended.
What sacrifices are you willing to make today in order to open opportunities for yourself five years from now?
Reflect on Ron’s decision to isolate himself in a physics lab each night to study after drifting in college.
Who in your life—past or present—has influenced you the most when it comes to your values, mindset, or ambition?
Ron didn’t even realize how much his grandmother had influenced his path until he looked back.
If you had complete freedom today, what kind of contribution would you want to make to your community?
Ron chose to serve underserved populations when he could have gone a more lucrative route. What motivates your choices?
What “backup plans” or contingency strategies are you developing in case your current goals don’t unfold exactly as expected?
Ron believed strongly in the value of backup plans—even after building an elite career, he prepared to pivot.
What lessons have you learned from hardship or unexpected change, and how have those moments helped you grow?
Ron’s near-fatal heart attack ended his medical practice but launched him into a new season of learning and leadership.
How can you create an environment, even in confinement, that helps you focus—like Ron did in the physics lab or at Quaker meeting?
Think about your space, routines, and mindset. What can you control?
What does it mean to you to become a “diagnostician” of your own life—identifying root causes of your problems and choosing specific remedies?
This is a metaphor for self-reflection. How deeply do you look at your own thinking, behavior, and progress?
In what ways are you documenting your personal growth, and how could that documentation help you build credibility with others?
Ron’s education and discipline were part of a documented path. What are you building that will show your transformation?
If someone were to tell your life story 20 years from now, what would you hope they would say about your response to adversity?
You get to shape that narrative today. How are you preparing for the legacy you want to leave?

Book Recommendations for Self-Directed Learning and Profile Development

Each of the books below can become a tool for self-advocacy. Dr. Ron recommended reading as a way toward personal development. We encourage you to write thoughtful book reports and upload them to your Prison Professors profile. Show the world that you are a student of life, ready to lead, contribute, and grow.

📘 1. The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner

Summary:
This memoir follows Chris Gardner’s journey from homelessness to Wall Street success. Facing joblessness, raising a child alone, and sleeping in train station bathrooms, Gardner never stopped chasing opportunity. His perseverance ultimately lands him a position at a prestigious brokerage firm, proving that hardship doesn't define your future—your mindset does.

Connection to Dr. Ronald’s Story:
Like Gardner, Dr. Ronald rebuilt after a life-altering setback. When his medical career ended due to health, he started over by learning finance. Both men demonstrate that resilience, reinvention, and grit can carry someone through devastation toward new purpose.

Self-Directed Use:
Students can write about how Gardner’s refusal to quit mirrors their own need to endure through prison. A report could explore the idea of persistence as currency, and how one can still "invest" in the future while facing extreme adversity. Highlight connections to Straight-A Guide values: Action, Accountability, Aspiration.

📘 2. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck

Summary:
Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck introduces the concept of "fixed" versus "growth" mindsets. People with a growth mindset believe they can improve through effort, learning, and persistence—even when they fail. This mindset leads to resilience and higher achievement over time.

Connection to Dr. Ronald’s Story:
Dr. Ronald’s pivot from medicine to finance, and his lifelong habit of self-education, demonstrates a classic growth mindset. Rather than viewing his heart attack as the end, he reframed it as a chance to learn something new.

Self-Directed Use:
Students could write a book report reflecting on which mindset they’ve used in the past—and how they’re shifting toward a growth mindset now. This report can include examples of when they’ve adapted to change and how they’re applying Dweck’s principles to prepare for reentry and success.

📘 3. A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton G. Malkiel

Summary:
This foundational book on investing introduces readers to the principles of financial markets, risk, diversification, and long-term wealth building. It demystifies stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other tools—even for readers with no background in finance.

Connection to Dr. Ronald’s Story:
After his medical career ended, Dr. Ronald taught himself about financial markets. This book captures the same themes of financial literacy, self-teaching, and disciplined thinking that guided his second chapter in life.

Self-Directed Use:
Students can read this book to understand basic investing and write a report on how they plan to develop a financial foundation for life after prison. They could document how understanding markets relates to developing patience, long-term thinking, and economic independence.

📘 4. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

Summary:
Covey’s timeless framework focuses on building character through proactive behavior, goal setting, prioritization, and continual renewal. The habits include being proactive, beginning with the end in mind, and seeking first to understand before being understood.

Connection to Dr. Ronald’s Story:
Dr. Ronald embodied many of Covey’s habits: he was proactive in redirecting his life during college, “began with the end in mind” by defining success early, and built credibility through discipline and service.

