Publishe on 10 February, the 2022 Maclean’s Power List features 50 Canadians “who are forging paths, leading the debate and shaping how we think and live”, said the magazine.
Originally from Nigeria, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa is ranked 37th in the list. At the top of this annual Power List are the unknown victims of residential schools—hundreds of children who lost their lives before they were finally heard.
Physicians, advocate for diversity and inclusion, a first-generation Nigerian-Canadian woman, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa is currently a resident doctor in psychiatry at university of Toronto, where she’s aiming to complete further specialist training in neuro-psychiatry and neuro-inflammatory diseases. She is the only Black medical student in her cohort.
Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa is one of Time magazine’s “2021 Next Generational Leaders”. She is an accomplished physician, spoken word poet, and advocate for racialized and marginalized populations. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine, where she was named valedictorian of her graduating class — the first Black woman to be recognized as sole valedictorian within the faculty.
Barbie Role Model
Before her inclusion in the Macleans power list, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa was selected by toymaker, Mattel to be part of its Barbie Role Models Program as she was one of those who worked tirelessly during the Covid-19 pandemic. She has a Barbie doll created in her likeness. The fashion doll manufacturer also honored Dr. Oriuwa with her own Barbie, to commemorate her efforts combatting racism in health care and her efforts to increase diversity in Canada’s medical field. “Having a dark Black female, ensuring that the doll had an Afro 4C hair, I really wanted to make sure that it shared my features. Young girls can look at it and say, ‘This is what a doctor looks like, and I’m going to imagine that is what I’m going to become”, she said.
Ambassador and educator of the Black Student Application Program
In her first year of med school, says Time Magazine, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa was approached by university officials who wanted her to become the public face of the university’s Black Student Application Program, which allows Black faculty, physicians and students to take part in the admissions process to address the long-standing lack of Black decisionmakers weighing in on the fates of applicants. “I initially said, ‘I don’t know if I can come forward with my story,’” she recalls. She had been warned by colleagues that she would risk not being matched to her top residency program if she spoke out—that the establishment “does not like people that challenge the status quo.” But she ultimately agreed: she believed her story might help others.
As an ambassador and educator of the Black Student Application Program (BSAP) at university of Toronto, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa has had the privilege to speak on national and international platforms, through various media syndications, as a champion of inclusion, diversity, and empowerment of marginalized voices. In 2020, the Temerty Faculty of Medicine admitted the largest group of Black medical students in Canadian history, a reflection of the success of the BSAP and the power of Oriuwa’s narrative to create paradigm shifts in powerful spaces.
Advocate for improving disparities in Black health
Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa has become a vocal advocate for improving disparities in Black health and confronting institutional discrimination. She has been invited to give national and international keynotes, seminars, lectures, and panelist contributions on the topic of advancing equity in medicine, women’s empowerment, mental health and wellness, global health, and her journey as an underrepresented minority in medicine.
Dedicated to the mentorship of racialized youth and the advancement of the Black community and beyond, she speaks to addressing inequities and advancing efforts in wellness and mental health, diversity and inclusion, and women empowerment.
Professional spoken word artist
Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa is also a professional spoken word artist. Working under the Hamilton Youth Poets, she has earned her place as a national slam poetry finalist twice. In 2017, she released her renowned slam poem “Woman, Black” and in 2018 published her seminal article In My White Coat, I am More Black than Ever for FLARE magazine’s Black History Month campaign. She has also been featured on CBC’s The National, CTV News, CP24, Toronto Star, Time magazine, and TODAY, amongst others. She is slated to release her first memoir with HarperCollins in 2023.
Recipient of numerous prestigious awards and honours
A recipient of numerous prestigious awards and honours, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa was recognized as one of Best Health Magazine‘s “2020 Women of the Year”. She was also recently honoured in Mattel’s #ThankYouHeroes campaign alongside five other women with a one-of-a-kind Barbie doll made in her image to commemorate her contributions as a frontline healthcare worker. Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa also serves on Indigo’s board of directors (Indigo is the Canadian biggest bookstore). She uses her expertise to inform their efforts in advancing equity and curating spaces of wellness and inclusion.
