Cobb County man raised in poverty starting residency at Wellstar Kennestone Medical Center

July 1 is the start date for medical residency and fellowship programs in the United States, and one resident in Marietta is having a full-circle moment.

Dr. Douglas Taylor is starting his residency in Wellstar Kennestone Medical Center's emergency department after beginning his career in medicine in the same department as a patient transporter, then a tech.

"He was one of our techs, high-performing ones actually, and he would go above and beyond to make sure our patients got  the best care possible. So when he said he was leaving, we got worried and scared, but when we found out it was for medical school, we were all pretty excited," said Kennestone Dr. Derrick Ashong.

Taylor was inspired to enter the medical field by his wife, who is a nurse with Wellstar and a cancer survivor.

"Being a doctor seems really uplifting and requires a lot of passionate work, and if I could save someone's life like the doctors that saved my wife, that would be - what a dream that would be," Taylor said.

Taylor is a rarity in his field, being the first in his family to graduate high school. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, only about 15% of U.S. Medical students come from families without college degrees. Those whose parents did not complete high school represent an even smaller group.

"Homeless, in prison, drugs ran rampant through my family," Taylor said.

Taylor's mother wanted a different path for him.

"My mom put her foot down and was like, 'You will graduate, and you will go to college,'" Taylor recalled.

His different background gives him a better approach to patient care, according to colleagues.

"You can tell the difference for sure in their care, in their bedside manner, everything. It's character building," said Nurse Elizabeth, who knows Dr. Taylor from his tech days.

"I think it really just provides an opportunity, frankly, for connecting in a way that's not as superficial. It's a lived experience," Ashong said.

Ashong has known Dr. Taylor since he was a tech and helped make the decision to bring him on as a resident.

"It's one thing to say you want to be a doctor; it's a whole other thing to say you've worked in the place you want to serve. It means that you know the needs of that community. You can really dedicate yourself in a way that's true and shows you're really dedicated to making that space better," Ashong said.

Which is why bringing in doctors with different backgrounds is so important, according to Ashong.

"I hope to continue just an eternal sense of gratefulness  that you know not many people in my position  make it this far and  get to have the opportunity to do what I get to do, and it's such a blessing," Taylor said.