Dr. Ben Carson Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom WASHINGTON, DC (wypr) - He overcame significant odds; and Dr. Ben Carson, a Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon wants many more young people to follow his path. Dr. Carson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom yesterday. WYPR's Bob Costantini was there and spoke later with eminent physician about the future:

A big, but somewhat cluttered office is homebase at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center for Dr. Ben Carson. No stranger to accolades and the White House, he credits the institution and those around him:

And then my colleagues here in the neurosurgery department have always just been so wonderful. You couldn't create better colleagues, if you were the master planner. And they're always willing to pitch in and to help. You know, I travel a lot; nobody ever gripes and says, Carson operates and he leaves town.' I never get any of that; just total support. And the institution itself, particularly, with all the extracurricular things that I do. Not only have they never complained, but they have supported these things.

Away from the masterful neurosurgery that has gained Carson worldwide fame, there are reading programs and the Carson Scholars Fund helping at-risk youths go to college:

Try to encourage them to utilize their intellect. This is an incredibly important problem for us as a nation because we're falling further and further behind in technological areas.

For his skills as a surgeon, high moral standards and dedication to helping others, I am proud to bestow the presidential Medal of Freedom on Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, Sr.

His wife, Candy, who helped found the Carson Scholars Program in 1994, and their three children were in the East Room of The White House Thursday for Dr. Carson to receive the highest civilian award in the U.S.

{applause under from East Room event track 4, 0:50ish }

But President Bush spoke at length about Carson's mother, Sonya, also in the audience:

She was married at the age of 13, and ultimately was left to raise her two sons alone. She made their education a high priority.

Her drive, led Carson to overcome the street life in Detroit and eventually go to Yale and University Of Michigan Medical School:

I think her story is every bit as important as mine, maybe more important because there's so many single moms and single dads out there who are struggling. And in many cases, they kind of give up and adopt a victim's mentality.

That kind of comment hints of a more conservative political nature for the 56-year-old Carson. In fact, he discussed energy policy with the president one day after Mr. Bush called for oil drilling in coastal areas:

We need to also understand that drilling offshore right now is very different than drilling offshore was 40 years ago. It's much safer, environmentally friendly and, in fact, the Europeans are doing and they're much more environmentally conscious then we are.

Dr. Carson says he's spoken to President Bush about energy previously, always emphasizing the U.S must take the technological lead in developing alternatives. The Hopkins surgeon says he believes physicians, with years of education, need not just express themselves in the medical field, hence, his willingness to opine to the president about energy and social issues.

The Federal Election Commission website lists a few political contributions by Dr. Carson, including a 1999 donation to Steve Forbes' presidential bid. He has supported the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Political Action Committee.

He expresses no political ambitions, and says he wouldn't be interested in being surgeon general in a potential John McCain administration:

I don't feel that that is where I belong, at this point and time.
I can't do it because I think what I have to do as a physician and as someone who's heavily involved in rectifying our technological gap and how do we begin to reorient our next generation toward academic achievement and toward humanitarian qualities is far more important than what I could do in any administration.


Dr. Carson adds that if he ever does run for political office, it will be as an independent.

I'm Bob Costantini, reporting from the White House and Baltimore, for 88-1 WYPR.
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