A Full Circle Moment—A Personal Path to Medicine

When Samuel Williams III, MD ’06, MBA, recipient of the Alumni Legacy Award, stepped up to deliver the 2025 commencement address at Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) to a hushed audience of new, young doctors, it was more than a professional milestone. It was a full-circle moment that made him think of his own time at Ross and a personal path to medicine that started early.

“Like all medical students, I applied to several medical schools, but Ross University was the first that said yes — the place that recognized my potential as a physician,” he says, “I’ve never taken that lightly, so I’ve looked for ways to give back.” As a member of the RUSM Alumni Council, Dr. Williams is actively involved in speaking about his journey in medicine to students and helping them at various stages of their own. “Some are ready to charge ahead. Some are uncertain. I tell all of them — your journey is personal and it’s not a straight line. I’ve had failures and moments when I questioned myself – but these teach you resilience and make you stronger for everything you will face.”

An Early Commitment to Make a Difference in Healthcare

His own drive to help people began in Liberia, where he was raised. At age 14 and about to move back to the United States, he told his father – an international banker – that his path was headed in a different direction. “Growing up in a developing country, I saw people die from diseases that were treatable,” he explains. “That experience stuck with me — I knew very early that I wanted to be a physician and help people.” His calling became even more personal when, later, his mother developed a severe mental illness. “In many ways psychiatry chose me,” he says. “I knew I wanted to make a difference for my mother — and for others. Her experience also made me understand what it means to care for someone and to treat them. It’s a perspective that never leaves you.”

Serving Communities Most in Need

Fast forward to today and Dr. Williams is still focused on people – just at a larger scale. As Chief Medical Officer of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disabilities Services/Community Behavioral Health (CBH), he is part of the team that leads behavioral health strategy for a city of more than 1.6 million people . It’s crucial work that is centered on rebuilding healthcare systems to center equity, dignity, and cultural responsiveness — especially for communities that have been historically underserved.

It's a practical mindset that is a through line in his work in cities across the U.S., including Detroit, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and now Philadelphia. All were underserved communities and intentional choices where Dr. Williams says he felt he could make a bigger difference from patient care to system change. In each location, his focus has been on strengthening quality management systems, supporting providers in delivering evidence-based and culturally responsive care, and integrating physical and behavioral health services. “Too often, people don’t get care because the system wasn’t built with them in mind,” he says. “You can’t fix outcomes without fixing the structure itself.”

Advice for New Graduates

To the new graduates taking the next step in their medical career journeys — just as he once did — Dr. Williams offers this final reflection: 

“Lead with intention. Embrace complexity. Stay grounded in compassion. And never forget who you serve or why you started on your journey.”

It’s a message from someone who has lived it — and who continues to build a future where care begins with dignity, and health systems are shaped with everyone in mind.