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Antoinette J. Charles, BS (she/her/hers)

Medical Student
Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
Durham, NC, US

Antoinette Jasmine Charles is a first-generation Haitian-American who was born and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida. She is a third-year medical student at Duke University School of Medicine. She earned a Bachelor of Science in neuroscience with a minor in chemistry at Georgia State University. After graduating, Antoinette worked as a clinical research fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health. Currently, she is working in the Spine Tumor Research lab with Dr. Rory Goodwin to help the quality of life outcomes in patients with spine tumors. Antoinette co-founded the Duke Spine Navigator's Program to improve patients’ access to and utilization of existing healthcare resources, expand the social support network of patients, and increase mobility in the postoperative period. She is also pursuing a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Health Policy at UNC Chapel Hill.

Antoinette has served as the Class Council Vice-President of Service, Medical Student representative for the Graduate and Professional Student Government, and Student National Medical Association Pre-medical Students Liaison. Antoinette co-founded the Future Leaders in Neurosurgery Symposium which is a virtual event for high school and undergraduate students to provide exposure and opportunities for these future leaders to connect with current neurosurgeons from diverse backgrounds, introduce students to neurosurgical research, and educate them on life as a neurosurgeon. Last year, Antoinette was invited to serve on the White House Clinician Innovators Roundtable Series to use experiences through personal challenges, leadership opportunities, and clinical experiences to contribute to discussions on health policy and civic engagement that directly impact providers and patients. These roundtables engage the nation’s leading health equity thought leaders, clinicians, and researchers on health equity issues such as social determinants of health, healthcare disparities, and racial equity in healthcare.

Ultimately, Antoinette is interested in pursuing neurosurgery or orthopedic surgery and hopes to use any gained expertise to advocate for patients’ rights and mitigate social injustices in medicine. She aspires to become a physician leader that provides credible insight to lawmakers, informs patient-centered policy recommendations, and improves healthcare delivery cost-efficiently.

In her spare time, Antoinette enjoys brunching, traveling, and co-hosting Let’s Talk Reform. This podcast elevates the discussion around social and mental health needs in the school-to-prison pipeline and the United States criminal justice system.

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