Meet Ghanaian Nancy Abu-Bonsrah: First black female neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital

Johns Hopkins University is making history with the residency of Nancy Abu-Bonsrah, their first black female neurosurgeon at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.

The news was announced on Friday, March 17, which is known nationwide as “Match Day.” The day is significant in that it indicates the moment when medical students around the country find out at which hospitals they’ll practice their residency.

Nana, who’s graduating from John Hopkins and will go on to work in their neurosurgery department, hails from Ghana. She was raised in the West African country until the age of 15, and has been in Maryland for the past 11 years.

“I am very much interested in providing medical care in underserved settings, specifically surgical care,” she said in a statement. “I hope to be able to go back to Ghana over the course of my career to help in building sustainable surgical infrastructure. I will be matching into neurosurgery, a field that I am greatly enamored with, and hope to utilize those skills in advancing global surgical care.”

Nana’s husband is also studying medicine at Johns Hopkins. Her moment is extra special, as she will be the first physician in her family.

“I want to be remembered for serving my community, whether it is through providing quality surgical care or helping mentor the next generation of surgeons. Unique Thing: Everything is special about the match. It will be a dream come true.”

Nana will continue her medical training in a three to seven-year residency program while at the hospital.