0:00 i wasn't doing well in med school i was
0:02 close to failing out in fact i did fail
0:05 i had not only failed my first step of
0:07 my medical board exam i also failed my
0:10 second step
0:12 it was the first time i really failed in
0:14 my life when it counted twice
0:17 and i was taught all my life as a kid
0:20 not to fail if you fail you're a failure
0:22 you're a failure and i tell you those
0:24 standardized tests are culturally biased
0:26 okay
0:28 against people who don't study very hard
0:30 now
0:32 i didn't know
0:33 if medicine
0:35 was the right road map for me i was at a
0:37 crossroads i was thinking maybe i don't
0:38 have what it takes to be a doctor
0:41 so i really had to figure out who i was
0:43 and my mentor at oxford said you never
0:45 have to choose between comedy or
0:46 medicine he predicted i would blend both
0:48 worlds and that's exactly what happened
0:50 when i created dr ken showing abc based
0:53 on my medical life and quite honestly
0:56 he saved my career i worked in his lab
0:58 for a year i got published in the
1:00 medical journal of gastroenterology i
1:01 even got unc med school credit for it
1:04 long story short i was able to hang in
1:06 there just by pure persistence and at
1:08 the end of the year i retook both steps
1:11 of my board exams here in new orleans at
1:13 the superdome and passed and ultimately
1:15 was able to graduate medical school i
1:18 got a second chance in life
1:19 got myself back on track
1:21 and at the same time i was learning and
1:24 immersing myself in the art of stand up
1:26 improv and comedy because of that i got
1:29 to perform in hollywood two years later
1:32 i moved to la fully qualified
1:34 thick-skinned and ready to pursue my
1:36 comedy dreams as well i was able to
1:37 persist
1:39 and become both a doctor and a comedian
1:41 i always had the potential to do both
1:44 i had the tools but it doesn't matter if
1:46 you have the tools if you don't know
1:47 what to do with them it's useless so to
1:49 the class of 2022 find out who you are
1:52 first
1:53 just like i did in new orleans and some
1:55 of it you some you probably thinking you
1:58 all telling me became a comedian anyway
1:59 so why does it matter that you even
2:01 became a doctor it matters everything
2:04 because in life if you quit one thing
2:06 what's to say i wouldn't quit my next
2:08 thing what's to say i wouldn't quit
2:09 being a comedian there is so much
2:11 rejection and failure in hollywood far
2:14 more than in any other profession it's
2:16 not comedy persistence is my greatest
2:19 talent
2:20 [Applause]
2:21 in fact i am practicing what i'm
2:24 preaching right now my life is this
2:27 speech i couldn't attend last night's
2:29 honorary degree recipients dinner
2:31 because i'm filming a tv series in l.a
2:33 sorry i cannot disclose what it is
2:36 after partying on apple plus season one
2:38 currently streaming but
2:40 i was determined to get here this
2:42 morning no matter what i took a red-eye
2:44 flight i am operating on zero sleep
2:47 because nothing is more important to me
2:49 than talking to you now persist
2:53 never give
2:54 up
2:55 [Applause]
2:58 then pass out on your return flight
3:01 i challenge you the graduating class of
3:03 2022 to find your toughness cultivate
3:05 your love for what you do and never give
3:07 up
3:12 trust me i'm a comedian
3:19 [Music]
3:24 you