Educator Spotlight: Modele O. Ogunniyi, MD, MPH

Tell us about yourself
I am an Associate Professor of Medicine with the Division of Cardiology and also serve as the Assistant Medical Director of Grady’s Heart Failure Program. I was born in New York while my father was a medical resident at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. At the age of three, my family relocated back to Nigeria. I received my medical degree from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria and a Masters of Public Health with a certificate in Health Finance and Management from Johns Hopkins University. My postgraduate training includes a preventive medicine and public health fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, residency in internal medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine and cardiology fellowship at Vanderbilt University.

Why did you go into medicine? 
An early involvement in my father’s private primary care practice in Nigeria and observing how he cared for his patients influenced my choice of medicine as a career path. Having a physician father as a role model, I have watched him over the years consistently devote his career to providing healthcare to the medically underserved here in America and now, in his retirement, to similarly medically underserved communities in Nigeria.

What do you enjoy most about teaching? 
The highlight of my day is being able to teach and mentor the residents and cardiology fellows, and watch them blossom into full-fledged cardiologists. Most importantly, every working day at Grady is a daily reminder of why I became a doctor and my passion for caring for the underserved population.

Dogs or cats?  
No pets for now, maybe a “bunny” in the future (my daughter’s request).

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I enjoy cooking with my husband (he’s a really good cook), traveling, good music and spending time with family and friends.

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