Dr. Sampson Davis, Dr. Rameck Hunt and Dr. George Jenkins wanted to be an inspiration to others in their community and a beacon of light in what some consider a bleak place.
As a teenager, Dr. Sampson Davis promised himself that he wouldn't get caught up heading down the wrong path, something he says wasn't easy to do.
As the fifth of six kids, he grew up in one of New Jersey's poorest cities. His Newark neighborhood was surrounded by crime and drugs.
"I'm an emergency medicine physician, board-certified and I was inspired to become a doctor years ago. Grew up, very challenging background, but I made a promise, a pact with two of my friends in high school of all places to become doctors,” Davis told InsideEdition.com.
Along with Dr. Rameck Hunt and Dr. George Jenkins, they followed that pact throughout college and medical school.
"I know as I was going through the process, I was like, 'Man, I gotta be the only person I know going through this. But you'll be surprised at how many people are going through similar hardships. And so when we share that sort of sense of fellowship, it helps to kind of ease your anxiety and realize you're not the only person, this is not the circumstance in particular for you,” he shared.
Davis, Hunt and Jenkins came to be known as The Three Doctors. They would add author to their titles as well, writing several inspirational books that chronicled their journey.
The Three Doctors all shared one mission: to be an inspiration to others in their community and a beacon of light in what some consider a bleak place.
"I see a lot of unfortunate outcomes. I see a lot of trauma cases, gunshot wounds, stabbings, car accidents, blunt trauma, you know, I see a lot of lack of prenatal care. Just situations that are very dire,” Sampson said.
“I see mental health as another big issue that we all face and that’s not in relationship to any particular community, substance abuse, I see it all. I see a lack of access to quality health care and health equity and these are the areas we need to close the gaps.”
Noticing those shortcomings made The Three Doctors realize just how much they wanted to give back through their own non-profit, The Three Doctors Foundation.
It's goal is to motivate youth through education and leadership, following the slogan, “Our children cannot aspire to be what they cannot see.”
For the last five years, the organization has been working with Derek Jeter's Turn 2 Foundation. It encourages kids to steer clear of drugs and alcohol by “turning 2” healthy lifestyles through a variety of leadership programs and activities.
“We have these students who are in need of mentoring, whether it's from their peers or from adults. So we have these Jeter's Leaders, they come out to our program, they participate in mentoring these young men and young women,” said Davis.
The legendary former Yankees shortstop made it his business to start Turn 2 during his first year in the major leagues.
“When me and my dad started this thing 23 years ago, having pizza in a hotel room in Detroit, we didn't know what to expect," Jeter told InsideEdition.com.
Although neither Jeter nor The Three Doctors could predict just how many lives they would impact, the ripple effect continues to make big waves.
"Being in the inner city, it's important to see the diversity in medicine, and in all professions that matter so that the community and the professions represent each other. But being on the front lines and saving lives is really an exciting sort of process to be a part of and to think that I have an opportunity to do it especially where I came from is a blessing,” Davis said.
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