 When he was eight, Carson had dreamed of becoming a missionary doctor, but five years later he aspired to the lucrative lifestyles of psychiatrists portrayed on television, and his brother bought him a subscription to "Psychology Today" for his 13th birthday.By ninth grade, the family's financial situation had improved, his mother surprising neighbors by paying cash to buy a new Chrysler car, and the only government assistance they still relied on was food stamps.Carson attended the predominantly black Southwestern High School for ninth through 12th grades, graduating third in his class academically.