Stories of Passion – Dr. Olanrewaju

Meet Dr. Olanrewaju. Dr. Olan is our newest volunteer doctor who joined our team in May. He volunteers once a month during our Saturday clinic.

Dr. Olan had been looking for an opportunity to volunteer in his capacity as a medic.

“MLK Health offered the perfect opportunity to do this with the organized flow of the clinic, the graceful staff, the high quality ancillary services – dietitian on site, and the fresh produce offered to clients from the on site garden and much more…”

He was excited to join our volunteer team because MLK Health offers “the opportunity to serve on the frontlines with the volunteer medical team.The clinical workflow is optimal for patient care providing ample opportunity to educate, evaluate, test and treat accordingly in a warm and welcoming environment for clients/patients, and volunteers.” But it’s more than that. He serves because of the opportunity to connect with patients and build relationships.

During his first clinic, Dr. Olan had a patient who spoke very little English. Because her English speaking relative was unable to join her for this appointment, she was without a translator. Dr. Olan could tell she was flustered and anxious.

“As you can imagine, this can be a major barrier to any type of care or a productive clinical encounter.” The patient was astonished when she learned that Dr. Olan was fluent in her native language and was not only able communicate well with her, but could connect and relate to her because of their shared ancestry.

Dr. Olan said they “had a great connection and very productive encounter. My encounter with this lady, among others, has reinforced my commitment to volunteering at MLK Health to continue to serve this vulnerable group.”