Hailing from New York City, Dr. Oluwakemi “Kemi” Edokpayi provides the utmost healthcare to women all over Georgia as a celebrated Physician and OB/GYN at The Healthy Woman private practice. As a Georgetown University School of Medicine graduate, Dr. Kemi exudes her passion for women’s health through her knowledge of high-risk obstetric care and her expertise performing minimally invasive surgery and treatments for conditions such as heavy menses and fibroids. Dr. Kemi also offers comprehensive prenatal and family planning services along with menopausal treatments. When she’s not focused on the wellness of her patients, Dr. Kemi enjoys traveling, Peloton workouts, community volunteering and perhaps her most cherished role, being a mom.
Q: What has surprised you the most about yourself about your professional journey?
A: How I started in medicine is not how I’ve evolved, especially with having children (young children too) and going through a lot of the things that I saw my patients go through. I think when I started medical school, I had the perception that there was systemic racism, but I also felt like there were gaps of knowledge; not just on the patient side, but also on the physician and providers side as well. By going through my own pregnancies and birth experiences, I was able to see that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, anybody can be in the realm of ‘anything that can happen.’ So, going through my own journey has definitely shaped me to be a better clinician while expressing more empathy and understanding to my patients to try to see all sides which in turn can help me provide better care.
Q: Because of the nature of work that you do of always servicing other people and giving yourself to others do you find that you have to create self-care rituals for yourself?
A: I do feel like I have to set some time for myself, especially on a daily basis. I believe in the power of prayer. So I pray every morning. I also believe in doing some form of self care in trying to improve yourself, whether it’s exercise, or trying to pick up a new skill, or some form of knowledge that you wouldn’t have necessarily thought to do on your own. So, trying to figure out that balance has always been a challenge of course. But this is the joy of life. You never have to go into that unknown; but if you do, this will allow you to grow. At the same time, take time for yourself. Don’t overextend yourself to the point where you can’t focus on the things that are important to your life.
Q: And do you have any women, specifically in the medical field or beyond that you admire or keeps you motivated and inspired? If you do, who would those women be?
A: Good question! There’s an endless list. I think about a lot of the women in my family starting from both of my grandmothers, both on my maternal and paternal side. They were very strong, powerful women, who were no nonsense but they had a heart of gold and always wanted the best for themselves, their family and their children. Just seeing how that worked down through my parents, being immigrants from Nigeria, trying to build a better life for my siblings and I. Along the way, throughout college, medical school, and even residency, I encountered various women, physicians and professors, who just instilled in me the drive, determination and strong work ethic that had definitely played a role in who I am today. There’s always a solution to every problem, we just have to think about it and look at things from different lenses.
Q: What would you say is your superpower?
A: Oh, my superpower! From what I’ve been told, I feel like I have a very calming, very soothing effect. My patients feel at ease when they talk to me. That helps especially when I’m taking care of them, whether it’s for a discussion of the pregnancy or planning for a surgery. I just put their mind at ease and make them feel like they don’t have to have all the worries and concerns on their shoulders. Put some of that on me and let me worry about it so they can focus on other important things that are going on in their lives. I think that calming effect is one of my super powers.
Q: If you could give your younger self any piece of advice about anything? What would that piece of advice be?
A: It would be three words: keep on striving. Don’t let anything hold you back. Failure doesn’t mean it’s the end. It can always be something that you can learn from and use that to push forward!
To stay connected to Dr. Edokpayi:
- Website: The-healthywoman.com
