Vetted in Vet Med: Episode 4: Built from the Struggle: How Dr. Milligan Became the CEO of Her Own Vet Life: Part 1

In this engaging conversation, Dr. Sherrelle Milligan shares her journey as a veterinarian, discussing the challenges she faced in veterinary school, the impact of racism and sexism in the field, and the intersection of her professional and personal life as a mother. The discussion highlights the importance of community support, resilience, and the emotional toll of personal experiences, including miscarriages. Dr. Milligan emphasizes the need for representation in veterinary medicine and the strength found in overcoming adversity.

Takeaways

• Dr. Milligan emphasizes the importance of community support in overcoming challenges.
• She shares her journey of becoming a veterinarian, starting from a young age.
• The conversation highlights the emotional toll of miscarriages and the importance of mental health.
• Dr. Milligan discusses the impact of racism and sexism in veterinary medicine.
• She reflects on the challenges of balancing motherhood and a demanding career.
• The importance of self-care and personal growth is emphasized throughout the discussion.
• Dr. Milligan shares her experiences with clients and the need for trust in veterinary care.
• The conversation touches on the significance of representation in the veterinary field.
• Dr. Milligan's resilience and determination shine through her story.
• The discussion encourages listeners to keep pushing forward despite obstacles. 

Transcript

Dr. Daveeta Levy (00:35)
Hi girl.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (00:38)
It's good to see you.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (00:38)
Alright,

it's

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (00:39)
Me too!

Dr. Daveeta Levy (00:40)
good to see you too. Look, is the cat okay?

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (00:42)
It's been a crazy morning.

No, he's doing way better. His potassium is still super high. We didn't do anything like yet to help with that until just now. Like, so he's been on fluids and stuff, but now we're doing the calcium gluconate and getting some dextrose in him as well. So, but he's doing like way better than he was earlier just on the fluids and the unblocking and all that. So, yeah.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (00:54)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (01:09)
Look at you doctor.

Okay, girl

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (01:11)
Man... The struggle.

This is not, I'm not an emergency vet, you know what I mean? But it's, you know, one of those situations where they're like, you know, we can't, we can't go nowhere else. So we like, we're gonna do what we can and we're gonna save his life and go from there. So yes, yes, yes, yes. How are y'all?

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (01:18)
Thank you. ⁓

Dr. Daveeta Levy (01:20)
It right, but this

is...

Yeah.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (01:30)
And the password.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (01:33)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Doing good.

So, you know, this is all, it's informal, you know. So.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (01:42)
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Look,

sit back and just take a breath for the first time today.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (01:49)
Yeah,

take a breath. ⁓

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (01:50)
Yeah.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (01:51)
Are you in an exam room?

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (01:53)
This is the fifth exam room for the first practice that we don't use really that often. We have the four others, but then, so we also have a clinic cat, my fourth cat named Gutterball. So this is literally like her, this is like Gutterball's room. So I will show you her room. She got cat treat, she got her little bed and everything. so, yeah, let take you through this.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (02:05)
Mm-hmm.

No, okay.

She got a big old room. That room was huge.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (02:19)
So

sometimes we get so busy that we have to use this room, but for the most part, we just keep her stuff in here.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (02:22)
no.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (02:25)
Come on, so busy. That's what we like to hear.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (02:25)
Exactly.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (02:27)
Right?

Ayanna, I haven't seen you in forever. My goodness. Yes. I was telling Daveeta about how long we've known each other since undergrad, like literally, like freshman year.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (02:33)
No, no.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (02:33)
I know, know, my Shereli. ⁓

Yeah.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (02:47)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (02:47)
It's been a

while. We forget how long it's been, honestly.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (02:52)
Yes,

yes, yes, yes. And my bestie, Daveeta Yes, I agree. I agree.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (02:55)
Yeah, but we all look so good. We all look so good.

There's something about this, age group, this bracket, like from the 30s to the, the 40s, that bracket. We just, I don't know, we're not aging. Like we just getting better and better. We looking better and better.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (03:05)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (03:19)
Thank

Yes. Yes.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (03:23)
Even

despite the stresses, because I feel like we are going through more stress in our age bracket than these Gen Zs whatever they call them.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (03:25)
I thought that was right.

Baby, it's diabolical. The historical

things that have happened during our lifetime is wild.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (03:41)
We've seen and experienced

a lot, okay, but we still, we're aging very well.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (03:44)
Yes. Yes.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (03:49)
Somebody said it was all the preservatives

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (03:52)
I mean,

that could be it, you know what I mean? Like, there's no scientific research to prove that, but like.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (04:01)
Yeah.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (04:02)
Hehehehehe

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (04:05)
feel like I'm personally in a season of like, I've just been seeing a lot about like the glow up type stuff, like trying to glow up and everything. And I was like, you know, that's a really good and healthy thing to do. If you do it right, you know, like if you're not trying to be like everybody else and be influenced by unhealthy habits and stuff.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (04:14)
Yeah

⁓ no.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (04:30)
material things. Yeah.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (04:31)
Right,

right. But things like, you know, wanting to take care of yourself, eat healthy, like self-care, you know? So I've been trying to like really get on that bandwagon. So this is like the fifth week that I've been waking up at 4 a.m., going to the gym by around 5, and then coming home.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (04:36)
Is it?

