Humans of DFCM— Dr. Onye Nnorom
For Dr. Nnorom—Black health faculty lead at the Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM)—family medicine was the perfect complement to her work in public health and Black health advocacy.
Advocacy is crucial in primary care, especially for Black health, because health inequities don’t just happen—they are the result of systemic issues like racism, socioeconomic disparities, and historical injustices.”
Since the beginning, Dr. Onye Nnorom has recognized the connections between mentorship, public health, Black health and health equity, and primary care.
While studying molecular biology at Concordia University for her bachelor’s degree, she was mentored by Dr. Eric Laryea, a Black physician who supported Black students interested in medicine. With his support, Dr. Nnorom pursued and graduated from medical school at McGill University, where she focused on the social determinants of health after volunteering at the YMCA to help refugees access health services.
Following her time at McGill, Dr. Nnorom made her way to the University of Toronto to complete her family medicine residency with the DFCM at St. Michael’s Hospital. She later completed a Master’s of Public Health from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, as well as specialty training in Public Health and Preventive Medicine at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.
“Family medicine appealed to me because it was a nice complement to the Public Health and Preventive Medicine specialty,” she says. “It provides an opportunity to address both the clinical and social determinants of health in a holistic way.”
Putting the focus on Black health in medicine
Inspired by her experiences as a medical student and early-career physician, Dr. Nnorom’s work today focuses on Black health.
“I witnessed gaps in care and the impact of systemic racism on Black communities,” she says. “I wanted to be part of the solution—to create culturally affirming spaces and improve health-care access and outcomes for Black patients and patients from diverse backgrounds experiencing similar barriers to care and marginalization.”
As the first Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Lead at the DFCM and now the Black Health Faculty Lead, Dr. Nnorom strives to improve training and education and identify research opportunities regarding Black health. Amongst her important work, she supports curricular enhancements and identifies mentorship opportunities to support DFCM faculty, staff and trainees in addressing anti-Black racism in primary care.
“My passions for health equity and justice drive me to advocate for change,” she says.
Dr. Nnorom believes that advocacy in primary care is crucial because health inequalities “don’t just happen” and instead are the result of systemic issues from racism to socioeconomic disparities.
“Primary care providers are often the first point of contact for patients, making it critical to challenge biases, build trust, and create culturally affirming spaces,” she says. “Advocacy in primary care means pushing for policy changes, ensuring equitable health-care access, and educating health-care professionals on the lived realities of marginalized communities.”
In addition to her work with the DFCM, Dr. Nnorom is a clinical consultant at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and she works to share her knowledge widely and publicly to equip “racialized individuals with tools to thrive in a world shaped by systemic inequalities.”
Advocacy beyond the doctor’s office
Her podcast, Race, Health & Happiness, was a platform for discussions with successful individuals from various marginalized communities on “how to stay well in a ‘racialized world.’” From politicians to artists, the overarching message from interviewees was the power of community, mindfulness, dance, and storytelling as tools for resilience.
“The overarching message was that our wellness matters, and we deserve to thrive—not just survive,” she says.
Today, Dr. Nnorom continues her outreach with “Healthcaring Differently,” a digital mentorship and outreach initiative that “aims to inspire young people from diverse backgrounds to pursue careers in health care.” Highlighting individuals who are “challenging the status quo” in medicine, Healthcaring Differently encourages individuals to leave behind outdated mentalities in the medical field.
“The goal is to show aspiring health-care professionals that they don’t have to conform to outdated models of medicine—they can bring their full selves to this work.”
Healthcaring Differently has encouraged important conversations in the field, like the importance of bringing traditional Indigenous knowledge and healing practices into Western medicine and the impact that culturally responsive care has on patient outcomes, as discussed by Black physicians in community-led health centres.
In addition to these discussions, Dr. Nnorom also provides a newsletter to students with various resources like university mentorship programs, research job postings, and diversity pathway programs in medicine.
When it comes to sharing her wisdom with students interested in family medicine and advocacy work, Dr. Nnorom has five pieces of advice:
- “Be true to your heart and vision. Your passion for equity and justice is valid.”
- “Find mentors. Seek guidance from people who are doing the work you aspire to do.”
- “Build a community. Surround yourself with like-minded peers who support and uplift you.”
- “Take care of yourself. Advocacy work can be exhausting—protect your mental and emotional health.”
- “Know that change takes time. Progress in medicine and policy happens in small steps, but your work matters.”
