Middleton sees education as gateway to success
Carl P. Middleton isn’t sure what led him to be a doctor, but the former Uniontown native is certain that being successful requires making sacrifices and competing at an early age, especially in today’s global environment.
“School is the anti-poverty,” said Middleton. “It is the gateway to the life you want.”
A 1993 graduate of Uniontown Area High School, Middleton is an internal medicine doctor that recently opened a private practice in Fort Worth, Texas. He resides near Dallas, Texas, with his wife Bernice, and their children, Zindzi, 3 and Cullen, 1 1/2.
“The thing that most fulfills me professionally, other than helping people, is doing what I dreamed of,” said Middleton.
Middleton grew up in a local housing project as one of four brothers and two sisters in what he referred to as a ” blended family.” Middleton said he also has another sister.
“Coming from the East End in Pershing Court, Fayette County, may not have had a lot of resources, but we were tough people, strong people, resilient people,” said Middleton.
While he didn’t encounter mentors until he was in college, Middleton said he was drawn to the character “Cliff Huxtable” who played a doctor on the 1980-90s’ sitcom “The Cosby Show.”
“That was the first time I saw someone that actually looked like me and did something cool,” said Middleton.
Middleton said he wasn’t sure what medical specialty he wanted to practice, but his first thought was a pediatrician because he liked being around children.
During high school, Middleton spent the majority of his time playing basketball with friends and staying up late to watch college sports on television, picturing himself on various campuses and learning more about their academic programs.
“I used to get in trouble night after night, but I was such a huge fan,” said Middleton. “I remember a lot of players that later went on to be professionals.”
Middleton was also active in the honor society and served as president of the NAACP his senior year.
Following graduation, Middleton said he was offered scholarships from several universities, including the University of Pittsburgh, but turned them down to attend Howard University in Washington, D.C., because of its history and location.
“I wanted more examples of African-Americans,” said Middleton, noting that university alumni like Thurgood Marshall created an atmosphere at Howard of helping others.
As an undergraduate, Middleton said he hit the ground running, delving into all aspects he was able to get his hands on, including serving as a resident assistant and class officer.
He also worked and dedicated several years to Big Brothers of America along with tutoring.
“I blossomed later in terms of what I had to do and who I wanted to be,” said Middleton.
Middleton then spent one-and-a-half years in graduate school at the University of Tennessee where he earned a master’s degree in public health before returning to Howard University to attend medical school for four years.
From there, Middleton completed his internship and residency after three years at Franklin Square Hospital Center in Baltimore, Md., where he became board-certified.
Middleton said with an influx of internal medicine doctors in the Washington area, he became interested in teaching and was recruited by Methodist Dallas Medical Center where he furthered his career.
“I am very adamant about telling young people that marriage, life and babies will come, there’s a lot of things you have to sacrifice and it’s a big commitment,” added Middleton.
One lesson that Middleton learned personally from attending Howard is the importance of going out of your way to help others you see working hard.
“We will be left behind if our kids don’t start loving school early and even when you don’t love it to persevere or we won’t become the people that we want to,” said Middleton.