School of Medicine

Ogechi Nwankwo came to the United States with her family when she was 12 years old and has since become a DACA recipient. She began taking nursing prerequisites at a young age, hoping to serve others and help support her family as well.

She has worked at Loma Linda University Health for the past seven years as a critical care nurse, and recently worked in Los Angeles County on COVID-19 units. She says she noticed a clear difference between the atmosphere of other places and that of Loma Linda University Health. She believes the spiritual aspect of care here is part of what makes it such a special place.

Ogechi saved for years so she could someday attend medical school, as her DACA status makes it impossible for her to receive federal student loans. She knew when she attended medical school she wanted to be at Loma Linda University. As she began applying, she prayed God would help her find a way to deal with her difficult financial situation.

She says she will never forget the moment she received a call from Loma Linda University School of Medicine saying she had been awarded a scholarship. She felt like it was an affirmation from God that she had been led to the right place. She is now in her first year of medical school at Loma Linda University, and she’s so grateful to the generosity of others that has enabled her to be here.

Ogechi says it is deeply meaningful to her to know that while she was praying and asking God to help her find a way to attend medical school, there were people God was speaking to and calling to give. Thanks to the generosity of Vision 2020 donors, Ogechi is following her call to service at Loma Linda University.

School of Medicine Accomplishments

• Graduated the 11,000th student in 2017 since the school’s founding in 1909, demonstrating our continued impact of mission-minded physicians and the value of scholarship support.

• Enhanced research projects such as scarless surgical procedures that could result in little or no scar tissue, and the potential of Chitosan (C59) for Alzheimer’s prevention.

• Incorporated new educational approaches, including robotic surgery, to ensure students are equipped to approach care with innovative approaches.