Not Who I Once Was: My Unusual Path To Becoming A Surgeon - Softcover

Harris Jr, Dr. James E

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798234077981

Publisher: DocHealth&Fitness, 2026

Synopsis

Given his circumstances, James Harris was never meant to succeed.

Growing up surrounded by poverty, drugs, violence, and the pull of the streets, James became a teenage father and found himself failing high school with little reason to believe his future would look any different from his past.

Then one person saw something in him that he could not yet see in himself.

A high school counselor, Mr. Ray, challenged James to imagine a different life and helped put him on a path toward college. But getting there was only the beginning. From Fresno State and academic failure to earning a place at UCLA Medical School and ultimately becoming a surgeon, James’ journey was anything but inevitable.

And just when it seemed he had overcome the greatest obstacles of his life, his family faced a devastating crisis: a catastrophic brain injury to his son that tested his faith, his marriage, and everything he thought he understood about strength.

This is not simply a story about becoming a doctor.

It is a story about the people who change the trajectory of our lives, the choices that follow those moments, and the faith and resilience required to keep moving when life refuses to follow the plan.

A memoir about fatherhood, family, adversity, purpose, and what can happen when someone believes in you before you believe in yourself.

About this title

About the Author

Dr. James Harris Jr. is a general surgeon at Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center, where he serves as the Chair of Surgery and holds an academic position as Associate Professor in the School of Medicine and Associate Program Director for the Johns Hopkins Surgical Residency Program. Dr. Harris' "Unusual Path to Becoming a Surgeon" began when he was a child of poverty, raised in a crack house during the crack epidemic in Fresno, California. His path looked more likely to lead to destruction, based on the troubles of his adolescence, the various crimes he participated in as a teenager, and becoming a father at fifteen. But through God's grace, there was an unexpected transformation. His story of resilience and determination led him to achieve all his dreams, but his early struggles were only preparing him for some of the most difficult challenges he would ever face. His story is one of survival, and it is meant to be shared with others who are going through impossible times and who feel there is no hope. This story is meant to prove that despite seemingly impossible odds, God has a purpose for your life, and you should never give up.

Edition details

• Publisher: DocHealth&Fitness
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798234077981
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 259