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Skyhawk Spotlight: Dr. Dezmond Sumter '00
If Dr. Dezmond "Dez" Sumter '00 could speak to his high school self, he would tell him to "work hard and laugh often because the hard work will pay off."
Dez attended Hammond for high school and worked very hard whether it was in the classroom being challenged by teachers like Mrs. Petersen and Dr. Ragan or on the cross country trail where he made some close friends. It was also during high school when Dez attended a summer program, the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine, and developed an interest in medicine. He continued to grow his interest as he completed his undergraduate studies at Northwestern University and shadowed health care professionals.
Dez says that his calling in the medical professional was solidified by watching his mother deal with and recover from a medical issue. "It ignited a desire for me to help others in a similar manner." Now a Sleep Medicine and Family Medicine physician with Palmetto Health-USC Medical Group, Dez is able to help patients with sleep disorders and chronic diseases.
Dez attended the Medical University of South Carolina and completed a residency in Family Medicine at USC-Palmetto Health Richland. He also pursued a Sleep Medicine fellowship at the University of Michigan Medical Center. Some professional highlights for Dez include serving as junior faculty on the American Thoracic Society-Core Curriculum Committee and publishing articles in peer reviewed journals. When he isn't practicing medicine, Dez is very involved with his church, Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, serving as a pastor, and spending time with his wife, Mya.
Dez attended the Medical University of South Carolina and completed a residency in Family Medicine at USC-Palmetto Health Richland. He also pursued a Sleep Medicine fellowship at the University of Michigan Medical Center. Some professional highlights for Dez include serving as junior faculty on the American Thoracic Society-Core Curriculum Committee and publishing articles in peer reviewed journals. When he isn't practicing medicine, Dez is very involved with his church, Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, serving as a pastor, and spending time with his wife, Mya.
