ABSTRACT
Dr Joseph Binder is a resident physician who spent the first eight years of his life in homeless shelters with his mother. She had comorbid mental illness and substance use disorder, and his father was a criminal, absent for most of his childhood. Fortunately, young Joseph was fostered by a cousin who raised him with love. During medical school far from home, Joseph developed depression and had to withdraw for a year. But he got better after seeking help from a former mentor and returned to medical school and success. His flourishing from a child coping with a dysfunctional family to a resilient, level-headed young man is remarkable.
