“A Platform to Love People”
TouroCOM Middletown Student Oddie Moghalu Puts TouroCOM’s Mission into Action
Touro wants us to be people who are very aware of advocacy. Not just being doctors in our own places, but also being out there and advocating for people who can't advocate for themselves and also advocating for our own profession. We meet people at some of their most vulnerable time. We're in that position to actually make people feel more dignified about themselves, be more hopeful about whatever situation that they might be dealing with. One of the important things that a doctor needs to have is compassion and empathy. Nobody wants to see a physician who makes them feel like less of a human being. And I think that's something that's really important for me to have as a physician.
My dad is probably more happy than anyone else. And he would just call me and just tell me how proud he is of me. I said to him, I was like, Dad, you remember when I first told you that I was going to be a doctor? I was sitting on your lap. I remember the whole thing. And he smiled, and he laughed. And he was like, yeah. Being a physician comes with its responsibilities, but it also gives you an opportunity to be humble and appreciate life. I hope that I remain humble and just stay grounded in who I am even while I have that title of being doctor. So the whole dream of wanting to be a doctor is actually becoming a reality.
Medical school was always the destination for the Nigerian-born Moghalu. She graduated high school at 16 and set sail for England’s University of Leeds to study biomedical engineering. Realizing she wanted more flexibility in her education, Moghalu enrolled in Baylor University in Texas. After graduating, she applied to TouroCOM Harlem as a student in the Master of Science Program in Interdisciplinary Studies in Biological and Physical Sciences and then followed Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Jerry Cammarata to the newly opened Middletown campus when she started the DO program.
Moghalu said that TouroCOM’s mission spoke to her.
“Touro wants us to be people who are very aware of advocacy,” said Moghalu. “Not just doctors in our communities, but advocating for people who can’t advocate for themselves.”
Since joining the TouroCOM family, Moghalu has already put the mission into action. In 2015, she spent three weeks offering free medical screenings to underserved residents in North Philadelphia. Moghalu said that the experience had an impact on her.
“I’ve never experienced such poverty,” said Moghalu. “In a ten-minute car ride, we were able to travel from a first-world country to a third-world country. You don’t need to travel abroad to serve the underserved. They’re right here, down the block.”