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (04:37)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (04:44)
⁓ hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (04:56)
to get the boys ready and get the food in the crock pot for dinner and blah, blah. But I find that that 4 a.m. time of just waking up and just being has really, really helped me just feel like I have something in the day to myself. Yes, yes. And it's better than just waking up at 5 a.m. and going straight to the gym, because I be tired.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (05:07)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Studios.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (05:16)
That's a word.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (05:26)
I'm like, I don't even know where I'm driving to right now.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (05:26)
Okay.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (05:28)
Okay.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (05:32)
I would let myself wake up for a few minutes. Yes.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (05:33)
Thank

Dr. Daveeta Levy (05:34)
It gives you more time, yeah. Because there's multiple things that

you want to do more than just work out too, you know. ⁓

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (05:42)
Yeah, you want to pray, you want to meditate, you want to do

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (05:42)
Yeah

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (05:44)
your, you know, gratitudes and your self-reflections and you know, so that's like from four to like 420. And then after that, I'm like looking at my calendar and seeing what I have to do for the day. And so I feel a lot less rushed. I feel a lot less,

Dr. Daveeta Levy (05:51)
Uh-huh.

⁓

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (06:04)
pulled in every direction and I feel more like I have a strong foundation to start the day. So when bad things happen, which they do, like literally, you know, in this profession, there's something bad that can happen every single day. Like you feel like you can better handle it and, you know, move forward. So that's been helpful.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (06:06)
Yeah

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (06:17)
Thank

Dr. Daveeta Levy (06:25)
Yeah.

So I'm gonna go ahead and formally introduce you. ⁓ The cameras don't stop rolling. ⁓ That is footage that will still be used. So.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (06:32)
yeah, we started, we just jumped right in, I'm sorry.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (06:36)
informal, it's fun.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (06:40)
Yes.

Yep.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (06:43)
it

Dr. Daveeta Levy (06:47)
Okay, so today we have my bestie. We have Dr. Sherrelle Milligan, who is also a veterinarian, a mom, and a multi-practice owner based in South Carolina. She was born and raised in Harlem, New York, and she also graduated from Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, TU.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (06:55)
Hello everyone. ⁓

You know

Dr. Daveeta Levy (07:18)
She went on to complete a residency in laboratory animal medicine and earned her PhD in veterinary pathobiology from Texas A ⁓ with a focus on lipid metabolism. Known for her compassionate, thorough care, Dr. Milligan strives to make every pet and every pet parent feel seen, safe, and understood. Alongside her husband, Roderick, a Dartmouth-Tuck MBA,

and the business mind behind their practices. She's grown a veterinary group rooted in excellence, empathy, and strong leadership. Together, they balance entrepreneurship, family life, and a deep commitment to elevating the profession. She is a mom of their two precious boys, and she has four cats, one of which is named Gutterball, who lives at their first practice.

But you ain't shout out the house cats.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (08:17)
I know, but hey.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (08:18)
Well,

I know how much time we had and so I was like, I'm gonna throw gutter ball in there, but I can talk about the other.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (08:24)
She gotta make the cameo, she gotta make the cameo.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (08:28)
So.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (08:29)
Where is she laying on top of the any patients?

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (08:34)
No, no, not at not at this moment. No, he is. She likes to hang out in the back where the treatment area is, because that's where her little like heated, warming heated blanket that she likes to perch on, you know, for the whole day, 130 degrees, got to be fine. I'm telling you, and I didn't I mean, I didn't buy that. OK, I did buy this expensive like cat tree.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (08:37)
you

Mmm. She is so blessed

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (08:56)
like a favorite. You sound like a favorite

to me.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (09:01)
She is, it is giving favorites, it is.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (09:01)
⁓ no, because

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (09:03)
Yes.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (09:04)
I don't get to see her like on the weekends. never I don't really see her during the week when I'm unless I'm here like or if I come after hours, which, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I didn't buy her the heated thing like IDEXX bought that for her. Shout out to Natalie Brown for, you know, taking care of gutter Ball too. But yeah, everybody's spoils her. She's a she's a hot mess. But yes.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (09:11)
Yeah.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (09:12)
I'm giving her practice class.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (09:19)
Wow.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (09:24)
This

Dr. Daveeta Levy (09:28)
He is

giving street life a comfort life

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (09:30)
hand as I would like to.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (09:32)
Okay, like I

will come back as Gutter Ball next time.

So yeah, no, the other three are like James and Daron who are they're named after my husband's best friends that hate cats. So that.

And then there's a pumpkin patch that ⁓ was gonna get put down at The Pet Space. He presented with, well, first he presented with vomiting, just random vomiting. And he was on hard food. So I said to switch him to pate that usually, that works many times and that fixes vomiting. But then he also started having resorptive tooth clinical signs. And so he was like,

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (09:54)
Yeah.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (10:19)
drooling a lot and just super, super painful and the owners couldn't afford the surgery. So I'm literally about to get this cat sedated to put him down and the owner leaves to, she didn't want to be around for the procedure. he's doing, mean, she was very thankful when she found out after the fact that we didn't move ahead with it, but Roger comes back, he's like, stop, she left.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (10:39)
you

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (10:45)
And I'm like, he's like, don't do it. I'm like.

You want me to not move forward with this?" He's like, we're gonna try to find a home for this cat? He's like, yes, we're gonna try to find a home for it. So we ended up keeping the cat, of course, and I ended up fixing his mind. Yes. So he's doing fantastic now. He just needed some teeth pulled and he's living his best life.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (10:53)
way way way

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (11:09)
Yay! ⁓

Dr. Daveeta Levy (11:10)
So.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (11:12)
Yeah.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (11:14)
Well, we've already in our first episode, we introduced ourselves, we talked about our journey. So I did kind of want you to, talk about what inspired you? Everybody wants to always know that what inspired you to become a veterinarian? And then, this venture that you're currently on,

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (11:36)
Crazy ⁓

Dr. Daveeta Levy (11:36)
is so different.

