COVER STORY
Dr. Sydel
Le Grande
There Is A Doctor
In The House Who Cares
By Laura Dorsey
THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY
Early in her life, Sydel knew that she want-
ed to be a doctor. She remembers fondly
when her mother went to Woolworths and
purchased a nurse’s kit. Sydel, promptly
sent her back requesting a doctor’s kit.
That determination would follow her as she
continued her education. Completing all
of the requirements for high school by the
11 th grade, she was also entering her senior
year at Hillsborough Community College.
Sydel, at 17 years old, graduated high
26
IBA Success Magazine
n
VOL 5, Issue 5
school and 25 days later, she also gradu-
ated with an AA degree from Hillsborough
Community College with a 3.9 GPA. With
those type of academic credentials, she
had many choices for higher education,
but chose University of South Florida to
study Biology and then University of Florida
for medical school. Sydel was not ready for
the extreme prejudice that she would ex-
perience at UF. She recounts a story of be-
ing accused of cheating because her test
scores and those of her black classmates
were so high. This incident did not deter
her, but instead enthused her to go on to
complete her medical degree and her res-
idency in family practice at the Medical
College of Georgia, Augusta.
ONE SIDE OF THE COIN –
HEALTH CARE
There was never any doubt that Sydel
would come back to Florida to practice
medicine. In 1985 she started to fulfill the
National Health Services commitment as
Staff Physician, in Liberty City area of Mi-
ami, which she completed in 1989. She
continued in private practice in Liberty
City, Key Largo and Miami for the next four
years, returning home to Tampa in 1994.
Tampa Hillsborough Action Plan hired her
as the Medical Director over two inner city
Medical Centers until 1996. Even though
she had been successful in her career, she
realized that her success was not enough.
W
hen you hear the phrase, two
sides of the same coin, most
people would think that you
mean that there are different
ways of looking at or dealing with the same
situation. However, if you add the word, re-
ciprocal, that means that it is the same on
both sides. If you look this phrase up in the
dictionary, you might find a picture of Dr.
Sydel LeGrande. When she speaks of her
legacy—restoration of the black communi-
ty, she has two areas of focus—two sides of
the same coin, her private practice busi-
ness and her community activism. Provid-
ing footprints to follow regarding the trust,
understanding and connection of people
in both areas is her mission in life. If you
wonder where all of this comes from, you
must be aware of her story and she was
willing to share in an interview for everyone
to know.