No matter how many times Gifty Kwayake, M.D., was told "no", or had been suggested to pursue a different career, she still pushed forward.
"I think you just get used to hearing 'no'. It comes in different shapes, different forms," said Kwayake, now a surgeon at Michigan Medicine, who spent her childhood living in a village in Ghana.
She recalls a time in her youth when a renowned surgeon had laughed off her aspirations, trying to shoot down her hopes.
"But that was just another no. Why can't I do [it]? Of course I can do it. If anyone else can, then why can't I because I'm a female? And that notion I struggled with."
This belief in herself led her to the successful career in medicine she has now.
"So I was on that journey to prove the fact that, as a female, I could become a doctor, and I could become a surgeon."
Watch the video above to learn more about her inspiring story and her life motto and mission "Violet Surg".