I remember you saying that you would never, never own a practice.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (11:43)
Ever,

ever, will not do it.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (11:44)
when you go through.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (11:49)
So I think it's very interesting and I think that it'll definitely be something that people want to hear, especially with the road that you started on. So that's what we want to start there.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (12:04)
Okay, okay. So, you know, the typical ever since I was little, I wanted to be a vet thing. I was five years old, I think, when I officially decided I wanted to be a vet. I remember, I remember I was like, you know, I think I want to. Yes, yes. Yes. But then, um,

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (12:22)
it. ⁓

You meant that business.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (12:32)
When I was a teenager, like kind of close to that age, I was kind of between being a pediatrician versus a veterinarian. And I knew I had a mouth when I was a teenager and I was talking back. And so was like, do I want my patients to talk back like that? know what I mean? So that was a very immature, cause you don't realize you have to deal with the clients that, you know, talk back and stuff too. And that's, that's just part of it. But so that was part of that decision making process.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (12:48)
Alright.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (12:49)
Thank

and

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (13:01)
and so that's like a very, generic introduction, but then you add on the fact that I grew up in the projects in New York, my parents, they did the best that they could for us. but neither one of them, went to college. And so just grew up seeing them, work really hard for everything that they've been able to give us.

But the environment doesn't tell you that that's something that you can be, you know what I mean? I just had to like, just hold on to the fact that this is what I'm doing. And, I had lots of family that inspired me to continue to move forward with that desire to become a vet. And then as I got older, I started to understand, what it took to get there and what kind of experience you need, who you need to talk to, that kind of thing.

So went to Tuskegee. Just like I heard y'all talk about, single application type stuff, Tuskegee was the only school I applied for.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (13:51)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (13:56)
love it. love it. Them great minds right there.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (13:57)
Yes, I was in bed and like more comfortable.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (14:00)
Hmm.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (14:01)
Yes,

yes, because I didn't want to go nowhere else. Like I went to Tuskegee for undergrad so that I could go to Tuskegee for vet school, you know, I thought about the whole shebang. So got into Tuskegee, went through vet school. During vet school, I did a lot of like lab animal medicine.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (14:07)
same

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (14:17)
research opportunities, anything that dealt with working with multiple species. Like so I did some zoo medicine as well. Monkeys went to primate centers over the summers and things like that. And, got into Texas A&M from my lab in a residency. Yes, that was the only residency program I applied for. So I was very pleased when I got in. And, during that program,

Dr. Daveeta Levy (14:34)
You

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (14:39)
I went through some things and me and Daveeta we were on the phone every day back then, because we literally went through our residency programs together and just went through lot of hostility, went through a lot of personal things. Hostility as in racism, sexism. Texas A&M has a history of...

Dr. Daveeta Levy (14:53)
you

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (15:04)
being not the best place for black students, And so I actually had people warning me before I went there and I was like, no, it's gonna be great. You know what I mean? But when you get there and it's not everybody bad. In fact, 98 % of the people were wonderful. So I'm not talking bad about the school itself, just certain people at that time that they allow to be employed there.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (15:13)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (15:33)
I remember one time when I was, so the residents all shared like a central pharmacy. And so there were the clinical residents, like your internal medicine and surgery and that kind of thing that they were very familiar with. But LabAnimal, had our own pharmacy, but we would sometimes get things from the central pharmacy. And when I went there to go pick up,

I think I was picking up parvo tests because we were making sure our dog colony didn't have like an outbreak or something. The pharmacist is like, well, I don't know who the hell you are. And I said, I'm blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I need blah, blah, blah. You know what I mean? And I was so embarrassed because in front of all the other colleagues, I'm having to be talked to like that.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (16:06)
Mm-mm.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (16:12)
Boo-Boo.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (16:12)
Right.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (16:16)
Stay fixed.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (16:18)
Yeah

Hey, you.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (16:25)
And I

didn't feel empowered at the time to really do anything about it because like the person that I would have went to was one of the people causing me hostility and issues anyway. So, you see that person again and they try to make excuses about why they said that, there's not a lot of black people in my town. And I'm like, what does that have to do with me? Like exactly. So anywho, thank goodness during my program, I got a new

Dr. Daveeta Levy (16:40)
and

didn't have to do it very clean.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (16:53)
residency director who made my life so much better. She was amazing. And then, my last year I spent finishing my PhD. And then by around that time is when I really got like, I really understood this ain't what I want to do. You know what I mean?

Dr. Daveeta Levy (16:55)
Mm-hmm.

After going through all of it.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (17:14)
Yeah, I've been going through all that and realizing like, I don't really like this this much to be going through it. Like I'm literally just doing it so I don't quit, you know, so I can say I finished, you know what I mean? So with that being said,

Dr. Daveeta Levy (17:21)
Yeah.

Talk about,

I'm gonna stop you, because I want you to talk about the struggle for the PhD, the pushback that you received for the PhD.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (17:30)
I'm sorry.

The what?

my God.

That was a whole situation. So first, your residency director don't like you because you black, whatever, because you're woman, whatever, you know, he said things like, I would do anything to have a resident with two testicles. I would do anything to have a resident with a beard. You know what I mean? He got fired my last year during my PhD after a whole like investigation and all that stuff.

