Meeting the Moment Dr. Elizabeth Rose Gray

There are moments during the course of a shared humanity that eclipse others, emblazoned upon one’s mind; moments of supreme challenge, of intense and daunting trials. It is in those moments that one is transformed. It is by one’s deeds, during those moments, that an individual is defined.

In 2020, and in the months following, the COVID-19 Pandemic and the unprecedented and challenging events thrust upon America and the world proved transformative.

The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) maintained its peerless ability to educate and to train the healthcare scholars, to imbue knowledge and to hone the character of many of the warriors who are now actively practicing in these Post-Covid years.

One such warrior is Dr. Elizabeth (“Liz”) Rose Gray, a proud Class of 2020 graduate of the LECOM School of Dental Medicine.

Despite the hurdles presented during the Pandemic, Dr. Gray was determined to be successful in dental school.

She and her classmates were resilient, and because of their motivation and resilience, they graduated in 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic with all requirements completed in full.

After graduation, Dr. Gray continued to pursue a postgraduate residency in General Practice Dentistry to further strengthen her skills.

A native of Florida, “Liz” as she prefers to me known, was born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale. She is the second of four daughters. Her parents are immigrants; her father hails from Jamaica and her mother from Birmingham, England. Upon arrival in the United States, both of Liz’s parents worked determinedly to raise the family, each working three jobs.

Her father served in the United States Air Force as a dental lab technician. Little did Liz know at the time of her LECOM enrollment, but her father once dreamed of becoming a dentist, sacrificing that pursuit upon the birth of his first daughter. He was working as a Broward County Sheriff, when Liz announced (at the age of four) that she wanted to be a dentist.

One can imagine the profound swell of pride her father enjoyed in seeing his daughter accomplish that dream.

Dr. Gray’s elder sister is a registered emergency room and intensive care unit nurse, working toward becoming a nurse practitioner; and Dr. Gray’s third sister is a computer engineer now focused upon pursuit of a medical career. The youngest of the sisters is in college, majoring in English.