School of Health ProfessionsMy Two Loves
Part of her success comes from her resilience. Even more significant is the strong support of her family and the high expectations she grew up with.
“Growing up in Nigeria, our parents strongly valued education and pushed us to succeed,” Omavuezi says.
She began her career as a molecular biology researcher. But she still wanted to help patients, which eventually led her to Midland, Texas, caring for patients as a PA.
After earning a microbiology degree, Omavuezi still wanted to study and found herself in the United Kingdom, pursuing a public health degree from Brunel University in London and meeting her future husband. She worked as a researcher for a few years in Portsmouth, United Kingdom, before moving to the U.S in 2012 to be closer to her husband.
The years went on, and the distance continued — this time from the East Coast (his job) and the Southwest, where she continued her research career. Finally, he secured a position as an accountant for an oil company in Midland — an opportunity that would allow the now family of four to finally be together.
“The whole idea for us moving to Midland was for the family to enjoy time together and build beautiful, lasting memories with our kids,” Omavuezi says.
“Midland gave me the opportunity not only to enjoy more family time, but also to pursue my dream in the medical field,” she says.
Pursuing her PA degree came with challenges. It had been more than a decade since her last degree, so she had to retake many prerequisite classes. She mastered anatomy and physiology at Midland College and was then accepted to two PA schools — in TTUHSC and Mississippi College— ultimately choosing TTUHSC. She thought medical courses would be easier since she had been through those prerequisites, but realizing that the challenges just began she had to quickly balance time with her two loves: medicine and family.
“The PA program was fast-paced and nonstop, with a lot of condensed medical training in a short period,” she says
Omavuezi did not maintain the required grade point average to remain in the PA program close to dropping out. If she wanted to graduate, major changes had to take place. Her husband stepped in to take care of the house and the kids. She stayed on campus much longer than many other students, late nights, she says, to ensure she would not be distracted while studying.
She sacrificed family time, seeing the kids and her husband for only half an hour to an hour on most days, it was a big adjustment for the family.
“Growing up, our mothers were stay-at-home moms. They would take care of the kids, take care of the home,” she adds. “So, it was a big adjustment for us; it was a bit difficult to be away in school all day.” But she knew it was a temporary sacrifice.
For the past two years, she’s been part of the cardiology team at Odessa Heart Institute and urgent/family care practice. And she’s been caring for patients – something she’s always wanted to do. Just as important, she has plenty of time for her family and her kids’ sports.