Twins doubling up on UAMS degrees

Nigerian natives excelled at UALR

5/16/14
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/STEPHEN B. THORNTON
Dolapo Odeniyi, left, and her twin sister Bukola Odeniyi have taken virtually all classes together leading up to Saturday's graduation from UALR. WITH JEANNIE ROBERTS WEEKEND GRADUATION STORY
5/16/14 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/STEPHEN B. THORNTON Dolapo Odeniyi, left, and her twin sister Bukola Odeniyi have taken virtually all classes together leading up to Saturday's graduation from UALR. WITH JEANNIE ROBERTS WEEKEND GRADUATION STORY

Hands folded in her lap and shoulders straight, Bukola Odeniyi peeked from under a shade of heavy eyelashes to nod demurely toward her identical twin, Dolapo Odeniyi. Bukola was met with laughter and a permissive wave from her sister.

"She was the reason," Bukola said before leaning forward, propping her elbows on the table and weaving gold-tipped fingers to cradle her chin.

The twins -- born in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1992 -- were among 1,400 graduates who received diplomas at Saturday's commencement exercises at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

This fall, Bukola and Dolapo will be two of only four students to begin the dual track at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to simultaneously earn doctorates in medicine and research. The seven-year program will take the twins one step closer to fulfilling a dream they have shared since they were 7.

Bukola lifted three fingers in the air. Dolapo giggled, then gave an enthusiastic nod to encourage her sister to tell what led to their decision as children to spend their adult lives giving back to the world through affordable medical care and relentless research.

"The first thing was when my sister was diagnosed with malaria. It is a horrible disease that is treatable. But if you cannot afford treatment, you could die," Bukola said, her eyes widening. "I remember my parents taking her to the doctor, and she got better. It was really awesome. That's when I first realized the power of medicine."

That first impression was solidified, Bukola said, when Dolapo was injured in a motorcycle accident and was treated at a Nigerian hospital that was loosely regulated. The substandard care Dolapo received led to a leg wound becoming infected.

By the time she was transferred to a better hospital, the infection was so severe that doctors had to race against time to save the leg from amputation.

"All the while, they were telling me I was healing, but it was getting worse," Dolapo said. "I could have lost my leg. I thought it was very unfair. Nobody should have to go through that."

The third turning point, Bukola said, was when her parents, Theophilus and Olapeju Odeniyi -- both high school English teachers in Nigeria -- took them out of the private school they were attending and placed the young girls in a public school.

It was there that Bukola encountered a young girl with a cleft palate. She naively asked the young girl why she didn't go to the doctor and was told that the girl's parents could not afford the medical care.

"This could have been taken care of so easily, but if you're not from a wealthy family, you're left to walk around with this deformity," Bukola said. "It was really shocking to me. That left an impression on me."

Olapeju Odeniyi said the 21-year-old twins have never wavered from their determination to become doctors. The family supported this dream from a very early age by enrolling them only in schools that had a strong science curriculum.

When the family immigrated to America in early 2001, that commitment became even stronger. Olapeju Odeniyi said the first question she asked when the family arrived in Arkansas was which school had the strongest science program. The answer she heard was Mabelvale Middle School and later it was Parkview High School, both magnet schools in the Little Rock School District.

The twins excelled, graduating from high school as co-salutatorians before being accepted into UALR's prestigious Donaghey Scholars program, the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minorities Participation program, as McNair scholars and the University Science Scholars program.

While at UALR, Bukola and Dolapo have been involved in numerous research projects, co-wrote scientific articles and have delivered several presentations at state and national science conferences.

In the four years that Jim Winter, the director of the University Science Scholars program at UALR, has known the twins, he said he has seen them grow into patient, poised and outstanding scholars.

"In their first semester, they were in a hurry and took 20 credits, but got all A's," Winter said. "We convinced them to take normal loads, not burn out, and become more involved in undergraduate research and other opportunities."

Dolapo said she knows that she will have to learn to control her stress level when she enters the rigorous dual-doctorate program at UAMS. She waved her hand toward her sister.

"But sometimes she doesn't stress enough," Dolapo said with a laugh.

Bukola flashed an unapologetic smile.

"I will learn how to relax from the master, and then I can help her," Dolapo said. "She lets things slip and I have to say, 'Hey, you can't do that.' We complement each other."

This will be the first time that twins have been admitted into the dual-doctorate program.

The program accepts only three-to-five new students each year -- each with a full scholarship -- with about 20 overall in the program on average. Applicants hail from all over the nation.

Bukola and Dolapo were selected because of their academic achievements and because of their passion for medicine, said Robert McGehee, dean of the UAMS Graduate School.

"These really are the 1 percenters. They are truly bright kids," McGehee said. "It was very obvious to the selection committee that they totally understand the field of medicine and are deeply committed to it. They have a deep sense of humility and pride, and they are incredibly intelligent. They have some life experiences that give them a much broader perspective than many."

Both Bukola and Dolapo were accepted into dual-doctorate programs at numerous colleges around the nation, including Princeton, Duke, Rice, Vanderbilt and Stanford. After visiting the other campuses, however, Dolapo said it was obvious that the UAMS program was on par with the other universities and even offered more.

"We chose UAMS for many reasons. We have great connections there," Dolapo said. "We know that they are interested in our success."

Bukola and Dolapo are quick to brush off claims that their achievements are due to their intelligence. It is the hard work of their parents and the ethics they instilled in their children that has served them the most, Bukola said. Both their mother and father became registered nurses while holding full-time jobs after coming to Arkansas.

"When we look at them, we have no excuse at all. Those are the values they have instilled in us," Dolapo said. "You can be smart and not want to do anything."

Bukola nodded in agreement.

"You don't even have to be smart. People ask me, 'How do you get all A's?,'" Bukola said. "I say, 'I study.'"

As for the future, after they achieve the M.D. and Ph.D that will accompany their names, the sky is the limit for the idealistic twins who want to save the world, said Janet Lanza, a biology professor at UALR.

"They really admire the work of Doctors Without Borders. I think they might want to do some work in Nigeria and help people there," Lanza said.

Theophilus Odeniyi said his daughters are up to the task and will do great things in the world.

"They are so determined. When they tell you they're going to do something, they're going to do it," he said. "Their fantasy is becoming a reality. Thank the good Lord. I am so proud of them."

State Desk on 05/18/2014

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