Shekinah Elmore facts for kids

Shekinah Elmore (born around 1982, died July 24, 2024) was a special doctor who worked at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. She was an expert in radiation oncology, which is a type of cancer treatment using radiation.

Dr. Elmore was unique because she was both a cancer doctor and someone who had cancer herself. She was known for helping other doctors understand what it's like to be a cancer patient. She also spoke and wrote a lot about her own experiences.

She shared her story of surviving a type of childhood cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. This is a rare cancer that starts in soft tissues, like muscles. She wrote about her journey in a famous medical journal called the New England Journal of Medicine.

Helping Patients Worldwide

While she was training at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Elmore focused on making sure people around the world could get cancer treatment. She wanted to improve access to radiotherapy, especially in places where medical resources are limited.

She also worked to help new doctors get involved in improving cancer care globally. Her goal was to make sure more people, no matter where they lived, could receive the treatment they needed.

Dr. Elmore received a special honor called a Fulbright award. This award allowed her to travel to Rwanda. There, she studied how cancer patients experienced their treatment. She later shared what she learned in a talk at TEDMED, a big conference about health and medicine.

Shekinah Elmore passed away in 2024.

Education

Dr. Elmore studied at several well-known universities. She earned her first degree, a Bachelor of Arts (BA), from Brown University.

She then received a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from Columbia University. This degree focuses on improving health for communities. Finally, she earned her medical doctor (MD) degree from Harvard Medical School.