Celebrating Black History Month with Dr. Njideka Obiekwe

In celebration of Black History Month, we are spotlighting a handful of our Black physicians who have chosen to share their healthcare journeys with us.

Dr. Njideka Obiekwe is an obstetrician and gynecologist with Premier OB/GYN in Opelika. She was born in Africa and lived there before moving to the U.S. in 1986. In this profile, she discusses how her upbringing led her to be a physician. Additionally, she shares extensively about some of the healthcare issues that Black people face and her recommendations for improvements.

Dr. Obiekwe earned her B.S. in Biology from Bowie State University and her medical degree from Meharry Medical College. For her residency, she went to the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta where she completed one year of trauma surgery at Grady Hospital and four years as an OB/GYN before moving to east Alabama in 2002.

On what led her to be a physician:

Growing up in Africa, I saw so many people die from what I came to learn were preventable diseases. At 9 years old, I used to walk around with my father's first aid kit, cleaning off children's wounds that they got from playing outside. The smile, hope and happiness on their faces was the igniting factor that made me decide at such a young age that I wanted to dedicate my life to taking care of others.

On her patients:

My patients who entrust their care in me every day are who inspire and push me every day to the best physician that I can be.

On the ways that education, routine check-ups and early detection play such a key role in the health of the community:

I believe that it starts with proper education of chronic illnesses on a patient-based level, as well as early intervention. Patients need to understand their family history and their predisposition to chronic illnesses. It is important to provide patients with small, obtainable goals in a non-judgmental manner, so they do not get overwhelmed with bigger tasks. Patients need to feel comfortable with health care providers so that they know they will not be judged. Developing a non-judgmental, trusting relationship with a primary care provider will play a large role in them seeking help and following up regularly.

Obesity plays a large role in chronic diseases that affect African Americans, so controlling this from childhood by better education with dietary choices, portion control and exercise programs will help decrease chronic disease as they age. It is extremely important to start education as early as possible to foster good habits and lifestyles.

Other advice:

• Seek care early with symptoms as opposed to being afraid of what the outcome will be. For example, patients with known family history of breast cancer who discover a breast lump sometimes wait to seek help out of fear of getting the same diagnosis, when in actuality it could've been detected earlier with less aggressive treatment.
• It is also important for patients to take medication as prescribed and notify providers with any side effects, as opposed to just stopping a medication.
• Early detection, understanding family history, and access to the health care system and resources that are available play a large role when it comes to better controlling health risks.
• Make annual visits with health care providers which will lead to frequent screening, education and early detection and intervention. "Prevention is better than intervention."
• The majority of patients do not know of the resources that are available to them, so as healthcare providers, we can do our part to let them know of these resources or where to go for help.