Olive Nwosu

Washington, DC

November 05, 2018
Olive Nwosu

When Olive Nwosu visited family members in Nigeria, she was shocked by what they told her about the country’s healthcare system. “If you got sick and didn’t have money, it was better for you to die than go to the hospital,” recalled Nwosu whose parents emigrated from Nigeria to Washington, DC before she was born.  “They told me that a hospital wouldn’t treat you if you didn’t have the money even if they had the means of saving your life.” Nwosu considers that moment an awakening and said the stark inequality propelled her to action: she joined the Girl Scouts, volunteered at hospitals and began working with autistic children. As part of a local program, Nwosu was given an internship at a pharmacy as a high school student. The pharmacist quickly became Nwosu’s mentor.

“There was a slower pace to a pharmacist’s life,” said Nwosu. “People came to her and asked for advice all the time. They were comfortable with her and she helped them. After experiencing that, I realized that pharmacy was the right choice for me.”

After attending Bowie State University in Maryland, Nwosu applied to TCOP. “I felt I should leave the nest for my own personal growth,” explained Nwosu. “Touro was the first interview I had and though I had many after that, the interview sold me. Everyone was like family and I felt like I was treated like an individual. In the other schools, I felt like I was a number.”