Like we had a a resident take her life while she was going there. And not saying it's completely the fault of the university or the program, but definitely didn't make it better, you know? So, so with all that in the background, this thing over here was trying to be the first anybody, black person, woman, person, period in that program.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (18:23)
It's good.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (18:33)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (18:37)
to get her PhD and her residency at the same time. And it was a huge, like, just issue. My boss, my director, for some reason was anti-research, even though he's a lab animal vet. And so he liked clinical, everything clinical, you know what I mean? He didn't appreciate time at the bench. He didn't appreciate, you know, leaving to go to the lab to finish the project that I have to finish anyway to complete the program.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (18:40)
and then you're done.

play.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (18:55)
Good to get.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (18:57)
Then it's all, I mean.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (19:06)
And so, and then, on the other end of the research side, my PhD mentor who she's done so much for me. Like I need to reach out and like say hi, because it's been a long time since we spoke. Yes, I think so. But you know, she's, she's, she, she's feisty too. You know what I mean? Yes. Yes. Yes. So I was in the middle between the two.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (19:18)
She would be so proud of

Yeah, yeah, we had some issues with that too, but yeah. ⁓

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (19:35)
you know, trying to be a people pleaser, trying to make everybody happy, trying to like not get in trouble, trying to, stay out of things and not really have a voice. And so that really made, I mean, it wasn't like an easy, it wasn't an easy experience. I finished and I'm happy I did. I can still say that I have that credential, but, and I use it sometimes, you know, it is a nutrition based situation, but it was a hard, hard time.

And, reproductive issues as well. Roderick and I suffered two miscarriages during my residency. Had to have surgery to fix my uterus so I can have kids. It was a whole thing. But we got through and we got through in four years because I say I'm not spending no more time here.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (20:18)
⁓ my-

Yeah.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (20:25)
So Asher was born actually my seven year old during that time ⁓ while I was there. And I took some like three months off kind of working at home ⁓ and taking care of him. And then while I was finishing my PhD, I was still nursing. So I would leave during lunchtime, go nurse him at the daycare because he wasn't really trying to drink bottles like that. And then go back and...

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (20:52)
Mine neither

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (20:54)
go back to the bench and keep working again.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (20:57)
Maybe that sounds like so like why is the so similar? It's so crazy. Like when you know nothing about anybody's journey, even just  the whole breast feeding neither one of mine. Like my first was starve herself until I returned home. I mean, she was hollering the whole time for the most part because she didn't. But like, not take a bottle. Second, would not take a bottle. They're like pacifiers, doing this stuff. Craziness.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (21:16)
Yes, yes.

No. Nothing. Nothing artificial. ⁓

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (21:27)
but also Sherelle, do have, I have two kids. I don't know if you know this and that. Yeah.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (21:31)
No, I do know now. knew when I listened to the, I think you said it maybe in the first podcast perhaps. I knew,

Dr. Daveeta Levy (21:32)
Thanks

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (21:38)
and when I was at, when we were at Dartmouth, we spoke because we were going to do like a kids like skincare thing or something like that. And that, that life. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So I knew you were a mom. I don't know if I knew you had two until like recently. So congratulations.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (21:43)
you're like, girl. Random.

thanks.

It's just funny because I never post them or anything like this. So when I'm talking to people and I'm like, oh yeah, got two kids. Yeah, that was funny.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (22:03)
Thanks.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (22:06)
Yeah, I didn't know. I didn't know.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (22:07)
Yeah

older your babies.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (22:13)
One just turned five and I got a two year old

Dr. Daveeta Levy (22:16)
Mmm, yeah.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (22:17)
Got that too.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (22:18)
⁓

Two-year-old Virgo second child all encased in a little old lady. Yeah.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (22:21)
Yeah. Well, to know.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (22:32)
So fun times. Fun times.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (22:35)
Yes, I'm sending

Dr. Daveeta Levy (22:35)
and girls at that.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (22:36)
all the strength of motherhood your direction because that two is nothing else. It's no joke. It's hard. ⁓

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (22:45)
It-

Dr. Daveeta Levy (22:45)
And it

don't stop it two It continues on into three. It just gets worse. And then they get better.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (22:47)
no. No.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (22:50)
known.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (22:50)
And it goes into four a little bit.

It gets better at four, but we still got a little bit of stuff we're trying to work out.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (22:55)
Yeah,

you're right.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (22:57)
Yeah, some

new things. Kind of reminds me of vet school. It's all the different types of challenges in each year, like when things disappear, but also things, new things arise. So yeah.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (23:00)
Yeah.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (23:05)
And.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (23:11)
Yes. Yes.

Yes. And then neither one is the same, you know. You go through one and you're like, okay, I got this. And then the other one has its own set of challenges and stuff that you have to go

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (23:16)
Yeah.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (23:23)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. ⁓

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (23:24)
Sure.

Well, I mean, this is you had a couple of different segues that I want to take the opportunity and talk about like, you know, what it's like being a black woman in this field because, you know, Daveeta and I are black women as well. So we talk about it. But also, you know, we're talking about motherhood and, you know, family life. So I'm going to give you the opportunity to talk about both.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (23:38)
Okay. Yes,

Dr. Daveeta Levy (23:38)
You

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (23:49)
yes. So with the black woman thing, I'll also pair in the whole business ownership thing. And because I think it's, partially related. So

You go through things when you work at different hospitals, you know what I mean? Like y'all discussed that before. And I came to the conclusion that like I won't be able to control my work life and the toxicity that can come with just being in vet med unless I'm in charge. Because I've been at so many different clinics where you would think

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (24:21)
Mmm.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (24:27)
the person that's in charge would be the one to like make sure toxicity wasn't a thing. And it's that person that's actually causing the toxicity is like, what do I do? I can't tell them to fire you. Yes.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (24:38)
Right.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (24:40)
Yeah. You're the problem.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (24:42)
Why is that always

the case?

