Ethnic Gem: Oluseyi Ojeifo
Company: Massachusetts General Hospital
Title: Resident, Internal Medicine
State: MA
By: Kamiliah Kennedy, Contributing Writer
“I vividly remember sitting in emergency room and clinic waiting areas as a child and watching very sick patients not receiving timely care,” says Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) internal medicine resident Oluseyi Ojeifo. “From waiting rooms in Washington, DC, to tribal villages in my mother’s hometown of Ekpoma, Nigeria, I later learned there was a shortage of healthcare professionals to take care of sick people. This is what sparked my interest in medicine and public health.”
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, and raised in Washington D.C., Oluseyi matriculated at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina at the young age of 16. She then moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to attend the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine. After graduating from medical school, she decided to do her internal medicine residency at Harvard University affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.
“I chose internal medicine as my specialty because it offered me the ideal blend of intellectual challenge and professional fulfillment,” says Oluseyi. “What I find most rewarding is that I am able to take care of patients while they are hospitalized for acute illnesses and serve as a primary care doctor in the outpatient setting.”
Having served as an advisor and mentor to numerous adolescents and premedical students during her university days, Oluseyi has relied on her parents and siblings to provide support and inspiration. “My siblings provide me with career, spiritual and personal guidance as they have watched me grow over the years and know me better than anyone. My parents, who had to learn to live in a new culture far from their family and friends, have taught me the importance of hard work, dedication, and faith.”
An active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Duke Alumni Association, the Massachusetts Medical Society, The Partnership, Inc., and MGH Multicultural Affairs Office’s Organization of Minority Residents and Fellows, Oluseyi still finds the time to read, travel, exercise, and spends time with family and friends. Her ultimate goal is to have a meaningful impact on people from all over the world. She recently returned from working at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.
When asked about her future goals, Oluseyi says, “I plan to practice cardiovascular medicine, teach students and conduct research within an urban environment where I can reach a culturally diverse patient population. Additionally, I hope to continue working with community members, leaders, and other healthcare professionals, finding unity in our common purpose of serving the underserved.”
