43 Alexa Canady Facts: A Doctor Who Specialized In Neurosurgery!
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Alexa Irene Canady was the first woman to become a neurosurgeon in the United States with an excellent understanding of human anatomy, and who was also a role model for other female students.
While some labeled the African-American as the token black girl at the medical school, Alexa Irene Canady decided to set a benchmark for other African-Americans. She was born on November 7, 1950, to Elizabeth Hortense (Golden) Canady and Dr. Clinton Canady.
Canady specialized in pediatric neurosurgery and served as the chief of neurosurgery at the Children's Hospital of Michigan from 1987 to 2001.
Dr. Canady graduated cum laude from the University of Michigan in 1975. Alexa Irene Canady was a professor of neurosurgery at Wayne State University and did research in addition to surgery.
She moved to Florida after retiring and worked temporarily at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola until her permanent retirement in January 2012.
Canady was elected into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 1989. She was also bestowed with the American Medical Women's Association President's Award that was given to her in 1993.
Dr. Canady's colleagues always considered her as a patient-centered surgeon who genuinely cared about each of her patients. In the following article, we will learn more about the life and achievements of Dr. Canady.
The Early Life Of Alexa Canady
Alexa Canady was born in Lansing, Michigan on November 7, 1950 to a well-educated family. Her mother was the former national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and an educator.
She was also involved in civic affairs in Lansing for a number of years. Moreover, she was the first African-American elected to the Lansing Board of Education.
Her father was also a Meharry Medical College graduate with a degree in dentistry. Canady's parents taught her the value of education and hard work when she was a child.
Canady and her younger brother were the only two African-American students in their elementary school, which was located outside of Lansing.
Her mother was a former president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., and her father was a dentist, therefore she was raised to value education.
The Education Of Alexa Canady
Canady was constantly pushed to do well in school and to never give up on her dreams of furthering her education.
The encouragement she received from her family aided her in being the greatest doctor she could be, as it did when she was considering dropping out of school as a mathematics major.
She thrived at the top of her class while attending a predominately white university (PWI) in a post-segregational era and completed her graduation from the University of Michigan. She completed her bachelor of science in zoology at the University of Michigan.
Canady was fascinated by the wonder of medicine after attending a summer medical program for minority students following her junior year of college.
Soon after, she applied to medical school and graduated with cum laude honors. Canady attended the University of Michigan College of Medicine in 1975.
Canady completed both her bachelors and medical degree from the same university. Dr Canady initially considered pursuing internal medicine, but she later decided to shift to neurosurgery as a specialization.
Regardless of her credentials, some of which were significantly greater than those of her white coworkers, she was nonetheless subjected to workplace discrimination and prejudice.
She has mentioned verbal prejudice in some of her interviews, particularly during her surgical internship at Yale-New Haven Hospital.
The Lifework Of Alexa Canady
Her career began on a shaky footing. She was on the verge of dropping out of college while majoring in mathematics, citing a confidence problem.
It was an instant connection when she heard about a chance to receive a minority scholarship in medicine.
Her added writing and debating talents helped her gain admission to the University of Michigan Medical School, where she graduated with honors in 1975.
Despite her credentials, she was nonetheless subjected to prejudice and disparaging remarks.
Canady shifted to the University of Minnesota and became a resident in the university's department of neurosurgery after completing her surgical internship at Yale-New Haven Hospital in 1975. In 1981, she completed her residency and began her medical profession.
She decided to specialize in pediatric neurosurgery after declaring neurosurgery as her specialty.
Canady excelled in her surgical skill and devised a programmable antisiphon shunt to treat hydrocephalus, which is an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the brain, while excelling in her specialty.
Because of her abilities, she has been promoted numerous times throughout her career. In 1987, she was promoted to Chief of Neurosurgery at the Children's Hospital in Detroit, Michigan.
The Research Work Of Alexa Canady
She specialized on congenital spinal deformities, hydrocephalus, trauma, and brain malignancies throughout her term as Chief.
She did research and published an essay in 2001 evaluating the efficacy of the hydrocephalus treatments that were available at the time.
While she was originally concerned about how her peers would react to her, she immediately acquired respect for being a patient-centered surgeon. 'It's fun to make people better', she said in a recent interview.
Dr. Canady maintained her research with Wayne State University during her time at the Children's Hospital of Michigan.
She was also a Professor of Neurosurgery at the university. Her achievements and labor have paved the way for numerous surgeons of all colors and genders.
Dr. Canady continued to undertake research with Wayne State University in addition to her surgical profession. This research would eventually lead to the creation of an antisiphon shunt, which would aid in the treatment of hydrocephalus.
Prizes And Recognition: Alexa Canady
Dr Canady accepted a fellowship in Pediatric Neurosurgery at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia between 1981-82. She was voted as the best resident by fellow physicians at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
In 1989, Canady was honored by the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame for her achievements as a patient-care-focused surgeon.
The prominent American woman received the American Medical Women's Association's President's Award in 1993 and Wayne State University Medical School's Distinguished Service Award in 1994.
Children's Hospital of Michigan recognized her as Teacher of the Year in 1984. In 1986, the National Coalition of 100 Black Women presented her with the Candace Award.
She is a member of the Society of Pediatric Neurosurgery, the American College of Neurosurgery, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.
She has also received three honorary degrees, including a doctor of humane letters honorary degree from the University of Detroit-Mercy in 1997 and a doctor of science honorary degree from the University of Southern Connecticut in 1999.
Canady was also celebrated as the first African-American woman to become a neurosurgeon in a Nickelodeon Black History Month short cartoon that aired in February 2015. Canady has remarked that she dislikes being famous or receiving attention.
Rather, she has stated that as long as you perform good work, the rest is irrelevant.
Despite coming from a more privileged household than most African-Americans, Canady was subjected to racism and subordination throughout her education and profession.
Despite all the challenges she experienced, she was able to outperform the majority of her coworkers due to her dedication and perseverance.
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