Michele Benjamin

Michele Benjamin finished medical school with two degrees and two babies. And that's just part of a remarkable life journey marked by loss, determination, and triumph.

Michele lost her dad at a young age, and her mother raised her and her two siblings relying on government assistance. To help support the family, Michele started working at the age of 12. It was the kindness of a doctor who took her in when Medicaid would not cover her medical expenses which first drew her to medicine. 

In her first year of medical school at FIU, Michele lost her mom to leukemia. Crushed by the weight of her grief and the pressure of medical school, she fell into a deep depression. But buoyed by the support of a loving husband and family, Michele endured and excelled, distinguishing herself as one of the top students in her class and as a student leader. 

Michele was inducted into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honors Society, served as president of the Medical Genetics Interest group, and dedicated over 450 hours to tutoring.

Somehow, she also found time to complete a Healthcare MBA and give birth to two beautiful girls.

Michele is now a resident at the West Kendall Baptist Hospital-Florida International University Family Medicine Residency Program. As a family medicine doctor, she uses the pain and joy of her story to make a difference in her patients' lives.

By Ileana Varela
Director of Media and Community Relations
Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

Nominated by Adrian Jones