Charles Yerwood brought Joyce and her sister Connie with him on house calls, which inspired both of them to study medicine.
[3] Yerwood attended the Eliza Dee Home, a finishing school for African American girls.
With her sister, Connie, Yerwood went on to study at Meharry Medical College, in Nashville, Tennessee, where they were the only two female students in their first year.
[1] In 1937, Yerwood opened a medical practice in Port Chester, New York, where she treated underserved populations for 18 years.
In 1955, she moved her office to Stamford, Connecticut, becoming the first female African American physician in Fairfield County.
[1] Yerwood was a social justice advocate, promoting educational and cultural opportunities for African American youth in her community.