Chika Oriuwa, the first Black female valedictorian for U of T's medical school, gives her address - Macleans.ca

Chika Oriuwa graduates from medical school at the University of Toronto today, June 2, 2020. In her valedictory address

I am Chika Stacy Oriuwa, and I have the absolute honour of being the valedictorian of our graduating class here at U of T. I’d like to start by thanking you, to my fellow graduates for the opportunity to share my address, during what will be the final time that we convene before our respective journeys take flight.

It is my hope that in sharing my parting words, I am able to instil in us a measure of comfort despite the unexpected turn. When we envisioned our graduation day, we expected to don our caps and gowns, walk confidently across the stage to get our degrees in Convocation Hall, while our friends and families cheer through our names being called after being reminded by the faculty to hold their applause until the end.

We displayed an insatiable curiosity for knowledge, and a commitment to learning. We prepared for mastery exams every few weeks, and despite the sheer exhaustion, were able to find comedic relief in the form of brilliantly crafted memes for every situation in which we found ourselves. I can confidently say that we laughed as much as we learned, and we cared for each other, and that is how we got through the last four years.

One of my earliest defining moments was a few years before I started medical school, when a border officer accused me of lying about having aspirations of becoming a physician. His words stayed with me for years, as I faced invalidations about my experience as a woman of colour in medicine. I remembered his words when a patient asked me to leave because they could not believe that the only Black person in the room was also training to become a doctor.

When I was providing a seminar, I had a resident comment that although they admired my bravery and voice, they would have never done what I was doing, because it was too risky, and they didn’t think the system would be accepting of what I had to say. It was then that I was reminded by my mentors that there was a greater risk in staying silent; advocacy was a form of self-preservation when there are no other options.

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