Rebuilding a Dream
Luther St. James IV, MD, follows in his parents’ footsteps, never gives up medical dream
Thirty-two years ago, Dr. Hugh “Smiley” Hill delivered a baby boy to UF medical students Carol Tanner-St. James and Luther St. James III at Shands Hospital, now UF Health Shands Hospital, and through his legendary laugh insisted their son would return to the University of Florida College of Medicine to follow in his parents’ footsteps.
Although his path to a medical degree took a few detours — to storm-ravaged New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and through a variety of jobs, including at UPS and as an EMT — Luther St. James IV, MD ’16, found his way back to Gainesville to fulfill Hill’s prediction. On May 20, the entire St. James family — his parents, grandfather, four brothers, one sister-in-law, two nephews, his wife, wife’s parents and Luther’s mentor from New Orleans — was in Gainesville to watch him receive his medical degree. His graduation marks the first African-American family to graduate more than one generation of doctors from the UF College of Medicine.
“It was beautiful to see Luther graduate, but I think the best part was having my dad there to see the second generation walk across the stage. My dad said, ‘I never thought I would have seen this. Kids need to know they can do it,’” said Tanner-St. James, whose father is an 86-year-old retired science teacher from rural Mississippi.
Luther St. James IV, is surrounded by his family on the day of his graduation in May. From left are brothers, Tanner, Carl, Charles and David St. James; Sister Grace Mary Flickinger; his wife, Kirbie St. James, PharmD; mother, Carol Tanner-St. James, MD; and father, Luther St. James III, MD.
Photo by Mindy C. Miller
Top: Carol Tanner-St. James and Luther St. James III are pictured at the UF College of Medicine in the 1980s with their first son, Luther, and new baby, Tanner. Bottom: The elder Luther St. James lifts Luther St. James IV for an easy basket.
Born during his mother’s last year in medical school, Luther and his family spent five more years in Gainesville while his father finished his medical degree and Tanner-St. James, MD ’84, and St. James III, MD ’86, completed their family practice residencies. While growing up, Luther was at home in his parents’ health care environment. He spent many hours in physician lounges as a small child, talking with doctors while his parents worked. As a teenager, Luther worked at his parents’ family practice clinic in Daytona Beach, and he seemed destined for a career in medicine.
According to his mother, Luther lost his focus when he went to college at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans. He soon failed out of school and returned home.
“I knew I wasn’t living up to the standards my parents set,” Luther said. “I was disappointed in myself, and I needed to turn it around. I said to myself, ‘If I can get out of this hole, my brothers will always know that if I could do it, they could do it, too.’”
Luther went to work for UPS and received emergency medical training to work as an EMT, but when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, he insisted on going back to help rebuild his university. The storm was Luther’s turning point, according to his mother.
The first stop he made once back in New Orleans was to the office of Sister Grace Mary Flickinger, an almost 80-year-old Sister of the Blessed Sacrament and a biology professor. Luther impressed the academic adviser by taking full responsibility for his past mistakes, offering no excuses, she said.
“I knew I was working with a man and not a boy,” said Flickinger, who continues to teach at Xavier, and whose influence has been a guiding force for Luther through his entire education, which is why he brought her to Gainesville to witness his medical school graduation.
Sister of the Blessed Sacrament Gracy Mary Flickinger and Luther St. James IV, MD '16
Photo by Mindy C. Miller
In New Orleans, Luther spent several months giving back where help was needed while saving money and working to get back into school. He tore down houses, helped clean up storm damage, worked multiple jobs and also witnessed the violence that erupted after the hurricane.
“There were shootings every night in my neighborhood,” Luther said, “but despite the bad times, people still took the time to ask me how I was doing. People used to feed me. I’d baby-sit neighbors’ kids. I taught a couple of them how to read.
“I learned about how a community of people stuck together in a tough situation,” he said.
Flickinger soon convinced the admissions committee to readmit Luther and encouraged him to get a tutoring job and a research position in a genetics lab. After he graduated with his bachelor’s degree in 2009 from Xavier and completed a postbaccalaureate program at Barry University in Miami, Luther applied to the UF College of Medicine and was accepted in 2012.
Luther receives his white coat at the Class of 2016 UF College of Medicine White Coat Ceremony.
In late June, St. James returned to New Orleans to begin his surgery residency at Louisiana State University. His heart is in the Crescent City and so is his future.
He joins his wife, Kirbie, who is from New Orleans and recently completed her pharmacy residency. St. James plans to work with Flickinger to establish a mentoring program for African-American students at Xavier who hope to become doctors.
“I want to show New Orleans the love New Orleans showed me,” Luther said. Although a surgical resident at LSU, Luther doesn’t hide his Gator pride.
“UF gave me skin like a gator. The Gator Nation sticks together — it’s real.”
