Dr. Cynthia Kudji and her daughter, Dr. Jasmine Kudji, recently shared a very special moment when they became the first mother-daughter duo ever to graduate from medical school at the same time. Not only that, they have “matched” at the same hospital to complete their first and second-year post-graduate training positions as doctors.
Cynthia has graduated from the University of Medicine and Health Sciences (UMHS) St. Kitts in Maine, and Jasmine graduated from the Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Louisiana.
Now, the two of them have both matched at Louisiana State University, where Cynthia will study Family Medicine while Jasmine will pursue General Surgery. They will start working at the same hospital system on July 1st.
Cynthia, a native of Ghana, came to the US at the age of 2 with her family. She always wanted to become a doctor, but put her dream on hold when she got pregnant with Jasmine at the age of 23. She eventually worked as a nurse for nearly 10 years. Then during a family trip back to Ghana, she helped take care of a sick child, which reignited her desire to finally pursue becoming a doctor.
The mother and daughter are both excited that they are together as they face the next chapter of their careers and continue to pursue their dreams.
“I always tell people we laugh together, we study together, we cry together,” Dr. Jasmine Kudji told UMHS. “I think medical school is one of those experiences that you don’t truly understand until you’re in it. Sometimes people struggle to find someone who relates to their struggles, so for that person to be my mom was extremely helpful.”