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (24:47)
It's always the case, always. It's not just in private practice, it's corporate, it's in academia. The person in charge, many times it's the person that's the problem. so, I make that, what's that? That abuse of power, exactly. They get the big head and they just feel like everybody's below them, they can talk to everybody the way they want to.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (25:00)
Yeah.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (25:02)
That abuse of power, for sure. That abuse of power.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (25:14)
And you you technically can, but that doesn't mean like people are gonna stay to work with you. know, like you can't get employees, you don't have a business like so But even more so as like a black woman, just being able to like be in control of things like, the sensitivity towards having pets come in with derogatory names, a pet comes in with a derogatory name.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (25:19)
there.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (25:20)
run.

you

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (25:37)
Say that.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (25:39)
And you you go places and you feel like it's not being taken seriously or like people are looking at you sideways for thinking anything of it. And it's like, I just don't want to hear that in a vet clinic. And I don't want to hear a pet being called that either, you know? So.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (25:44)
Yeah.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (25:56)
Yeah, people,

I mean, I'm sure like our non-veterinary listeners do not realize like that's a thing. it's a really, it's far more common than people even can fathom.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (26:04)
Mmmmm

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (26:04)
That is a thing. That is a thing.

my gosh. Roderick was on the phone with this one lady.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (26:13)
You

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (26:19)
And you know, sometimes you just gotta laugh. why are you doing this? So of course, the white woman, very southern, not southern, know, southern is one thing, but being, you know, kind of country is another thing. You know what I mean? That's kind of where she was.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (26:23)
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (26:35)
Yes.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (26:37)
Yeah.

⁓

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (26:41)
Why is she yelling on the phone?

Calling her dog the N-word.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (26:46)
Hmm. And that's the dog name

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (26:48)
And I'm like...

What makes you think he deserves to be called that? Like,

why are you doing that? Like, why the dog? You know what I mean? so, Roderick's like in shock on the phone with her. And then she's like, I'm so sorry. You know, she apologizes and stuff. Cause you know, you can't just switch it up. Like, if that's who you are, it's just gonna come out. You know what I mean? If that's what you do, if that's the language you're used to.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (26:59)
Mmhmm, mmhmm, mmhmm.

Exactly, Yeah, don't try

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (27:18)
Sorry.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (27:20)
to switch up now. Yeah, and you calling him that all the time.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (27:21)
Exactly. you know,

she has, know, like, how do I say this?

It's more so like her having like a black boyfriend and black friends and then being in that community kind of thing. Yes, yes, versus like anti-black, like racist, like, you know, KKK type, you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, I mean.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (27:41)
Thank

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (27:41)
Okay, so we're there, we're there. Type. Okay.

I'm sorry, it's the same thing

Dr. Daveeta Levy (27:52)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (27:55)
But you know, I digress. That's a whole other conversation.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (27:57)
Yes,

yes, yes, yes. Either way, you know, she shouldn't be using the word. So we still have her come in because I mean, the dog needs to be seen. That's business that needs to come in. And I'm focusing on the dog. I'm not really focusing on that. But when she gets here, I said, if we move forward, we're going to call your dog nice things, right? We're not going to call him mean things while you're in this clinic. No, no, I'm so sorry. I'm so, sorry. Okay.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (28:21)
Right.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (28:24)
And we've had a great relationship since then, you know, and that's the kind of mindset like as an owner that I have to have because I have to think about if I want to get this money and save this animal or not. It wasn't  a life or death thing, but do I want to help this animal or do I want to, you know, ⁓ turn him away because of something his owner did, you know? And I think because I have the choice.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (28:31)
Yeah!

Dr. Daveeta Levy (28:39)
Right.

Right.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (28:53)
As an owner, it's a lot easier for me to say yes or no versus if I wasn't an owner, I would feel some kind of way if they still forced me to see the animal. You know what I mean? So now I can make the personal choice about how I feel about the specific situation and decide if I want to move forward. So That's definitely a benefit.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (28:57)
Hmm.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (28:57)
Hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (29:14)
Well, I'm

gonna stop you and say that it's very mature of you to react in that way because I mean, honestly, I don't know what I would say right now, but a year ago, a year ago would have been like, cut, cut, cut the cameras. It's a wrap. You might as well go ahead and find somebody else because listen, it's probably the traumas talking and the

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (29:19)
Yeah, thank you.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (29:19)
Yeah.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (29:22)
Yeah.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (29:28)
Yeah

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (29:44)
that's

it. That's okay.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (29:44)
all the things,

but I have to commend you on being very mature. I mean, you just made me think of more like in the spay and neuter clinic that I'm working at, this just happened the other day where there's a little black dog and so cute, there was a name on there, was scratched out and then Sha nae nae was written in and I was like, okay. And so later on, huh?

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (29:47)
Alright.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (29:49)
Yeah.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (30:10)
I'll hack those gulps. I'm like look.

Now.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (30:14)
Now

listen, listen, listen, because it gets good. So later on, I was talking to the nurse and I was doing my surgeries and she came up to me, it's one of my favorites. Shout out to Priscilla hey girl. And she was like, I was talking to this lady, the owner of this dog, I was doing a dog surgery and she was just like, I I liked her until she said something racist. I said, brr brr, like stop.

stop sewing whatever I was sewing, was like, like what? Tell me what it is. And I'd forgotten about the whole Shanae-Nae thing. And I was like, oh, the dog's name is just different than what they had in the system. And so she was like, well, you know, she said sometimes, you know, she acts like a black woman. She has a little attitude like a black woman. And I was like.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (30:47)
mid-fill.

See.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (31:05)
You

Dr. Daveeta Levy (31:06)
And what is that?

