Dr. Benjamin Carson Sr.

by Severo Avila, Rome News Tribune - World-renowned neurosurgeon and Johns Hopkins University professor Benjamin Carson Sr.  will speak at Berry College on Thursday as part of the Gloria Shatto Lecture Series.

Carson tells a unique story of triumph over adversity and couples that with a willingness to address topics relevant to today’s youth while remaining firm in his stance against political correctness.

“I do not believe in political correctness,” he said. “So whenever I speak at engagements like this I tell people that my intention is not to offend, but I don’t believe in being politically correct.”

Carson is a professor of neurosurgery, oncology, plastic surgery and pediatrics at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He has directed pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center for almost 25 years.

His career highlights include the first separation of craniopagus twins, joined at the back of the head, in 1987, as well as the first completely successful separation of type-2 vertical craniopagus twins in 1997 in South Africa and the first successful placement of an intrauterine shunt for a hydrocephalic twin.

Carson has more than 50 honorary doctorate degrees and in 2001 was named by CNN and Time Magazine as one of the nation’s 20 foremost physicians and scientists. That same year, he was selected by the Library of Congress as one of 89 “Living Legends.”