Dr. Tracy A. Thomas

Florida A&M Professor to Make History Twice

Born in Rochester, New York and raised in Tallahassee, Florida, she understood very early on that when things don’t go as planned, you must adjust and continue to fight for what you want. Well, Tracy Thomas, who flunked out of pharmacy school while an undergraduate student at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), used her failure to make history. She is an alumni of FAMU and member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. On August 5, 1994, Thomas earned her physical therapy degree, and two months later, she received her license to practice. Not to mention, she only had to take her board exams one time, which is extremely difficult for most. On August 8, 2008 at 39 years old, Thomas received her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences with an emphasis in cardiovascular pharmacology and toxicology, becoming one of only five physical therapists in the United States with a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences.

In 2014, she returned to Florida A&M University as the director of physical therapy research and a physical therapy professor. Thomas’ failure pushed her into a career that has allowed her to make history twice, and not to mention she has no student loans, and makes enough money to pay for her Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Clinical Doctorate degree. In May 2019, at 50 years old, Thomas will earn her Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Clinical Doctorate degree, making her the only African-American with both a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences and DPT in the nation.

References

OGUNSOLA, J. (2018, September 04). How Failure Led This Florida A&M University Professor To Make History, Twice. Essence Magazine. Retrieved January 2, 2019, from https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/goforit/how-failure-led-this-florida-am-university-professor-to-make-history-twice/