Funmi Ogunbufunmi

Why medicine?

Growing up I always had Medicine.

Medicine was the first career I would say I initially got exposed to growing up. When my brother was young, he sustained an injury that required us to go to the hospital for a period of time, and I grew a natural curiosity and admiration from there. I continued to expose myself to the field through shadowing and volunteering and was soon able to realize all that medicine could do. Growing up in Nigeria while routinely traveling to the US for my medical check-ups made me realize the noticeable difference in the quality of care available in Nigeria compared to other developed nations and also the coverage gaps that existed as well. My experience added another dimension to my passion for medicine which soon realized was public health. I realized that not only did I want to become a physician, I wanted to be involved to some degree in program implementation, systems strengthening and healthcare interventions. 

What made you join MAPS?

 I joined MAPS because I wanted a community of like minded individuals who looked like me. MAPS for me was like a second family. I made close relationships with people in MAPS that were honestly always there to help and guide me along the way, and that was exactly what I was looking for. I also wanted to be part of an organization that could provide me with the necessary information to succeed as a pre-medical student, and MAPS did not disappoint. MAPS helped me get discounts on my MCAT course, find shadowing opportunities and a lot more.

Did you hold any eBoard positions while in MAPS? If so, what was that like for you?

 I was Publicity Chair in my Sophomore Year, Business Manager in my Junior Year and Vice-President in my Senior year. My positions allowed me to plan and execute the type of programs I wanted in MAPS. I liked the opportunity to be the point of contact between a lot of physicians and my organization because it involved meeting a lot of people that I could add to my network.

How did MAPS help and or shape you/ the decisions you went on to make?

MAPS was a constant source of information for me. It was through MAPS I discovered medical conferences such as RMEC and AMEC (which I definitely recommend everyone attend at least once). MAPS also provided me with the opportunity to network with medical students and physicians who helped guide my pre-medical career. It also provided me with a huge community of mentors to pool from who all rendered advice or provided me with opportunities along the way.  MAPS is such a hub of information relating to medicine, there really was no gray area I was unsure about because MAPS answered all my questions. 

If you can give any piece of advice to any of the undergraduate students of MAPS, what would it be?

 Find what you truly love, fully dedicate yourself to it and make sure you excel in your craft. As an undergraduate student, I often heard people ask, what medical schools look for and what to do to best stand out to the admissions committee and the best piece of advice I received was during the Annual Medical Education Conference. I was told to find my niche in medicine and fully dedicate myself to it. No two people are alike, that’s why medical schools ask you what makes you different. Explore your passions, refine your craft and excel at what you love to do because everyone has something to bring to the table. It’s easy to want to stick to the “pre-med” checklist (research, shadowing, etc), but it isn’t always about what you do, but why you do these activities. I have always been passionate about Global Health, and I know that whatever I do in medicine, must also have a global impact so I tailored my experiences after college to better equipped me to occupy this niche.

What are some of the things you are doing now? 

 I am currently completing my second year of a Masters in Global Public Health at NYU before eventually applying to medical school. I currently serve as a youth representative to the United Nations organizing and moderating events pertaining to Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action. I also am working on a collaboration project between NYU and the World Health Organization as the team lead on a project to advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in 115 countries. We obtain data from all the countries we are working with through quarterly conference calls where they present their progress in achieving UHC. The aim of this project is to first compile the annual report for the WHO regarding UHC in our 115 countries and secondly, complete the research paper for publication based on the available data we have from our country officials.