Olapeju Simoyan, MD
Addiction Medicine physician and Professor (adj), Drexel University College of Medicine.
Tell us about your career path
My career path was anything but a “straight line.” I initially trained as a dentist in Nigeria, then went to Johns Hopkins for a master of public health degree. I eventually attended medical school at Penn State. I completed my residency in family medicine and my first job out of residency was at what was then a brand new medical school, The Commonwealth Medical College, now Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. Being part of the founding faculty at an independent, brand new medical school had its challenges, but the experience provided several opportunities for professional growth and exploration. I decided to focus on addiction medicine clinically, got board certified, and eventually became the program director for Geisinger’s addiction medicine fellowship. Other roles I have held include serving as the Founding Medical Director of Research at an addiction treatment facility and Medical Director at a number of addiction treatment facilities.
What helped get you there?
I was drawn to addiction medicine as a specialty due to my interest in behavioral medicine. I saw addiction medicine as the intersection of general medicine and psychiatry and that made it seem like an ideal fit for me. Additionally, addiction medicine allows for flexible schedules and can be practiced in various settings, including academia and research.
What challenges have you faced in your medical career?
Finding ways of incorporating my interests in music and the arts into my medical work has been challenging. It takes creativity and “out of the box” thinking, but it is doable.
What advice do you have for women in medicine?
I hope that women physicians will realize that they don’t have to give up their outside interests while practicing medicine. In fact, engaging in our non-clinical interests is beneficial to us and can also contribute to making us better clinicians. I am working on a book on women in medicine that showcases a broad range of career trajectories, in addition to highlighting several women physicians who are actively engaged in artistic endeavors.
What is your leadership role in AMWA and/or share a passion that you’ve turned into an initiative and invite others to join in furthering this endeavor.
I am a member of AMWA’s Music and Medicine committee. We meet regularly and have made several presentations at conferences, most recently (September 2024) at the International Association for Music and Medicine’s (IAMM) conference in Berlin, Germany.
Have you had an Ah-Ha moment? or, Is there anything else that has impacted your career trajectory or work within or outside medicine that has been a significant influence?
The realization that my broad range of experiences, training and interests is what makes me unique, and that being the best version of me requires embracing all of who I was created to be. I can make the greatest impact by fully expressing myself within and outside of medicine. Along those lines, I recently wrote a book, ” I Played My Best for Him,” that features the stories behind the Christmas carols on a CD that I recorded last year.
Social Media:
Facebook – Peju Simoyan
LinkedIn @OlapejuSimoyan
IG – drsimo1