With a heavy heart, we are letting you know that Dr. Charles Sow died on May 2 suddenly at his home. His family took his body back to Dakar, Senegal for his final resting place.
Dr. Sow was a gentle “giant” with the million-dollar smile. He received the GAFP’s Educator of the Year Award and served for many years on the Education and Research Committee. His daughter, Yacine, is a medical student at Morehouse and served on the GAFP Board of Directors last year. He will be missed by all who knew him.
If you wish to help support his family, please contact Dr. Folashade Omole (fomole@msm.edu).
Obituary
Charles Sow was born on October 26, 1960, in Dakar, Senegal. He graduated from the Université Cheick Anta Diop, where he studied medicine and completed a residency in orthopedic surgery, specializing in hand. His dedication and resilience as one of the few orthopedic surgeons in Senegal was honored through the National Merit Order of Senegal prize in 1995. He was also selected to complete additional specialized training in Geneva, Switzerland, at the Hospital Cantonal de Geneve.
At the height of his career, he moved to the US with his wife Titine Sy. The pair welcomed their first daughter, Yacine Sow(MD IV), in April of 1994. Dr. Sow began the journey to residency by learning English, studying for the USMLE Step 1 and 2 exams. In 2000, Dr. Charles Sow became a Morehouse School of Medicine Family Medicine Residency Program resident. His adjustment from orthopedic surgery to family medicine was met with brilliance, determination, and leadership as Dr. Sow became chief resident and graduated with multiple honors and awards. He deeply resonated with the mission of the institution and valued the impact of academic medicine; thus, he decided to stay on as faculty. And he was also a recipient of the GAFP Educator of the Year Award.
Dr. Sow continued to mentor, teach, and lead family medicine residents toward the creation and sustainability of health equity. His career blossomed as Associate Professor by pursuing his clinical and research interests such as Sports Medicine, Clinical Informatics, and teaching. As the director of Clinical Informatics, he led the implementation of the EPIC dashboard at Morehouse Healthcare.
At home, Dr. Sow was a loving, caring, and enthusiastic father and husband. Together the family valued travel, embarking on an international journey every year. He consistently instilled the importance of education, black excellence, and community service to his children. He enjoyed nature and the outdoors and always signed up for the next triathlon or biking competition. He was also passionate about photography and technology, marrying these two interests by ensuring that all memories would be captured with the highest quality camera and saved through Google Photos. His personality and overall presence were equally grounded, as he could always make people around him laugh and smile. Dr. Sow will be remembered for his contributions and generous nature to the world. The various residents and faculty who collaborated with him remember his passion for medicine. His patients remember him as a fierce advocate and gentle giant. To his children, he is remembered as a strong, intelligent, and compassionate role model. To his wife, he is remembered as a loving, kind, and caring husband of 31 years.