Chidera Olalere

Background

About Chidera Olalere

I am a rising senior at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. Originally from Nigeria, I am an international student in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in Biochemistry. I come from a background of leadership positions from secondary school and the IB. In these roles, I planned events for the entertainment of the school body, but also awareness days and events where money was raised for mental health, anti-racism and youth empowerment organisations. My aim for my education at Syracuse is to explore more about the world of medicine and research while also getting involved in organisations and teams that enable me to support Syracuse students and the wider community. Being a tutor at an elementary school in my first semester of college was a really good introduction to the Syracuse community. And I’m excited to continue in this role of supporting and learning as a member of the Deans team and an Honors Peer mentor in the upcoming semester and school year. As Paul Kalanithi said, “the physician's duty is not to stave of death or return patients to their old lives, but to take into our arms a patient and family whose lives have disintegrated and work until they can stand back up and face, and make sense of, their own existence.” I want to do that for people. I want to sit with them at their lowest, share what I know and help them pave a new path, understand what life could still be in light of what it may not be any longer. My idea of what it is to be a good doctor, especially as I consider a career in oncology and volunteering where I may be needed, is to be a patient’s guide as they navigate life. I hope to find shadowing, research, and volunteering opportunities and positions here on Linkedin to deepen my understanding and preparedness for a career in medicine and research.