A psychiatry resident pulls back the curtain on the challenging personal journey to becoming a doctor as a Black woman, as a daughter, as a mother and as an advocate who had no choice but to step into the spotlight

From childhood, Chika Oriuwa dreamed of being a doctor. Every toy was a make-believe patient for the junior physician in training. She knew that she was destined to wear the white coat one day, no matter what it took, but she didn’t realize the turns that path would take, nor the challenges that lay ahead.

Oriuwa’s parents’ glowing approval of their daughter’s ambitions was matched by their expectations of her success and making her extended Igbo family proud. But no one put more pressure on Oriuwa than herself, with a pre-med study schedule timed to the quarter hour, skipped meals and sleepless nights, all to achieve her goal. Her only escape was a new passion for spoken word poetry and performance.

The high of being accepted to the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine in 2016 came crashing down when Oriuwa discovered she was the only Black student in her incoming class of 259 students. Where were all the brilliant Black classmates she had expected? Why were there so few, even in the other years? Oriuwa soon learned that medical school and a medical career are not immune to the systemic discrimination that permeates the fabric of our world.

Interwoven with on-the-ground medical training, personal moments of doubt and success, and reflections on mental health and family expectations, Unlike the Rest is the moving and inspiring story of a young doctor and her journey through medical school and residency, where she found her calling in the science and in the patients, but also felt alone and lonely, and compelled to advocate for change, not only for those in training but for those in care. And while the risks in speaking up seemed great, to simply endure was unacceptable.

One of Time magazine’s “2021 Next Generational Leaders,” DR. CHIKA STACY ORIUWA, MD, is a medical trailblazer spearheading change in health care and beyond. She is an accomplished physician, a spoken word poet and an advocate for racialized and marginalized populations. Oriuwa draws on her personal and professional experience to share insight and actionable strategies for transformative leadership, mental health and wellness, and to ignite change to build a more equitable future for all.

Currently a resident doctor in psychiatry at the University of Toronto, Oriuwa is a graduate of the school’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine. In addition to her medical degree, Oriuwa has a master’s degree in health systems leadership and innovation from U of T. She also served on Indigo’s board of directors, informing their efforts in advancing equity and curating spaces of wellness and inclusion.

A recipient of numerous prestigious awards and honours, Oriuwa was named in Maclean’s Power 50 List in 2022 and was recognized as one of Best Health magazine’s “2020 Women of the Year.” She was also honoured in Mattel’s #ThankYouHeroes campaign alongside five other women with a one-of-a-kind Barbie doll made in her image to commemorate her contributions as a frontline health care worker. Recently, Oriuwa established the Dr. Chika Oriuwa Award for the Advancement of Black Health at Temerty Medicine to be awarded annually to a graduating medical student who has demonstrated their dedication to advancing health in the Black community.

Chika Stacy Oriuwa's profile page