Bio

A native of Gary, Indiana, Robert D. Patterson is the son of John and Lorraine (deceased) Patterson and, under their guidance, accepted an early calling to Christ.  He is a graduate of DePauw University with a degree in Economics and Philosophy. Subsequently, he was awarded the Consortium Award for Graduate Study in Management and attended Indiana University in Bloomington, IN where he received an MBA with a concentration in Marketing.  While there he pledged Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated and, once a member, was instrumental in starting the Xi Rho chapter of the fraternity at his undergraduate alma mater.  Upon graduation he accepted an opportunity to serve as a pharmaceutical sales representative with Eli Lilly and Company.

Dr. Patterson entered medical school as the inaugural winner of the George Rawls, MD Scholarship at Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM). Dr. Patterson is an inaugural member of the IUSM’s Diversity Council and served two terms as president of the IUSM Student National Medical Association.

In 2004 he utilized these dual positions to create a Diversity Week celebration on the school’s campus which honors the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by focusing on minority heath care issues. Dr. Patterson’s accomplishments have attracted national attention. He was awarded the American Medical Association’s Student Leadership Award for 2003-2004 which acknowledges the twenty most gifted and energetic student leaders in the country. In addition, he was also awarded the Student National Medical Association’s Member of the Year award for 2003-2004 and the Journal of the National Medical Association’s Award of Journalistic Excellence in October of 2004, becoming the first student to be nationally recognized by all three major medical organizations in the same academic year.

No less an authority on leadership than Dr. Joycelyn Elders, the first African-American  U.S. Surgeon General,  said of Dr. Patterson in 2004 while he was a medical student: “We are very proud of him and all the accomplishments that he has made already – and he’s not quite out of medical school yet.  We know that he is going to be one of our new leaders in medicine.”

Dr. Patterson is also the co-author, with his mentor Dr. George Rawls, of a book for students interested in careers in science and medicine entitled “So You Want to be a Doctor: A Guide for the Student from High School through Retirement”, which was released by Hilton Publishing in October of 2007. The book’s foreword was written by another mentor, the esteemed pediatric neurosurgeon responsible for the first successful separation of Siamese twins, Dr. Benjamin Carson of Johns Hopkins University.

While researching his next book exploring the complex relationships between unmarried parents and their children, he has written several articles on the African-American experience, most notably on the 2008 presidential campaign.  His articles have appeared in newspapers and websites nationwide including, the Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis Business Journal, Lexington Daily Herald, Jackson (Mississippi) Advocate, Metro Philadelphia, Black News Tribune, Black America Web,  and the  Huffington Post.  His work has been nominated by the editors of both the Indianapolis Recorder and Huffington Post for the 2009 National Association of Black Journalists Salute to Excellence Awards in the categories of Best Newspaper Commentary and Best Commentary/Weblog. Recently, he was selected to pen a monthly column for black men on the new national website www.wellsister.com scheduled for launch on April 6th.

Dr. Patterson was also extensively interviewed for a documentary chronicling the 2008 Presidential Inauguration.  In addition to providing his insights on the historic campaign, election, and inauguration of the nation’s first African-American president, Dr. Patterson’s still photography (featured on this website) and video footage will be prominently featured in the project, which is scheduled for release later this year.

Dr. Patterson is an accomplished speaker whose varied background and interests make him a new favorite on the speaker circuit. Having been recently signed by Great Black Speakers, Dr. Patterson speaks with passion and common sense about a variety of topics, including: cultural competency in healthcare, minorities in medicine, minority healthcare disparities, the Civil Rights movement, the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Black History Month, African-American fatherhood, and the Obama presidential campaign and election. Recently, he was honored with an invitation to  give the commencement address for his alma mater, Gary Roosevelt High School, in June of 2009.  To invite Dr. Patterson to speak, please contact Great Black Speakers at www.greatblackspeakers.com.

Presently, he is beginning his fourth-year of residency in psychiatry at the University of Louisville.