HARTFORD, Conn. -- Three men who grew up on the streets of Newark, N.J., and have since become doctors are encouraging kids to overcome adversity.

The doctor trio spoke to students at Weaver High School on  Thursday and told them how they overcame the odds to be successful.

"All of us were thinking about reaching beyond our neighborhood," said Dr. George Jenkins.

Jenkins said that when he, Dr. Sampson Davis and Dr. Rameck Hunt were 16 years old, they made a pact to make something of their lives and go to college and become doctors.

"We just bonded together to make it happen together," said Jenkins. "All of us had an innate sense that three heads are better than one with figuring this out."

The men's inspiring story, "We Beat The Streets," has since landed them on the New York Times best-seller's list. They now travel the country, sharing their story and encouraging kids to follow their lead.

"They see that we can do it, and have done it, and they feel that our words of encouragement and motivation, that they too can go on and make it happen," Sampson said.

Weaver student Jomal Gumbs told Eyewitness News that he plans on following the doctors' message. He is currently reading the doctors' book and has made his own plans to go to college and later, dental school.

"If your read it, you see how they live in bad neighborhoods and have problems. A lot of people have problems like that and even worse," Gumbs said. "So for people to see other people and the challenges they face, it's really motivation for me to be like, if they can do it, I can do it."

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