Dr. Ben Carson

And all they had to do was talk to crazy people all day. And it seemed like I was doing that anyway. So I said, wow, this is going to work out really well. My brother knew about my interest in becoming a psychiatrist. He had a job and he bought me a subscription to Psychology Today. I started reading it and I became the local shrink in high school. Everybody would bring me their problems.

I would sit them down, stroke my chin, say, tell me about your mama. I was all gung-ho. I majored in psychology at Yale, had interesting professors like Anna Freud, who was the daughter of Sigmund Freud, psychoanalysis. I was really heading down that pathway, and by the time I got to medical school, I was convinced I was going to be a psychiatrist. The rest of medicine really didn't interest me.

I would sit them down, stroke my chin, say, tell me about your mama. I was all gung-ho. I majored in psychology at Yale, had interesting professors like Anna Freud, who was the daughter of Sigmund Freud, psychoanalysis. I was really heading down that pathway, and by the time I got to medical school, I was convinced I was going to be a psychiatrist. The rest of medicine really didn't interest me.

I would sit them down, stroke my chin, say, tell me about your mama. I was all gung-ho. I majored in psychology at Yale, had interesting professors like Anna Freud, who was the daughter of Sigmund Freud, psychoanalysis. I was really heading down that pathway, and by the time I got to medical school, I was convinced I was going to be a psychiatrist. The rest of medicine really didn't interest me.

Certainly surgery was not even on my radar at all.

Certainly surgery was not even on my radar at all.

Certainly surgery was not even on my radar at all.

Went into Yale from Southwestern High School in inner-city Detroit. That was a major culture shock, I must say. It was actually the first year that Yale admitted women, so there were a lot of changes going on on the campus. But it was the first time I'd seen real China and real silver and these beautiful paintings on the mahogany walls and Oriental rugs.

Went into Yale from Southwestern High School in inner-city Detroit. That was a major culture shock, I must say. It was actually the first year that Yale admitted women, so there were a lot of changes going on on the campus. But it was the first time I'd seen real China and real silver and these beautiful paintings on the mahogany walls and Oriental rugs.

Went into Yale from Southwestern High School in inner-city Detroit. That was a major culture shock, I must say. It was actually the first year that Yale admitted women, so there were a lot of changes going on on the campus. But it was the first time I'd seen real China and real silver and these beautiful paintings on the mahogany walls and Oriental rugs.

It was a big change from what I was used to. And I was kind of enjoying it and having fun and really wasn't concentrating on my studies very much.

It was a big change from what I was used to. And I was kind of enjoying it and having fun and really wasn't concentrating on my studies very much.

It was a big change from what I was used to. And I was kind of enjoying it and having fun and really wasn't concentrating on my studies very much.

Oh yeah, yeah. She was, she was very proud. My brother had gone into the Navy and he subsequently came out of the Navy and went to University of Michigan, majored in engineering. And he ultimately started working in the aerospace industry. So he became the rocket scientist and I became the brain surgeon. But it all worked out.

Oh yeah, yeah. She was, she was very proud. My brother had gone into the Navy and he subsequently came out of the Navy and went to University of Michigan, majored in engineering. And he ultimately started working in the aerospace industry. So he became the rocket scientist and I became the brain surgeon. But it all worked out.

Oh yeah, yeah. She was, she was very proud. My brother had gone into the Navy and he subsequently came out of the Navy and went to University of Michigan, majored in engineering. And he ultimately started working in the aerospace industry. So he became the rocket scientist and I became the brain surgeon. But it all worked out.

Yeah, it was a major change in my life. You know, I had a quick temper. I would get very angry. And when I got angry, I became irrational. I would just want to hurt people. I remember one time there was a a boy at school. I was in the third grade and we got in a fight and I hit him with a baseball bat and I got in a lot of trouble.

Yeah, it was a major change in my life. You know, I had a quick temper. I would get very angry. And when I got angry, I became irrational. I would just want to hurt people. I remember one time there was a a boy at school. I was in the third grade and we got in a fight and I hit him with a baseball bat and I got in a lot of trouble.

Yeah, it was a major change in my life. You know, I had a quick temper. I would get very angry. And when I got angry, I became irrational. I would just want to hurt people. I remember one time there was a a boy at school. I was in the third grade and we got in a fight and I hit him with a baseball bat and I got in a lot of trouble.

I went home and I wanted to kill myself because I didn't want to face you know, the teachers and stuff back in school. And I remember my brother was there. I said, do you know where the rat poison is? And he said, why do you need rat poison? And I said, I need to kill myself. In third grade? And he said, you know, I know a much better way to kill yourself than rat poison. I said, yeah.