Dr. Arabia Mollette

Born and raised in the Bronx, N.Y., Dr. Arabia Mollette grew up in a community within the South Bronx plagued with crime and poverty. When Dr. Mollette was 11 years old, she witnessed her mother’s attempt to commit suicide. At 17, she became a teen mom to a precious baby boy, whose life was tragically taken away at four months. Six years later, her youngest sister was shot and killed while riding in a friend’s car. During these times, she was advised by the physicians to become a doctor and her passion of caring for people to work.

Starting out, Dr. Mollette faced the harsh reality of not being able to afford medical school until she met the relative of a family friend and learned about a Cuban scholarship to study medicine. After applying herself, she was awarded a full academic scholarship to study medicine at the Latin American School of Medicine in Havana, Cuba. She also learned to read, write and speak Spanish fluently. After successfully graduating medical school, Dr. Mollette completed her Emergency Medicine residency training at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, NJ.

Today, she is currently an Emergency Medicine Physician in New York City as well as various countries in the Caribbean and Africa. Dr. Mollette has traveled as an expert leader, including serving as keynote speaker in the field at Essence Festival, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, City University of New York – City College, Morgan State University, and New York Academy of Sciences as well as offering medical aid and advice to people around the world.

Tragedies in Dr. Arabia’s life sparked a desire to make a difference in her community. She lives by the words ‘you are a fighter and you will make it.’ “It’s important for children in my community to have role models and I hope that I will be able to inspire and influence them just like other doctors inspired me.”