Black History Month Student Spotlight: Tomi Adewumi, OSU-COM
Tuesday, February 15, 2022
Media Contact: Sara Plummer | Communications Coordinator | 918-561-1282 | sara.plummer@okstate.edu
In honor of Black History Month, we will spotlighting Black students attending Oklahoma State University's Center for Health Sciences.
Tomi Adewumi, OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine
Where are you from?
Nigeria originally. I moved to Tulsa about seven years ago.
Why do you want to be a physician?
As a young boy growing up in Nigeria, I watched a lot of American physicians come to my hometown on mission trips to help the needy and care for the sick. These physicians possessed the highest level of knowledge, confidence and skill. Their visits brought hope to the community, and they positively impacted so many lives on those trips. Watching the impact they made inspired me as a young boy. I hoped that someday I would become an American physician just like them and possess such knowledge and skills that will allow me to care for the sick and positively impact lives the way they did.
Did you see many health care providers and physicians that looked like you growing up? Did that impact your decision to go into health care?
I have a unique experience because I grew up in Nigeria and practically all of the local physicians practicing in Nigeria look like me. Unfortunately, that's not the case for every minority student who has found their way into medicine in the United States.
What has your experience been like so far at OSU-CHS?
I have been a part of the OSU-CHS family for over seven years now. The OSU-CHS community took me in when I first arrived in this country and gave me a home. Everyone has been super supportive throughout my journey here. It has been encouraging to see the amount of change and progress the campus has made and continues to make to improve the experience of minority students on campus.
Why do you think it’s important to have diversity in health care and medicine?
I honestly think of the impact of diversity like a party cocktail in a big dispenser that we all contribute to. Each flavor or ingredient that goes into this cocktail represents an individual's unique background and experiences. We all bring in different flavors to this party and we all add to this big dispenser. You don't want everyone to bring the same ingredient to this party right, you want variety. If we all bring in different flavors and mix it all up. What happens is when a person takes a drink, they are getting a little bit of every flavor, a little bit of every experience and perspective. So, when they go out into the world and see a patient with perspectives and experiences different from theirs, they can better relate with them and better provide care specific to their needs because they had previously learned a bit about that patient's “flavor” or experience. You learn from me, I learn from you; that's how we achieve unity.
Anything else you would like to mention or add?
I’m glad that we at OSU-CHS have taken it upon ourselves to improve every day in every aspect and continue to strive to be as inclusive as possible. I am so proud of where we are right now and where we are going. I hope that we will all continue to be intentional in our everyday interactions for the betterment of all humanity.