Dr. Chinwe Onuegbu's journey is a testament to excellence and determination. From graduating with distinction at the University of Ibadan to earning a scholarship for her PhD at the University of Warwick in the UK, her path has been nothing short of inspiring. Motivated by her brother and the renowned Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, nothing could deter her from achieving her dream of obtaining a PhD. Her passion for health communication led her to focus her PhD research on lay consultation in informal settlements. Dr. Onuegbu continues to do remarkable work, and her account of her PhD experience is sure to inspire you.
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Dr. Emeka Dumbili shared a refreshingly open conversation about his upbringing and how his community's traditions around alcohol use as a rite of passage have influenced his research on youth drinking behaviors. His journey toward a PhD is a testament to hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Dr. Emeka is a dreamer who has truly turned his aspirations into reality. This episode is packed with valuable insights that you won't want to miss.
In this episode, Dr Kobi shared her journey towards bagging a PhD with me. With a background in fine art, it took hard work, willingness to learn and grit for Dr Kobi to earn a PhD degree in Public Health. She combined her PhD study with parenting of two kids and 20 hours per week work in a lab. She is truly a super woman.
This episode is packed with PhD nuggets. Dr Christiana not only shared her PhD experience, but she also has some key lessons every student must pay attention to in order to succeed. The first two years of her PhD were challenging but she remembers those years as years of learning and unlearning. For her, resilience is key to obtaining a PhD because the journey will test you. Her advice to every young lady that is contemplating doing a PhD and listening to this episode is "go for it".
Bold, ambitious, and daring, Dr. Eyitayo Owolabi took a leap of faith in 2015 by relocating to South Africa with meager savings and the promise of a teaching assistantship to pursue a master's degree in nursing. Upon arrival, she quickly realized the teaching assistantship could barely cover her basic needs, forcing her to find additional resources for rent, data collection, and other necessities, or risk giving up entirely.
How did she navigate this funding challenge? Listen to her share her story, challenges, and many wins on my PhD Experience Podcast. Dr. Eyitayo earned her PhD in 2019 and is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Arizona State University in the United States.
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As someone who has always dreamed of becoming a professor, Dr. Emmanuel wasted no time deciding to pursue his Ph.D. He was intentional about his choices before, during, and after his Ph.D. He shared with me how his journey started, the never told before grit and graft stories underlying his many successes. One exciting thing about this interview is the openness of Dr. Emmauel in laying out what it takes to be a successful researcher and academic.