Sharonda Cox MD is one of the remaining contestants on “Survivor 51,” at least as of November 4.
And she credits her unique background with helping her compete. Cox is a doctor who was raised by a single mom. “My audition tape definitely highlighted the fact that I’m a resident physician,” she said to the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, which wrote a profile story on her. “My ethos was, ‘I’m in residency; I can survive anything.’”
Sharonda Cox Spends Her Days ‘Delivering Babies’
The university revealed that Cox “is a fourth-year resident in the College of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She spends her days delivering babies, caring for patients and supporting women through some of life’s most important and vulnerable moments.”
She previously ran a medical clinic in Haiti and was a mental health therapist, the university wrote.
“When I delivered my first baby in medical school, I went home and said, ‘This is what I’m going to do,'” Cox told the university. “It was my last rotation of third year, and I wanted that feeling all the time. To this day, I still have that feeling.”
“Sometimes you need to listen to truly understand rather than listen to respond,” Cox said. “I feel like I’ve gotten really good at that with time, figuring out what my patients need from me, how I can make them feel supported and listening to what they want.”
Sharonda Cox, Who Grew Up in Florida, Is Described as ‘Charismatic, Resilient’
According to EW, Cox is 34, lives in Richmond, KY, and is from Pompano Beach, FL. The show describes her as “Charismatic, resilient, reliable.”
On that thread, she explained why she wanted to be on “Survivor 51,” saying, “Survivor has a way of forcing people to be vulnerable, reflect and see themselves in a new light. I would love to encourage those little Black boys and girls, those in low economic areas and my family and friends what we can do despite our disadvantaged beginnings. I also want to stop going through the motions of life and meet the new, unapologetic Sharonda.”
On that page, she explained that her childhood challenges also prepared her to be a contestant on the show. “Growing up in Pompano Beach in a single parent household taught me that you have to work hard for everything you want and to be appreciative. This game comes with ups and downs but as long as you put the work in and don’t become complacent, you can make it far!” she said, according to Entertainment Weekly.
She added: “Life has trained me for this very moment! There isn’t one thing this game can throw at me that I haven’t already endured. I was made for this!”
How Sharonda Cox’s Unique Background Helped Her Compete on ‘Survivor 51’