She started working at Yale’s hospital as a custodian. Now, she is a doctor
Shay Taylor-Allen began working as a custodian at Yale New Haven Hospital after high school. She spent nearly 10 years cleaning patient rooms and staff offices.
When her mother, Shema, became ill, Taylor-Allen said the difficulties she faced navigating care inspired her to pursue medicine. She also contacted the hospital’s chief executive to seek help for her mother.
While holding a full-time job, Taylor-Allen completed an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree. She then attended medical school at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
In March, she matched to an anesthesiology residency at Yale. Returning to the hospital in a physician’s role brought her back to hallways and offices she had once cleaned.
Taylor-Allen says she wants to help patients feel at ease before surgery and speak up for them. The Independent said it had contacted her for comment on her first months in residency.
Key points
- Her mother’s illness helped inspire Taylor-Allen to become a doctor.
- She studied while working full time before attending Howard University medical school.
- She matched to anesthesiology residency at Yale, where she once worked as a custodian.