While many physicians enter the medical profession because they admired a doctor or other healthcare professional, Olivia Opara’s origin story starts out much differently — and from a place of deep compassion.
As a 15-year-old girl growing up in Nigeria, watching people with low incomes be unable to access quality healthcare sparked Opara’s passion for medicine. So, she left her country at age 17 to pursue medicine in the United States to help bridge the gap in access to quality healthcare. She was determined to be the change.
Today’s Sacrifices Lead to Tomorrow’s Success
It has not been a straightforward or easy journey for Opara, but oftentimes the sweetest successes are hard-fought.
“Leading up to Match Day 2025, I faced several significant challenges," Opara shared. "As an International Medical Graduate and a Black woman pursuing one of the most competitive specialties, orthopaedic surgery, the odds were often stacked against me. Finding mentors who could relate to my journey, securing meaningful clinical opportunities, and constantly having to prove myself in spaces where I was often underrepresented were ongoing hurdles. Among the toughest sacrifices I had to make was the isolation of being away from my family during major life events and missing out on social time with friends. While others celebrated birthdays or gathered for holidays, I was often buried in textbooks or on hospital rotations, knowing that every moment counted toward the dream I was fighting for."
Opara was even by herself when she found out she matched at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center – Campbell Clinic Department of Orthopaedic Surgery leading up to the big moment, she was calm, but as soon as she opened her email Opara was filled with shock, gratitude and tears; then she immediately called her family.
Achieving her ideal match was the culmination of so much hard work and dedication, backed up by her comprehensive CV, strong letters of recommendations, and her research experience.
Common Medical School Challenges
Similar to other medical students, Opara’s journey has taught her how important hard work and a commitment to learning are. In addition to those character traits, she says it’s critical to communicate well and be empathetic with others.
“Medical school came with many challenges. Rotating at different hospitals meant constantly adapting to new environments, often far from home. There were months when money was tight, and I had to make tough choices between basic necessities, travel for rotations, or even meals,” she said. “Still, I was expected to show up every day with focus, energy, and professionalism, no matter how exhausted, stressed, or overwhelmed I felt. Even on little sleep or while navigating personal hardships, there was no room for excuses. The pressure to perform, to learn, and to prove myself was constant. Medical school required constant resilience and dedication, and it honestly shaped me into a more capable and determined person.”
The Ross Med Advantage
Just as each future physician has their own reasons for pursuing a career in medicine, they have their own reasons for choosing Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM). For Opara, she was impressed when Ross Med representatives visited her graduate school and shared RUSM’s match rate.
Since arriving on the island, she’s enjoyed meeting new people and making friends from different parts of the world. She tries to balance the stress of medical school by cooking, traveling, working out, watching her favorite TV shows and volunteering abroad or in her local community.
Looking into the future, Opara hopes to bring her mission full circle by serving the global health community, performing surgery in less privileged countries. As someone who believes you should follow your heart and never give up, we have a feeling that’s exactly what she’ll be doing!
