banner image for department blog

Dr. Olawale O. Amubieya – #DiversityInHealthcare #BlackMenInWhiteCoats

Uncategorized

Continuing with our 2022 theme of Black Men in White Coats, we are featuring Dr. Olawale Amubieya for the month of July.

We’ve all been asked the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” but how many of us can really say that we’ve cultivated those budding aspirations and nurtured them into a thriving career? Dr. Olawale Amubieya is one of the few that was able to do just that; take a dream and through hard work and perseverance, make it a reality.

It all started when his childhood church decided to host a career pageant. This is where he was asked for the first time what he wanted to be, and that one seemingly inconsequential question would end up being the catalyst that propelled him down the path of medicine. From that moment on, Dr. Olawale Amubieya took on the nickname “Doctor” among the neighborhood, and as the years faithfully ticked by, suddenly his goal seemed more tangible.

Dr. Olawale Amubieya had never seen a doctor who resembled himself before. He was a second generation immigrant from Nigeria, trying to earn the education his parents had strived so hard to give him, but he didn’t let the lack of representation deter him. With the support and confidence of his community, he began working laboriously towards his goals. Before he knew it, his persistence had started to pay off, and he was able to attend Yale as an undergraduate. From there the momentum just kept building. He would go on to attend Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, and ultimately pursued his residency at UCLA for internal medicine. He is currently completing his fellowship at UCLA, where he has been able to work with a diverse group of patients.

Today, Dr. Olawale Ambuieya sees himself as both a super hero of sorts and a role model to other people of color aspiring to work in the field of medicine. He wears his white coat as if it were a red cape, and strives to find answers and advocate for his patients. All the while bearing the weight of representation, knowing that he is one of the few African Americans in his field. This has served to motivate him to keep climbing the ladder of success; to provide an example for future black doctors to look up to and know that it is possible.

Comments are closed.