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (31:09)
And she said everybody in the clinic just kind of stopped. She said, we white, but we ain't that kind of white. I said, ⁓ okay, first of all, kudos to you for talking about things in a ally kind of way when nobody's around. I appreciate that. But girl, what? An attitude like that. So you named her Shanae-Nae.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (31:23)
Yes, yes, yes.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (31:30)
Mmm.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (31:31)
I said, so when I finished I said, you also let her know that a black woman zipped her up like plastic surgeon, okay? Don't do that. Period. Period. ⁓

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (31:38)
Okay. Without an attitude. Okay. Period. Yes.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (31:38)
Right.

What

does it even mean?

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (31:46)
I just cannot,

I cannot, I cannot. The good thing is that I've also had it the other way, where I've had white people go above and beyond to say how happy they are to see me there. ⁓ In South Carolina, yeah, we are happy that you are here. When I acquired the second practice, ⁓ there was a whole...

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (31:59)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. It says a lot, right?

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (32:11)
30 years worth of clientele that were used to the other vet that looks like exactly what veterinarians look like back then, white males, you know what I mean? And so every time I walk in the room and I'm not him, it's like a huge up for the people that didn't know, you know what I mean? That didn't get the message. It's this huge, like, that kind of thing, which I'm used to.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (32:23)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah. I didn't get the memo.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (32:40)
Clutched pearls.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (32:41)
Because being a Black woman

in general as a veterinarian, that just, yep, yep, I'm the vet, yep, I look young, yep, I've been doing this 11 years. You know what I mean? But there's people that have gone above and beyond to say, you know, wow, like I haven't, I know that there's not that many, Black veterinarians. And so it's just so good to see one like in our community, like to go as far as to say that, you know? But yeah, people don't realize

Dr. Daveeta Levy (32:48)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, but we're here to see you.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (32:49)
I'll be right back.

Yeah.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (33:11)
Like, there is a black woman back there that has your animal's life in her hands now.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (33:16)
Right.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (33:20)
Shanae-Nae and all, because I'ma ride for Shanae-Nae.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (33:23)
Yes, right, exactly,

Another thing people don't realize is that when people act a certain way, that can really mess up the medicine. You know what I mean? I'll admit, if someone is being rude or racist or sexist or ridiculous, I do my best. I feel like I do a good job, but it's a distraction. So when people treat people...

Dr. Daveeta Levy (33:34)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (33:53)
treat us like that, it can be a distraction. And they're really putting their animal's life in danger by talking to the person who has enough pressure on themselves already. And now I have to do this thing with the backwards thinking of, you know, this is something that her mom said, you know.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (34:01)
Yeah.

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

And an adverse event associated with that might not even necessarily be intentional. Like, yeah, there may be evil people out there that is like, or trying to get revenge because they feel a certain kind of way. But.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (34:18)
Bye.

Right.

Right, right.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (34:28)
Yeah.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (34:29)
for the mass majority of us, you know, we really are there trying to do our best and mistakes can happen as a result of, having to deal with that or feeling like the person doesn't even trust me with their pet anyway. So, having to get past that.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (34:41)
Mm-hmm.

my gosh.

my god.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (34:54)
You know, like that's big. Like you gotta get through those emotions. And it's a lot of things that have to be buried so that we can move on with the day.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (34:54)
I'm not even sure.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (35:05)
Yeah. I had a client. So one of my wonderful nurses went in to get blood on the dog and she was having a hard time getting it. It was just like big chunky dog, trying to get an arm vein for a Chem 10 or something like that. And she couldn't get it. You know, she tried twice, came and got me. They're cool. I get in the room.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (35:05)
Yeah.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (35:33)
Hmm.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (35:34)
And like, oh right, I

understand why he couldn't get this, his arm is really hard to get blood from, let's get it from his neck. Are you guys okay? I don't wanna do that. I don't wanna do that. No, we're not doing that to my dog. I'm like, have you had an issue with jug sticks before? Nope, nope, but not worth the risk, not doing it, not the risk?

Dr. Daveeta Levy (35:51)
Bye.

What risk?

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (35:58)
I was talking to the dog, right? I was like, you know your veterinarian can get blood from a mouse vein, right? Like I did, that's what I said to the dog. I'm gonna talk to the dog, okay? We're gonna have a conversation. So you're gonna be okay. And I was like, that's okay. I ended up getting it from the back leg. You know what I mean? And it went well, but.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (36:07)
Yes, yes, yes.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (36:09)
You

Dr. Daveeta Levy (36:21)
you

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (36:23)
there was a mistrust, was an absolute mistrust when I came in there. And, even when you're explaining what's going on, there's this like, know-it-all type mentality, you know? And I don't try to always think somebody's racist, but in that situation, it absolutely was. When I talked to my nurse about it, who's not black, she's white, she was like, no, they weren't like that with me. She was like,

Dr. Daveeta Levy (36:33)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Hmm.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (36:42)
Yeah.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (36:49)
Hmm.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (36:49)
It was not,

they were very nice. They were very like straightforward. They were very, trusting and everything. They didn't start acting like until they saw you come in and I was like, that's what I thought. That's what I thought.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (36:56)
Mm.

Yeah.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (37:02)
That stuff gets exhausting. It's like, let me just do my job. Like, that I'm really, really damn good at it. So like, you want to say something Let's talk about the reality of things. Like, it ain't because of my professionalism or my skill set. It's because of your ignorance and your choice to be choosing violence in this situation.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (37:04)
It is.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (37:04)
Fiddles, fiddles.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (37:07)
Yeah

Okay, bye.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (37:11)
Right.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (37:14)
Yeah.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (37:18)
So, that's what we do.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (37:21)
Yeah.

