UT Austin Medical Student Awarded SignatureCare Emergency Center’s 2023 Spring Semester Medical and Health Scholarship
Gift Owolabi, a Biology Pre-Med honors student said her desire to make a difference in the lives of others led her to the field of medicine.
HOUSTON, TX – SignatureCare Emergency Center has awarded its 2023 spring semester Medical and Health Scholarship to University of Texas (UT), Austin Biology Pre-Med honors student Gift Owolabi.
Gift was selected by our scholarship selection committee to receive the $1,000 award.
SignatureCare Emergency Center gives this scholarship award twice a year to qualified U.S. college students who demonstrate strong passion to the healthcare and medical field. The scholarship award is aimed at helping the students pay their tuition, room and board, books, and other school-related expenses.
Owolabi said she was drawn to the field of science and medicine because she wanted to make a difference in the lives of others.
“As a child, my favorite word was ‘why’. Why do we breathe? Why do I bruise? Why does my food taste funny after I’ve been sick? Why, why, why. The answers I found in the sciences only brought me joy.
“This bliss drew me to the University of Texas at Austin, where I was introduced to research. As a freshman, I eagerly studied the source of genetic mutations leading to disease. Excitement soon withered to frustration. I felt unfulfilled. It wasn’t enough to just know something; I yearned to do something with my knowledge, to affect direct change.
“At Dell Medical School, I aggregated outcomes from patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. I’d closed the distance between myself and those I served, and as I cross referenced post-operative reports with patient records, my interest in healthcare blossomed.”
Owolabi said her desire to know more made her pursue physician shadowing with Dr. Denise Johnson, a women’s health physician.
“Through reflecting on my experiences observing Dr. Johnson and ultimately other physicians, I’ve come to realize that the fulfillment I seek lies in medicine. My knowledge of the human body lends me the ability to problem solve, and I’m committed to healing others through my efforts.
“I’ve already begun to serve my community as a vision therapist. I work with patients one-on-one, leading them through therapeutic exercises focused on integrating their brains with their eyes. My patients require the utmost care and mindfulness, especially when the activities I lead cause discomfort. I’ve developed stronger communication skills to counter anxiety and frustration, using my knowledge of vision therapy and healthcare to educate my patients on their diagnoses, the skills our therapeutic activities target, and how this serves their real-life goals.
“As a child, my favorite word was ‘why’. Why do we breathe? Why do I bruise? Why does my food taste funny after I’ve been sick? Why, why, why. The answers I found in the sciences only brought me joy.”
“As a vision therapist, I focus only on the eyes. Medicine, however, nurtures my passion for the human body as a whole. As a physician, I gain the ability to diagnose and problem solve while engaging in holistic conversation with my patients.
“Beyond treating current affliction, I hope to prevent further suffering through compassionate care rooted in patient literacy. I’ve always admired the miracles of the human body, and as I look to the future, I seek to empower my patients to do the same, fostering the “whys” that first inspired me as a child,” she added.
Dr. Christopher Langan, MD, an Emergency Medicine Physician and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of SignatureCare Emergency Center, congratulated Gift for winning the award.
“Gift has a bright future ahead of her. Without doubt, she is poised to make a difference in the lives of her patients. Her love and passion for the field of science and medicine is so obvious,” Langan added.
To apply for SignatureCare Emergency Center Medical and Health Scholarship, go to our scholarship page.
About SignatureCare Emergency Center
Houston, TX-based SignatureCare Emergency Center own 24-hour emergency centers throughout Texas, including nine ER locations in the Houston area (Montrose, Houston Heights, Cypress/FM 1960, Copperfield, Memorial City, Westchase, Bellaire, Mission Bend/Sugar Land, and Stafford), Atascocita/Humble, Killeen, Austin, College Station/Bryan, Paris, Midland, Odessa, Texarkana, Spring, Plano, and Lewisville, TX.
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