Dr. Laura Cottingham: From Engineering to Medicine

Sojourner’s Truth Staff

Dr. Laura Cottingham, MD, graduated from the University of Toledo’s College of Medicine in May and will soon be leaving the Toledo area for an internship in Akron as she commences her career as a family doctor. Her route to her medical career has taken some unusual twists and turns.

A graduate of Notre Dame Academy, Dr. Cottingham, the youngest of four daughters of Fred and Constance Cottingham, piled up the accomplishments during her high school years.  As a senior she participated in the chemistry competition during that year’s national Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics – the NAACP’s national “ACT-SO” program.

ACT-SO is an academic and cultural enrichment competition carried out by local NAACP branches around the country. Local finalists, such as Dr. Cottingham whose project tested drug crystallization and absorption in the body, are then invited to a national stage to face each other. She won the national gold medal for her project.
 

Dr. Laura Cottingham, MD

Near the end of her senior year at Notre Dame Academy, Dr. Cottingham was named Debutante of the Year in the local Debutante Cotillion hosted by the Toledo Chapter of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc.

She then entered the University of Michigan where, as did two of her older sisters, she earned a degree in engineering. However, the future physician was not interested in a career as an engineer. She returned to university life, this time at the University of Toledo, and earned a masters degree in biological sciences. She then, finally, entered medical school at UT.

And, finally, she has achieved the goal that has intrigued her since she was in elementary school – a medical career.

Copyright © 2015 by [The Sojourner's Truth]. All rights reserved.
Revised: 08/16/18 14:12:15 -0700.

More Articles....
 

Back to Home Page