Chicago doctor at the top of her profession wants to empower next generation in her field
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Chicago dermatologist with a passion for her profession is dedicated to giving back to the next generation in her field.
"Since I was a child, I knew I wanted to be a doctor. That was my childhood dream growing up in Nigeria," Dr. Motunrayo Adisa said.
She came to Chicago in 1994 from Ibadan, Nigeria, at the age of 17, with the goal of fulfilling that childhood dream by going to medical school.
"I've always wanted to help people, and being a physician gives me the capacity to help people in a meaningful way, directly," she said.
After graduating from medical school at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, she completed an intern year in internal medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, a residency at Stroger Hospital, and a fellowship in dermatopathology at Boston University School of Medicine.
Adisa had multiple stints as an attending physician in academic medicine on the East Coast and in Chicago. She's now in private practice in Chicago and the northern suburbs.
She said her time in medical school was not without challenges.
"It was a huge culture shock moving from a country where I was a predominant majority, moving to a different country where I am no longer a majority, I am now a minority. People even find it very difficult to spell my name," she said. "As a minority, we have very little wiggle room. There's no room for error. So you always have to always put your best face forward."
Adisa said she serves on several boards, and is involved in professional organizations. Through this, she wants to empower the next generation in her field. She not only credited her husband of 21 years, Bim, for her drive; but her sons, Tony and Obafemi.
"The Morayo you see is not just Morayo. It's Morayo with my husband, my cousins, and aunties, and uncles," she said.
Adisa said at the center of all she's accomplished is her paternal grandmother, who passed away in 2011.
"Every time I come to her with a challenge, it's like, you know, you just remember the child of who you are. You can't stop. Keep going," she said. "I've sat on the shoulders and stood on the shoulders of giants, and I've learned a lot along the way, gained a lot of experiences, and it's time to give back."
Last June, Adisa was appointed as the President of the Chicago Dermatological Society, making her the third black president in the organization's 123-year history.
"It makes me feel like we're moving forward, and we are progressing," she said.
What would her grandmother say about all she has accomplished?
"I think she would say, 'Morayo, this is what I see for you.' She left a really great legacy," Adisa said while fighting back tears.
Her grandmother's legacy lives on through Adisa's work.