Once an Owl, always an advocate: Olympian starts residency at Baylor
KEYA PATEL FOR THE THRESHER
As a student, Erica Ogwumike ’20 would walk across Main Street from basketball practice at Tudor Fieldhouse to the Texas Medical Center to shadow physicians. She said the short walk was more than a commute, like a bridge between the two identities she was learning to balance: student athlete and future physician.
“I witnessed how [a surgeon] worked with the nurses, the physician’s assistants, the techs and everything else,” Ogwumike said. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is the same teamwork as sports.’”
The Rice graduate is now starting her first year of dermatology residency at Baylor College of Medicine. The former Women’s National Baskebtall Association draft pick and Olympian said Rice shaped her path and prepared her to pursue a career in medicine while maintaining her identity as an athlete.
When Ogwumike transferred from Pepperdine University to Rice after her freshman year, she was looking for a chance to play Division I basketball with her sister, Olivia, while preparing for a professional career.
“I just wanted to be at a place where I could excel athletically and academically,” Ogwumike said. “Rice really was the best t for me … they allowed me to do both at the highest level.”
The decision paid off. Ogwumike led the Owls to multiple conference championships in 2019, the program’s first NCAA tournament appearance in nearly a decade.
“It was a huge feat, and it brought more exposure to women’s basketball at Rice,” Ogwumike said. “I love how they’ve continued to keep that up.”
But Rice gave her more than athletic accolades, she said. It gave her the con dence and resources to commit to a career in medicine. For Ogwumike, sports
were never the endgame.
“I always knew that I needed a career outside of basketball because I knew basketball for me was not going to be forever,” she said. “Even if I wasn’t a student-athlete, I had to nd a major, and I always gravitated towards the sciences.”
Still, stepping away from basketball was not an easy choice for Ogwumike.
Selected in the 2020 WNBA dra , she had to weigh playing professionally against pursuing medical school.
Ultimately, Ogwumike followed through on her intentions to become a doctor and enrolled at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School.
Ogwumike said she was able to make this transition with ease due to the resources provided by Rice and support from her family. While she was the rst person in her family to go to medical school, her older sisters, Nneka and Chiney, both WNBA No. 1 overall picks, allowed her to live vicariously through their athletic journeys.
The goal was just to be a vessel of representation for student athletes who wanted to be pre-med.
Erica Ogwumike FORMER RICE BASKETBALL PLAYER
“They’ve truly done everything you can possibly do in regards to being a professional athlete as a woman,” she said. “I had rsthand examples that I could call up on speed dial, which is something that I did not take lightly.”
Having her sisters as mentors throughout her athletic journey made Ogwumike want to share her story as she navigated medical school decisions and life as a student athlete. She began sharing her insights on social media as an undergraduate.
“I actually started my YouTube account when I was at Rice … documenting being a student athlete,” she said. “The goal was just to be a vessel of representation for student athletes who wanted to be pre-med.”
People continued to follow Ogwunike’s story as she was dra ed and instead chose to continue her academic journey at UT Southwestern. Even as she settled into medical school, basketball called her back. Ogwumike joined Nigeria’s national team and competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“It was cool to see the most elite athletes doing what they love to represent their country,” she said. “Representing a school is one thing, but representing a country is an honor I never imagined.”
As her journey took her from the WNBA dra to the Olympics and medical school, her online presence grew.
“It’s allowed me to create a community, so other people can see that I’m out here trying to become a doctor while being an athlete — and that it is indeed possible,” Ogwumike said.
Ogwumike said the balancing act wasn’t easy, but the support she received a er opening up to others made all the di erence. She said she wants current students to know that their identity as an athlete is an asset, not a burden to work around.
“Student athletes don’t exist as much in medical school,” she said. “Once I did tell [my program], they were like, ‘Erica, this is amazing. You shouldn’t have been going through this alone.’ They were so supportive.”
Even though she has traded jerseys for a white coat, Ogwumike said the athlete identity remains.
“The mentality is more so what you remember more than anything,” she said. “I’ll always consider myself an athlete because nothing changes in how I approach my day every single day.”
As she began her dermatology residency, that mindset led her to launch Athlete MD, a platform for mentoring student athletes pursuing medicine. What began as YouTube videos during her Rice years has
evolved into a structured community.
“It’s now a legitimate platform that allows me to physically see each person that wants to work with me,” she said. “It’s been a nice segue into something tangible.”
Looking back, Ogwumike said she credits Rice for being the foundation of her complex journey.
“My main advice for these studentathletes would be: take advantage of the resources around you,” she said. “They’re literally going to help you get into medical school. Everything you need is at Rice.”
As she starts her new chapter at Baylor, Ogwumike said it feels like a fullcircle moment in the same medical center that ignited her passion for medicine.
“You need confidence to achieve these crazy goals, but the fault lies when you’re not willing to ask questions,” Ogwumike said. “I try my best to operate in that space — confident, but always a learner.”
