Sept. 4, 2014 | Sept. 4, 2014 | After experiencing the inadequacy of the health care system in their home of Lagos, Nigeria, Dolapo and Bukola Odeniyi, identical twin sisters, are studying at the University of Arkansas of Medical Sciences to fulfill their dream of becoming doctors.

The sisters fill two of four slots in the M.D.-Ph.D. program available the academic year that began in August. Bukola’s research interest is immunology and Dolapo’s pharmacology.

“We are excited because we are now one step closer to achieving our goals,” Dolapo said. “We understand that it is a difficult task, but we are both ready to conquer the challenge.”

UAMS’ Center for Diversity Affairs (CDA) has helped them make it to this point by connecting them to resources such as the CDA’s Undergraduate Summer Science Enrichment Program and CDA-AR commitment mentored research program. CDA also guided them through the medical school admission process and paired them with UAMS mentors Alexei Basnakian, M.D., Ph.D., and Elvin Price, Ph.D., Pharm.D.

“CDA has been guiding us since we graduated from high school,” Dolapo said. “It was through them that our exposure to research began. They — along with our mentors —helped us prepare to apply for the M.D.-Ph.D. program and they have expressed their interest in making sure we are successful.”

Billy Thomas, UAMS vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion, is “ecstatic” that the sisters are making an impact on health care in Arkansas, and believes that they embody the mission of UAMS.

“Given the very small and decreasing number of students that enroll in M.D.-Ph.D. programs, the acceptance of Bukola and Dolapo into the program is cause for great celebration,” Thomas said. “The fact that they are underrepresented minorities makes it even more significant. The Odeniyi sisters represent the perfect example of the UAMS mission in action. The mission of CDA is to advance diversity and inclusiveness in the creation of the future health care of Arkansas.”

The sisters’ desire to become doctors was cemented at a young age. At 7-years-old, Dolapo had a motorcycle wreck and almost had to have her foot amputated due to infection because of loose regulations and substandard care of the hospital where she was treated.

“It was during the process of healing from my injury that I realized I wanted and needed to be a physician,” Dolapo said. “During this ordeal, I was devastated when I was told that my foot was infected and could be amputated. I was a child and worried about playing and about what my friends would think. I said to myself, if I was a doctor, I would never allow that to happen to anybody, especially to a child. I haven’t thought twice about a career change.”

Bukola’s interest in medicine developed over the course of several experiences. These include watching her sister recover from her foot infection and malaria.

“These experiences showed me some of the defects in the health care system in Nigeria, and they developed a desire in me to eliminate these defects by working as a physician,” Bukola said. “My sister’s injury made me understand that some hospitals in Nigeria are not properly regulated which results in substandard care.”

Her drive to become a doctor was further solidified when one of her classmates with a cleft palate, a common birth defect of the lip that is easily fixed with surgery, could not be treated because her family could not afford the procedure.

“This demonstrated to me the financial disparities that are present within the health system,” she said.

The sisters have decided to use their sobering experiences for good and set their sights on caring for the underserved.

“Our primary goal has been to make quality care accessible to everyone regardless of financial status,” Bukola said. “Our future in medicine and research are similar because we hope to use both of our perspectives to make health care more accessible to underserved populations.”

The sisters and their family came to the United States in 2001 through a federal program known as the Green Card Lottery for immigrants who meet eligibility requirements. They graduated from Parkview Arts and Science Magnet High School in Little Rock as co-salutatorians, then earned both their biology and chemistry degrees from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2013.

They have already made an impact on research. Dolapo was listed as a co-author in a 2013 issue of the American Journal of Physiology – Renal Physiology for contributions to research that seek to improve the shelf life of organs available for human transplant.

Bukola has also earned multiple research grants, and both have presented at state and national scientific conferences, receiving top awards.