Pulling Back the Curtain
Olatoyosi Odenike , MD
UP FRONT
In this edition , Olatoyosi Odenike , MD , speaks about her “ rebellious ” path to medical school in Nigeria , the importance of life ’ s tangents , and her passion for cooking . Dr . Odenike is an associate professor of medicine in the hematology / oncology section at the University of Chicago .
When did you become interested in medicine ? My mom is a medical laboratory technologist and her lab also has a blood bank , so I got an early introduction to patient care and hematology from her . She also gave me my first job : Throughout high school , I worked as a receptionist for her lab during the summer .
My mother is an incredibly strong woman who passed her work ethic down to me and my three siblings . Working for her was no walk in the park ; I had to show up on time , put in the hours , check patients in , and , as the front-desk receptionist , I was the “ face ” of the lab . I learned that this work was an important part of helping people recuperate and was something to be applauded .
I got my love of academics from my father . He was not a physician , but he was a scientist and a professor of chemistry and soil science . I loved the way he thought about problems , his passion for his work , and the importance he placed on contributing to one ’ s field .
He was a great teacher ; my sister and I excelled in chemistry because of his work . I remember taking my high school chemistry exams and thinking , “ This is ridiculously easy – thank you , Dad !”
That ability to teach others effectively – the way he could break down complex ideas into basic principles – is a skill that I still use today with patients and trainees .
Did you ever think about pursuing a career in another field ? I had a brief diversion after high school . In Nigeria , you go into medical school directly after high school , without earning a four-year degree , so I needed to figure out what I wanted to do for my career pretty early . People in my family assumed that I would go into medicine , but I was a little rebellious . When I graduated from high school and was thinking about college , I thought , “ I ’ m not going to do what everybody ’ s expecting – I ’ m going to be an engineer .”
What attracted you to engineering ? I was exposed to the field growing up because people in my extended family were engineers . They all seemed like such bright people and I thought it would be a good choice . Also , I liked
that it was a challenging career and , at the time , I thought engineering might be even more challenging than medicine .
Deep down , I think I knew that I wasn ’ t going to be an engineer . Within the first couple of years , I realized I wasn ’ t very passionate about it .
I thought that I should probably go into medicine – even if that ended up being what others had told me I would be all along ! As soon as I got into medical school , I felt like I was at home .
I think going off on tangents may not be such a bad thing for human beings . When you retrace your steps on the way to finding what you were truly meant for , it helps you appreciate the contrast even more . Everything fell into place when I righted my course .
What was different about medicine ? Why did you feel that instant connection ? I can ’ t quite put my finger on it … I was just so interested in learning about how the human body works . When I was taking the basic courses in physiology , anatomy , and biology , I found all of it fascinating – unlike when I was in engineering .
After you decided on medicine , what drew you to specialize in hematology ? I loved the challenge it presented . I saw people who had myeloid malignancies and did not have good treatment options . I thought , “ Wouldn ’ t that be an interesting problem to help solve ?”
Who played a role in shaping your career ? Many people have influenced my career path and how I approach my work on a daily basis .
Dr . Odenike ( right ) in a bookstore , with her husband and their 13-year-old son ( who she said is going through a “ smiling in photos is lame ” phase ).
Nancy Zeleznik-Le , PhD , provided me with hands-on experience and mentoring during my training . Harvey Golomb , MD , was my section chief throughout my fellowship and took a chance on accepting a foreign medical school graduate into the University of Chicago ’ s fellowship program . Richard Larson , MD , and Wendy Stock , MD , also opened many doors for me and are people whom I ’ ve respected and learned from over time .
One of my earliest mentors in hematology / oncology was Janet Rowley , MD , a legendary physician-scientist who received many of the American Society of Hematology ’ s prestigious awards . [ Editor ’ s Note : Most recently , Dr . Rowley was a recipient of the 2011 Ernest Beutler Lecture and Prize .] I was lucky enough to work in her lab as a fellow . Aside from the numerous fundamental discoveries she made , Dr . Rowley also was a generous human being . It was wonderful of her to allow me to spend time in her lab , even though I didn ’ t have a solid background in basic science or molecular biology .
She believed in collaboration ; everyone ’ s
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