OUR VISION
To be a premier pathway program that develops and equips our youth aspiring to become future health professionals that will positively impact health inequalities around the world.
MEET DR. FREDERICK
"I have always been fascinated by the human body. I remember studying all the bones and muscles in high school because I had fun doing it. Because of that love, I decided that medicine would be a great fit for me. The doctor who took care of me also enhanced my fascination with medicine and that hasn't left me yet."
Dexter Frederick, M.D., knew early on that he wanted to be a physician. When, during his adolescent years, he was diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatter disease, a disorder of the lower front of the knee which can cause severe pain, it solidified his desire to enter the world of medicine as an avenue to understand and treat illnesses and provide service to humanity.
On the journey toward his chosen profession, Frederick entered then Columbia Union College where he majored in respiratory care with a pre-med emphasis. He kept busy with his studies but still found time to contribute actively to college life and to the surrounding community. He was part of the pre-med club, vice president for his senior class, a member in the Columbia Union College Brass Choir and an athletic trainer for the basketball and volleyball college sport teams. He also assisted with the weekly soup kitchen ministry in a nearby Cambodian community.
Frederick graduated in 1992 and went on to Loma Linda University. As a student at Loma Linda, he traveled as a volunteer to Mwami Adventist Hospital in Zambia. After graduation in 1997, he did his residency in internal medicine and pediatrics and has since been board certified. He also served at Loma Linda University Medical Center as chief pediatric resident.
The passion for medicine which drove him to medicine in the first place, has only grown through the years and today, Frederick is making a powerful impact in his community.He has served as a physician delivering healthcare to an underserved community in the city of Tampa. One role that Frederick is particularly proud of is that of founder of the Tampa-based B.E.S.T. (Brain Expansions and Scholastic training) program.
Since 2004, B.E.S.T. has served as many as 3,000 students, has provided more than $20,000 in scholarships, and has a 98% success rate with participants majoring in a medical-related field. It is open to youth in grades 5-12.