Mount Vernon Native Achieves Dual JD, MD Degrees to Tackle Healthcare Inequities

Jordan Adonis Brooks, a 32-year-old from Mount Vernon, Ohio, is set to graduate in May with a J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law and an M.D. from the Miller School of Medicine. Brooks was inspired to pursue these degrees due to the healthcare challenges he observed in rural areas, including his parents' struggles with accessing specialist care.

Growing up in a rural town with significant healthcare disparities, especially among Black communities, influenced Brooks's career path. His parents often had to travel long distances for treatment of their chronic diseases, which shaped his interest in addressing healthcare inequities.

Brooks began his higher education at Kenyon College, studying neuroscience, motivated by his mother's battle with multiple sclerosis. He then earned a Master of Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh, where he learned about the social factors affecting health. This education led him to explore how law and policy can impact healthcare delivery, prompting him to pursue dual degrees in law and medicine.

During his studies, Brooks engaged in several initiatives aimed at promoting health equity. At the University of Miami, he worked with associate professor Gabriel Scheffler on research related to the regulation of both traditional and alternative medicine. He also played a key role in the Health Equity Project and the Human Rights Clinic, focusing on maternal and infant health and advocating for health equity nationally and internationally.

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