UConn’s Dr. Cato T. Laurencin attended the inaugural Connecticut Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit on November 9 in Waterbury, Connecticut with his nephew Samuel J. Laurencin, MD, Ph.D., a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon who trained at UConn School of Medicine. They both were key participants in the event and its panel discussion.

Established in 2013, the Black Men in White Coats campaign aims to increase the number of Black men pursuing careers in the medical industry. This initiative was founded by Dr. Dale Okorodudu in response to a AAMC report highlighting the decreasing number of Black male applicants to medical school. The Youth Summit brings students, parents, educators, clinicians, and community leaders together to uplift our communities. The goal of the summit is to inspire our youth to consider careers in healthcare while laying the foundation for success via mentorship and networking.

At UConn Dr. Cato T. Laurencin is the University Professor and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UConn School of Medicine, and professor of Chemical Engineering, professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. He is the chief executive officer of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, a cross-university institute named for him at UConn. A shoulder and knee surgeon, he is the pioneer of the field of Regenerative Engineering. In receiving the Spingarn Medal, the NAACP named him the world’s foremost engineer-physician-scientist. He is the first surgeon elected to the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Inventors.

Samuel J. Laurencin, MD, Ph.D. is an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in minimally invasive hip and knee replacement surgery, partial joint replacement, and complex revision surgery. As part of NOSS’ multispecialty team of providers, Dr. Samuel Laurencin also provides orthopedic trauma and general orthopedic care for the greater Waterbury, Conn. region. His approach to medicine involves a patient-centered treatment plan with the goal of prompt return to function. Outside of medicine, he is passionate about servant leadership and community outreach. He has remained involved in various youth mentorship programs and has been a recurrent invited motivational speaker with a particular focus on underserved communities.