Self-Directed Use:

This book is ideal for a journal-based book report. Students can reflect on which habits they’ve already used and which they need to develop. They can explain how mastering these habits supports their profile on Prison Professors and strengthens their credibility as candidates for greater liberty and opportunity.

Straight-A Guide Recap — Lessons from Dr. Ronald’s Life

The Straight-A Guide is our framework for success. Consider it as a system for rebuilding, reflecting, and reemerging—especially for those of us navigating adversity. Dr. Ronald’s life is a masterclass in how to live these principles with consistency and courage.

1. Values (Define Success)
Dr. Ronald defined success early on—not as wealth or fame, but as independence, contribution, and service to others. He didn’t follow medicine for money. He followed it because it aligned with his values of healing, learning, and legacy.

Reflection: What do you value enough to dedicate your life to?

2. Goals
Whether studying alone in a lab or applying to Cornell, Ron always set clear goals. Even when drifting in college, he recalibrated and took disciplined action to pursue medical school.

Reflection: Are your goals specific, measurable, and connected to your values?

3. Attitude
Dr. Ronald demonstrated a growth-focused attitude in every phase of life. When his career collapsed due to a heart attack, he didn’t sulk—he studied. He built a second life through finance and leadership.

Reflection: Is your attitude helping you rise or making excuses?

4. Aspiration
Ron didn’t just want a job—he wanted mastery. He aspired to become a physician because he wanted to serve and solve problems. Even after medicine, he aspired to understand finance with the same rigor.

Reflection: What is your aspiration beyond survival? What legacy will you leave?

5. Action
Ron acted on his dreams every step of the way. He didn’t talk about success—he worked toward it, night after night in the lab, day after day in underserved clinics.

Reflection: What consistent actions are you taking today that prove you are committed?

6. Accountability
From grades to rotations to investments, Ron tracked his own progress and performance. He didn’t need praise. He held himself accountable by choosing learning over comfort.

Reflection: What systems or journals do you use to measure your growth?

7. Awareness
Ron noticed what many miss. He observed that his college lifestyle wasn’t serving his long-term goals—and adjusted. Later, he recognized that the medical field could no longer sustain him physically, so he shifted to finance.

Reflection: Are you paying attention to signs in your life that it’s time to adapt?

8. Authenticity
Dr. Ronald never faked who he was. He served where others wouldn't. He studied what others ignored. He didn’t need applause—his authentic commitment to purpose spoke louder than words.

Reflection: Does your daily conduct reflect who you truly are and what you believe?

9. Achievement
Though soft-spoken, Ron’s achievements speak volumes: Cornell graduate, intern at Harlem Hospital, co-founder of a major Black medical practice, student of finance, and leader in medical organizations.

Reflection: What achievements—large or small—have you built during your incarceration that you can document and share?

10. Appreciation
Ron is a man of gratitude. He appreciates his parents’ influence, the Quaker school’s quiet wisdom, the patients he served, and the opportunity to keep learning after medicine.

Reflection: Are you practicing appreciation daily—toward your past, your teachers, your struggle, and your opportunity?

This guide is your blueprint for transformation. Dr. Ronald followed it—not because someone handed it to him, but because he lived its principles instinctively.

If you build your own profile at Prison Professors, you can begin documenting how you're living the Straight-A Guide in your own life. Each journal entry, book report, or lesson response becomes proof of your effort and authenticity.

Sample Response

Below is a sample, showing how I would have responded to a typical “reflection prompt” if I were still in prison. Notice that answers are neither right nor wrong. They are an exercise in self-directed learning, helping us develop better critical thinking and writing skills. How would you respond?

Reflection Prompt Chosen:
“What sacrifices are you willing to make today in order to open opportunities for yourself five years from now?”

When I first came into the system, I didn’t think in five-year timelines. I thought in survival terms—day to day, hour to hour. That’s the mindset that prison breeds if you’re not careful. But once I got through the shock of being sentenced and locked away, I realized something unsettling: no one was coming to save me. If I wanted to create a different outcome for my life, I would have to do the work.

That realization didn’t come easy. It came to me in solitary confinement, staring at blank walls and a future filled with uncertainty. But solitude has a way of stripping away lies. I had to ask myself: who did I want to become? And what would I need to sacrifice to get there?

