Sadye Curry facts for kids

Sadye Beatryce Curry (born in 1941) is a groundbreaking American doctor. She became the first African-American woman in the United States to become a gastroenterologist. A gastroenterologist is a doctor who specializes in the digestive system, which includes the stomach and intestines.

Dr. Curry also broke barriers in education. She was the first African-American to complete advanced medical training at the famous Duke University Medical Center.

A Trailblazing Career in Medicine

Early Life and Schooling

Sadye Curry was born in Reidsville, North Carolina, as the youngest of four children. She attended public schools and graduated from high school in 1959.

She went on to study biology and chemistry at Johnson C. Smith University and graduated in 1963. With a passion for science and helping others, she then attended Howard University College of Medicine, earning her medical degree in 1967.

Breaking Barriers at Duke University

After medical school, Dr. Curry needed special training to become a gastroenterologist. She did this at Duke University, where she made history as the first African-American resident doctor.

While at Duke, she researched how the liver works. Specifically, she studied how the body processes bile acid, an important fluid for digestion.

A Career of Teaching and Healing

In 1972, Dr. Curry became an assistant professor at Howard University. Besides treating patients, she continued her research on bile acids, using rats to understand how the digestive system works. She even paid for this research herself. However, she eventually stopped her research to focus on caring for her many patients.

She took on many leadership roles at Howard. She helped manage the medical services at Columbia General Hospital and was in charge of teaching new medical students. In 1978, she was promoted to associate professor of medicine.

Leadership and Legacy

Dr. Curry helped start the Leonidas Berry Society for Digestive Diseases. This organization supports scientists, surgeons, and gastroenterologists of color. It is named after Leonidas Berry, the first African-American gastroenterologist.

She was also the first woman to lead the internal medicine section of the National Medical Association. After retiring from Howard, she continued to work as a doctor at Central Regional Hospital in Butner, North Carolina.

Honors and Awards

Dr. Curry has received many awards for her excellence in teaching and medicine. Here are a few of her major achievements:

• She won teaching awards from both the Howard University Student Council (1975) and Kaiser Permanente (1978).
• The American Medical Women's Association at Howard University named her Woman of the Year in 1990.
• She served on important national committees, including for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
• She was the chair of the gastroenterology section of the National Medical Association for over 20 years (1985–2009).
• The National Medical Association named her Distinguished Internist of the Year in 2002.

See also

• Gastroenterologist
• Duke University Hospital