Finding My Voice in Podiatry

I was born in rural Nigeria, and when I was a teenager, I watched my father make sacrifices so that education would be our family’s bridge to possibility. When I moved to the United States, I discovered podiatry, a field that sits at the intersection of everything I care about: movement, access and longevity. As a longtime athlete, I knew firsthand how foot health affects performance and confidence. Back in Nigeria, I had seen my grandmother struggle with lower-extremity issues that limited her independence. These experiences helped shape my calling: to prevent small problems from becoming life-limiting ones, especially for communities that have been historically underserved.

My first advisor at Rosalind Franklin University saw who I was and encouraged me to look closely at podiatry. I met a podiatric physician, Nadia Sadeghi, DPM ’14, who became a mentor. She invited me to shadow her and observe cases, and she sat down with me to unpack the “why” behind each clinical decision. This experience challenged me to keep my surgical interests grounded in whole-person care — biome-chanics, prevention and patient education. Each conversation widened my perspective and strengthened my voice.

At RFU, interprofessionalism isn’t just a slogan — it’s a way of life. In our interprofessional classes, students from different healthcare programs collaborate to explore how teamwork can improve patient care. These experiences showed me how sharing ideas, while listening closely to others, can lead to innovative, patient-centered solutions.

As a student representative for the Class of 2027, I’ve also learned how to speak up clearly — and when to step back and share the mic. Working alongside classmates has helped me become a better leader, a more thoughtful listener and, ultimately, a more compassionate future physician. I believe listening is one of the most powerful tools a doctor can possess.

When I first entered podiatric medicine, my primary interest was surgery. But as I’ve grown as a student, I’ve come to appreciate the full scope of podiatric care. Whether it’s performing a surgery or making a small shoe modification to relieve pain, I’ve learned that being a well-rounded podiatrist means showing up for patients in all the ways they need — both big and small.

Looking ahead, I see two horizons. The first is here: residency, board exams and becoming a clinician my patients can always trust. The second stretches across the Atlantic to Nigeria, where, when I visit, I hope to teach, collaborate and advocate for pod-iatric medicine in communities that are working to build their own healthcare capacity.

I came to RFU with determination. Scholarship support and strong mentorship helped turn that determination into direction and gave me the confidence to use my voice on behalf of patients who haven’t always been heard.