In all honesty, my new motto entering the lab was: “Act like you give a sht.”* I would literally repeat it to myself before walking in. Not because I don’t care — I do. I genuinely love research. I love thinking deeply, solving problems, contributing to something bigger than myself. But I realized something uncomfortable: …
Dear Lab
Dear Lab, Coming into the lab, I worried I wouldn’t fit in. Girl straight out of Nigeria. New to microbiology. New to American academia. New to everything. And then I walked into a room full of Indians, other Nigerians, Pakistanis, Koreans — Christians, Muslims, Hindus, atheists. Different sexualities. Different genders. Different ages. Different stories. And …
Dear Imperfection
Dear Imperfection, As an artist, dealing with you comes with the territory. You show up in brushstrokes, uneven lines, colors that don’t blend the way I imagined. In art, imperfection can even be beautiful. But as a researcher, you terrify me. I think about the weight of getting things wrong. Not small mistakes — not …
Dear Money
Dear Money, You’re an uncomfortable topic in medicine. One people dance around, soften, or pretend doesn’t matter. But you do matter — not as the goal, but as the context. When I think about becoming a physician-scientist, I don’t imagine wealth as excess or status. I think about sustainability. Freedom. The ability to choose meaningful …
Dear MCAT
Dear MCAT, You’ve been a lot. I’ve officially started studying for you, and honestly, it’s been intense in a way I didn’t fully expect. A lot of the content feels unfamiliar, and some of it feels like I’m learning a new language all over again. But I’ve found that sticking to Anki, committing to a …
Dear New Beginning,
Dear New Beginning, I came to America on my mom’s birthday — December 19th. After a long, exhausting flight, we landed in Houston relieved, hopeful, and completely overwhelmed. There were five of us and over thirteen boxes. The first challenge was simply getting everything out of the airport. The second was standing outside in the …
Dear, Diabetes Awareness Art Series #1
Dear, Diabetes Awareness Art Series #1 This is the first piece in my Diabetes Awareness art series, and it’s called Disjointed. This piece captures a feeling I kept hearing over and over again while speaking to people living with diabetes:that sense of loss The story behind the wings Disjointed is inspired by Alexandria. Before her …
Do I really Have What It Takes to be a Doctor?
Dear Future Me, How do I know if I have what it takes to be a doctor - let alone a physician-scientist? I’ve seen so many doctors work and walked through the steps they took to get there: the late nights studying, the seven-hour MCAT, the constant push to network, build relationships, and apply yourself …
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Dear, Terrified Dreamer
The truth about me is that I am terrified of failing. I’m so scared I won’t be able to achieve my goals and dreams that sometimes I start holding back — not putting in as much effort as I should — just so I have an excuse. I can tell myself, “It’s not that I …
Dear Academia Gossip, You make me Uncomfortable
Dear Academia Gossip, When I walked into the world of research, I had no idea you existed. I knew people were competitive, smart, and driven — that wasn’t surprising. What I didn’t expect was how mean some of them could be. I was standing outside the office of a prominent researcher at my university when …
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Creating My Autobiography 