Fred Richardson,MD
Associate Professor of Medicine,
Rosalind Franklin Medical School
I AM ABEL FOUNDATION'S
HERO IN MEDICINE Awardee
Dr. Richardson is no stranger to center stage. From his rise from his rough Englewood community in Chicago, he navigated his way to a stellar career devoted to service of underserved communities and minority students and was destined to be a rising, shining celebrated star in his own right. In 2015 he was featured by Bob Dotson on the NBC TODAY show for his amazing work doing house calls in some of the toughest neighborhoods in Chicago. Also in 2015, he was received "Harvey's Hero" award by nationally known comedian and talk show host Steve Harvey for his work in minority education advocacy. I think what Dr. Richardson will be best known for, however, is the affect that he has on everyone he meets and his uncanny ability to make them feel like they are the most important person in the room. To that end, he has taken tough and unpopular positions as Asst. Dean of Minority Affairs and his diligence to see minority students through the rigors and perils of medical school on to success is nothing less than amazing. He has personally saved the careers of over 50 medical students who without his help would have most certainly saw an end to their childhood dreams but instead are outstanding, practicing physicians now doing ground breaking work across the nation and right here in the city of Chicago.
Temi Ojo, the I AM ABEL FOUNDATION'S STILL STANDING AWARDEE and first year medical student knows all to well what it means to need someone like Dr. Richardson to advocate for you. His unflinching advocacy is only rivaled by his devotion to mentoring and excellence in medical education. For over two decade, Dr. Richardson hosts medical students every Saturday in his Oak Park Illinois Family Medicine Clinic. He teaches the students case based medicine. Students combine their experience in the clinic in the morning with case based and academic learning in the afternoon. What these pre-Med and medical students walk away with is an education and mentoring experience second to none at the hands of one of the most talented, clinical academicians and physicians in the city of Chicago.
In his more than 25 years in practice, he has thrilled the crowds with his motivational lecturers to groups as many as 20,000 attendees. Despite it all, he is unbelievably humble and often gives the credit of his tremendous success to his beautiful wife of 30 years, Julie, who is often side by side with him in the clinic into the homes. Together they are the very example of a truly God ordained husband and wife team. They have four beautiful children: Jessica, a Resident physician in Family Medicine at the University of Illinois in Chicago, Fred III, a Law Student at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Benjamin, a PhD student in Medicinal Chemistry at UIC Chicago and Angelica, a graduate of Bradley University in Theater and a Kennedy Center Award winner and Williamstown Theater Festival alumni member working in L.A. and Chicago as an actress.
Dr. Richardson received his B.S. degree in Biology from Loyola University of Chicago graduating with an Honors Degree and received his medical degree (MD) from Rush University Medical College. Over the course of his professional career Dr. Richardson has held a number of academic appointments. Dr. Richardson has even received the Degree of Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. This honor recognizes members who have distinguished themselves among their colleagues, as well as their communities, by their service to family medicine, their advancement of healthcare to the American people and by their professional development through medical education and research and are recognized as Champions of Family Medicine. He is also board certified and recertified by the American Board of Family Medicine as well as the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons as a Diplomat of Family Medicine. He received the faculty member Alpha Omega Alpha certification for excellence in medical education from the Rush University Chapter and has received numerous teaching awards including the coveted Phoenix Award from Rush Medical College for academic excellence in medical education. He has received the American Medical Association’s Physician Recognition Award. He has taught with Dr. John Bradley in the Chicago Health and Medical Careers Program, CAHCMP, at IIT for the past 20 years using an innovative problem based curriculum to develop underrepresented minority students for careers in medicine and the health professions and is the Director of the Pre-Matriculation Program for underrepresented minority students at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. He has even done relief work in Haiti.
To describe him as a Champion in medical education barely puts into words what he has meant to countless minority medical students and patients. So on April 7th, 2016, at the first annual PREPARING OUR SUCCESSORS IN MEDICINE Student Gala, the I AM ABEL FOUNDATION awarded Dr. Fred Richardson, III our 1st Annual HERO IN MEDICINE AWARD celebrating outstanding and exemplary service and leadership in medical education and community service. Dr. LaMenta Sweetie Conway, I AM ABEL FOUNDATION'S Founder and CEO proudly call's Dr. Richardson her mentor as well and describes him as a "true inspiration" when she studied medicine at Rush Medical College while he was the Assistant Dean of Minority Affairs. She recalls his boundless energy and fearless leadership and education of students with advocacy and support being his number one objective. Dr. Conway considers it an honor to grace the same stage with Dr. Fred Richardson. They both often fondly reflect on their days growing up in the same blighted community on the south side and our thankful that they survived this place that ravaged so many. Dr. Conway warmly and enthusiastically declares that "Dr. Richardson is a class act and proof that something good does come out of Englewood."
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