Reading Dr. Ronald’s story reminded me that every worthwhile future requires present-moment sacrifice. When he found himself drifting during college—caught up in fraternity life and distractions—he didn’t make excuses. He locked himself in the physics lab every night and studied until he reversed the direction of his life. He didn’t just want to be a doctor. He was willing to act like one long before he wore the white coat.

That’s what I’ve tried to do here in prison. I can’t wait until the day of my release to begin behaving like a law-abiding, contributing citizen. I must do that now—in how I structure my day, how I speak, how I study, how I respond to setbacks, and how I relate to the world.

So what am I sacrificing today?

I’m sacrificing comfort. It would be easier to sit in the dayroom and watch TV, to complain about the system, to surround myself with guys who want to talk about the past. But that doesn’t lead me forward.

I’m sacrificing sleep. I wake up early to read. Sometimes I stay up late to write, journal, or respond to the courses I’m working through with Prison Professors. It’s not required. No one is grading me. But the version of me I want to become—he doesn’t wait for assignments. He assigns himself.

I’m sacrificing the need to be understood. Not everyone here supports this path. Some think I’m wasting my time. Some think I’m trying to impress the administration. Others just don’t get it. That’s okay. Growth can be lonely. But I’ve learned to be okay with that because my vision of success matters more than their opinion.

I’m also sacrificing fear. That might sound strange, but it’s real. I used to be afraid of writing, of sharing my thoughts. I didn’t think I was smart enough. I didn’t think my story mattered. But I’ve realized that fear is just another prison. If I want opportunities five years from now, I have to defeat the internal barriers today.

Five years from now, I want to be free—not just physically, but mentally and financially. I want to walk into any room and speak confidently about the value I bring. I want to work in a space where I contribute to others, possibly mentoring justice-impacted people, or helping them build pathways to rebuild their lives like I’ve done mine.

That future won’t come by chance. It will come because of the daily sacrifices I make now—the choices to read instead of gossip, to write instead of waste time, to listen instead of argue, to grow instead of stagnate.

Reading about Dr. Ronald’s pivot after his heart attack really struck me. Imagine going through 23 years of training—grade school, college, medical school, internship, residency—plus 14 years of building a medical practice, only to have it end overnight. But he didn’t sit in regret. He pivoted. He learned finance. He built another path.

That’s the kind of resilience I admire. That’s the kind of mindset I want to embody. It’s the same mindset I’m using now to prepare for my second chapter.

Everything I do—from responding to these lessons, to reading books, to documenting my journey in my Prison Professors profile—is part of the long-term investment I’m making in my future. I want decision-makers to see the real me, not just a case file or a docket sheet. I want them to see a man who owns his past, but is doing the hard work—every single day—to build a better future.

And that takes sacrifice. But I’m willing.

Because I’m not just doing time. I’m building a life.

Challenge: Build Your Profile on Prison Professors

You cannot change your past. None of us can. But you can influence the way others see your future. That begins with the choices you make today—and with the profile you build at PrisonProfessors.org.

Your profile isn’t just a digital form. It’s your platform for personal advocacy. It’s your chance to tell the story of who you are becoming, not just who you were. And it’s one of the most powerful ways you can separate yourself from your past and start shaping your legacy.

Just like Dr. Ronald didn’t let his heart attack define the end of his purpose, you don’t have to let your conviction define the limits of your potential. You get to write your next chapter. You get to document your growth, your effort, and your commitment—starting now.

Your profile allows you to:

Write a biography that tells your story in your own words.
Submit journal entries that show your mindset, discipline, and daily progress.
Upload book reports to prove you are investing in your education.
Create a release plan that demonstrates your readiness and vision for reentry.

Each of these components becomes evidence. Evidence that you are not wasting time. Evidence that you are building skills. Evidence that you are worthy of trust, opportunity, and—when appropriate—higher levels of liberty.

And you’re not just building a profile for yourself. You are contributing to a larger movement. Prison Professors uses these profiles to advocate for systemic change—working to show stakeholders, policymakers, and community leaders that people in prison can earn freedom through merit, discipline, and self-directed growth.

When you start your profile, you’re not waiting for change. You’re becoming part of it.

So here’s your challenge:

👉 Visit PrisonProfessors.org
👉 Ask your family member or loved one to help you create a profile on your behalf
👉 Start writing: share your biography, post your first journal entry, upload a book report, and begin your release plan

The effort you put into your profile today may open the door to freedom, opportunity, and renewed purpose tomorrow.

Build a record. Build credibility. Build your future.

MasterClass with Dr. Ron