Right,

right, you obviously have a problem. You know, not me.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (37:29)
Talk about it girl. Let's talk about it.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (37:31)
Yes,

yes, yes, yes. So that was something that happened last week actually in my own hospital, you know? And so you know I had to be like.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (37:38)
Right. I'm

like, meanwhile, right, meanwhile, you're the owner of the clinic. Just want to come in and get some blood. Having a big question.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (37:43)
I'm like, by the way, if you need anything,

you you throw it in there. Like, if you need something, I am the owner of this practice. ⁓

Dr. Daveeta Levy (37:52)
You

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (37:53)
you

Dr. Daveeta Levy (37:56)
That's when you got to play those cards like, I, you know, I think we're all pretty modest, but like there are times when you just got to play those cards You got to play the cards Yeah. And that's when I'm be happy to go up to the front to talk to somebody. had, this was non-racial, but it was another black woman that was questioning like the credentials.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (37:58)
yeah.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (37:59)
Yeah.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (38:02)
soon.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (38:07)
Hey, me pull this out. Bam! Big stage!

Dr. Daveeta Levy (38:23)
⁓ of the veterinarian that was going to be doing the neuter for her dog.

she wanted to know my name. I was like, give her my license number too. She can look me up online. Like you can look up anybody online. and I'm like, I've been practicing for, at that time it was like 10 years. so she wasn't sure she wanted to proceed with the neuter. So when she came to pick him up, I went out there.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (38:33)
Bye!

Dr. Daveeta Levy (38:50)
like ⁓ to introduce myself. Hi, I'm Dr. Levy and I just talked to her about myself, about the procedure itself. And of course it ended up coming back on my schedule to neuter him. I don't know if that was intentional or if it just happened to come back on me. So I'm like.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (39:06)
Yeah.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (39:14)
I really need to make sure,

you know, like I have no doubt that he'll be fine, but like I really.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (39:20)
Yeah.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (39:23)
⁓ it was, it was, but you know, initially I was annoyed because I'm like, ma'am, like we're not just back here, like just running amok. Like, you know, it's a very routine procedure, which anything can happen anytime. But in that moment, I just felt the distrust and I felt like I really had to like prove myself.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (39:39)
Thank you.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (39:51)
you know, to this owner. And there's been other situations like that. And I'm like, I'm tired of having to prove myself to these people because you can go anywhere. Like there are so many clinics that if you don't trust us, like, cause she was like, I've never met that doctor before. And I'm like, okay, hi, here I am.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (39:54)
Yeah.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (40:13)
You don't have to.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (40:15)
We've been. You meeting me is going to magically sprinkle more surgical skills on my hands

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (40:15)
I mean you can move but like. And let me play devil's advocate really quick because when I got when I got back to Mississippi I was looking at some folks real side eyed and their capabilities because I was like no you were real wrong in that situation and this incision looks really bad and

Dr. Daveeta Levy (40:18)
you

Right.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (40:24)
Yeah, yes, yes, yes.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (40:38)
Yeah.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (40:41)
Okay.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (40:42)
You

have no conversations with this owner. And now I'm the person, the relief doctor at the time. oh, they're trying to come for your license. Needless to say, she didn't work there very long after that.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (40:45)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (40:50)
⁓ yeah.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (40:55)
Mmm.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (40:57)
You know, sometimes you have to question things. Sometimes they have to try.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (41:00)
yeah, yeah.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (41:00)
Yeah, yeah, agree, agreed. Yeah, and that,

that right there being the relief vet and not and just seeing this baby for the first time and something happens before you, I'm like, you know what?

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (41:09)
Yeah.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (41:15)
I'm not really sure why this is the way it is.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (41:16)
Thank

Dr. Daveeta Levy (41:22)
We're gonna help you out today, okay? We gonna get you right

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (41:22)
⁓ yeah. No, no,

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (41:24)
We gotta get it right.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (41:27)
no, ⁓

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (41:28)
Yes.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (41:29)
⁓

I also don't want to skirt past, I got to go back. ⁓ When you said I want to talk about, you know, and you don't have to go into great detail, but.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (41:35)
I'm sorry.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (41:36)
That good.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (41:48)
this is more so as a mom, going through the miscarriages and then still have like, you were still working, you know, and having to go back to work. And then once you did finally have Asher, you know, that whole, like, I just want to talk about the emotional, the mental toll of having to go through.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (41:54)
Yeah. Yeah.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (42:16)
those challenges and still having to put your best foot forward to show up.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (42:22)
Girl, you still showing up

you guys.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (42:24)
Man, I think, Roderick, having Roderick, my husband, to tell me, don't quit, keep going. that was really helpful. Also having Daveeta to talk to every day on the phone while we were going through things together. You know, that was really helpful. Yes. ⁓ That was like,

Dr. Daveeta Levy (42:43)
you

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (42:44)
Love it.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (42:47)
that really made it happen. Like every day I was like, okay, got a news break for you, know? More stuff happening. But it was hard. A lot of it.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (42:54)
no, no, no, no,

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (42:58)
was trauma from just stuff that you're going to personally. And then that kind of spills into the work life. If people at work know about it, or if you have like...

This is when I had to go off from my director because...

