The Kojo Nnamdi Show

Growing up on the tough streets of Newark, N.J., Sampson Davis saw many around him succumb to violence, drugs and crime. He himself came close, ending up in juvenile detention. But he was a good student, and saw a way out. He and two friends made a pact to earn medical degrees, and all three earned scholarships. Davis and one friend became physicians, their other friend a dentist. Back in his old neighborhood, now as an emergency room doctor, Davis hopes to help other at-risk youth break the cycle of violence and poverty.