You know, think, Daveeta knows about this story, but like, it was a day that I found out I was miscarrying the second child. And there was a big meeting at our translational research facility at A &M. And so I went during lunchtime for the ultrasound, found out there was no fetal heartbeat. So I was devastated, but I'm like, okay, I got to go to this important meeting for the study coming up. Just get through it.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (43:26)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (43:44)
Mm.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (43:46)
and then you can deal with what you're going through after the fact, you know, when you get home, on the way, call Daveeta and tell them what's going on, on the way home. And I was good until I went in there and my residency director was upset because we didn't tell him that one of the other residents had some kind of like flu or something like that. Like it was my responsibility to tell him what's going on with this other girl. ⁓

Dr. Daveeta Levy (44:11)
I'm gonna send it to you

guys.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (44:12)
And I didn't even know anything was going on with her, but he was upset because he didn't know she had to like go home early or something like that. And I'm just like, ⁓ so he's going off on me in front of everyone, like literally like human doctors, cardiologists, blah, blah, going off about not being told about the thing, me and, another resident. And I'm like, this is not the day. That's what I said. I was like, this is not the day.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (44:26)
Hmm.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (44:36)
Yep. There go, here go Harlem.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (44:36)
Mm-mm. Right,

here come all of you. Wrong day, wrong person, wrong time, wrong everything.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (44:42)
Just wrong Loud and wrong

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (44:44)
Harlem tried

to hide the hood for the good. The wrong day. So he says to me, because he can see like, I'm emotional. If you're going to cry, just leave the room.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (44:55)
going through something

Mmm.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (45:03)
so I won't beat yo ass

Dr. Daveeta Levy (45:05)
No.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (45:05)
I said, no, you,

my God. I said, no, you're the one that needs to leave the room because you're not the one that found out you're having a miscarriage today.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (45:14)
Mm-hmm, make them feel like crap

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (45:15)
And I

didn't use no curse words, you know what I mean? I'm still able to keep that. And I just sat there and he left. So once he left, I left and went in the other room and just broke down or whatever. So that kind of shows you how interconnected during that time the trauma was with what I was going through with also what I was going through at Texas A &M.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (45:18)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (45:29)
Hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (45:43)
I think the question was asking about, like, how did I get through it? Is that what you were asking, Daveeta? Yeah. So yeah, having that personal help, having a spiritual relationship with God and realizing there is something more than you that's in control. know what I mean? That was a huge help, You feel like you're by yourself. You feel like, what's next?

Dr. Daveeta Levy (45:50)
Yeah.

Hmm.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (46:10)
You know what I mean? You feel abandoned and having that kind of like gratitude for what you do have also was really, really good for me. And I think it's also because like I've already been through so much. like, I ain't going, I gotta like, I'm from Harlem. Like, we don't quit. We keep going. You know what I mean? Can't stop, won't stop.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (46:20)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. We just got the keyboard. Mm-hmm. ⁓

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (46:37)
You had to say it huh?

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (46:42)
We're from the same place.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (46:43)
you

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (46:47)
Woof!

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (46:49)
That's a whole other can of worms

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (46:56)
man.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (46:57)
But you know, it's that grit of like not being afraid to go through stuff and saying, I'm not quitting. Like, I'm not letting anybody stop me from trying to accomplish something that I want to accomplish. You know what I mean? And I'm gonna keep trying to have a baby too because I feel like I'm supposed to be a mom,

Dr. Daveeta Levy (47:02)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

when

And you

you and you you and

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (47:28)
And so it

was that, it was the grit that I developed growing up. having positive people in my life that told me I could. And it really was also like when I self-diagnosed my problem because I went to three human doctors that couldn't tell me what was wrong with me. And I looked at my own clinical signs.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (47:47)
I

Hello tea.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (47:50)
Found a doctor that agreed with me.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (47:53)
ain't that something you know right that and that that's a whole conversation on its own no shade no shade ⁓

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (47:55)
Good!

No shade to the MDs if you live with it. But, but.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (47:59)
yeah, no shame.

No shade to the human doctors, you know what I mean?

But there's definitely an issue with the way our healthcare system is set up. And there's also an issue with the same thing as being a Black woman. Like you telling somebody what's going on with your body and people not listening to you, you know what I mean? And taking what you have to say seriously. I've had, like I remember I was getting ultrasounded

Dr. Daveeta Levy (48:10)
I'm so glad this thing kept coming.

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (48:25)
Thank

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (48:35)
And the ultrasound technician was trying to tell me what was going on with my body. And I'm like, that's not what's going on. Okay, well, you know, I'm telling you, that's what it is. I've been doing this for a long time. And like, the clinical signs don't make sense. So I'm just going to keep going somewhere else. You know what I mean? When I was born, like my mom, you know, young black woman, was like 20 years old.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (48:41)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (49:00)
She was in labor, goes to tell people, tell the doctors, like, I'm in labor, like, I need to be seen. You know, didn't believe her, didn't believe she knew what was going on with her body, sent her home, and guess who was born on the floor in the projects?

Dr. Daveeta Levy (49:07)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (49:17)
I'm laughing because

like that's a whole nother, you know, story of themselves, right? Like, I'm a fighter, like girl. I was born on the floor, like don't do that.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (49:21)
That's a whole other... Yes.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (49:29)
Right.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (49:29)
Don't

do me. Don't.

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (49:32)
I was born in the car We don't talk about about it often

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (49:35)
You were born in a car?

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (49:37)
Yep. Yep.

I see.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (49:43)
I'm so

Dr. Ayanna Wilson (49:46)
trying to have my child in the car because I don't want to go to the hospital because of all those reasons but she was almost born in the car. Look, it's okay. It's okay. You get, look, that's the start of your survival story,

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (49:46)
It's really easy.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (49:52)
Mmm.

Dr. Sherrelle Milligan (49:55)
It's alright. We still here.

Exactly. You gotta start from the bottom.

Dr. Daveeta Levy (49:59)
I I know.