Tochi Okwuosa, DO, FACC

Assistant Professor
Department of Internal Medicine, Rush Medical College
Role: Clinician, Researcher, Faculty
Joined Rush in January 2014

Bio

I am a cardiologist and an assistant professor of medicine at Rush University Medical Center. My internal medicine residency and subspecialty cardiology fellowship training were completed at the University of Chicago Medical Center and at Northwestern University in Chicago.

My research interests are in the field of Cardio-Oncology. I am currently championing research projects that involve initial identification of patients who are at risk of chemotherapy-induced and radiation-induced cardiomyopathy and projects that will lead to the future prevention of this condition.

I am the recipient of numerous awards, and I have published many peer-reviewed research articles, book chapters, editorials and review articles in the fields of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, and Cardio-Oncology. I also sit on several Cardio-Oncology committees and writing groups and have been invited to give several presentations on various topics in Cardio-Oncology. I place a strong emphasis on patient education, as well as on student and housestaff training.

What inspired you to get into your field?

I enjoying taking care of patients and making decisions regarding patient care. I enjoy the challenging nature of Cardio-Oncology.

What excited you about your work at Rush?

I was excited to work at Rush because of the compassion and empathy that the staff members show for the patients they care for.

What is your opinion of mentoring and sponsorship? Please comment about your experiences.

It is nice and easier if you have one significant mentor who is well-accomplished and interested in your progress as the mentee. Unfortunately, this is not always possible. Mentees must remember that it is fine (and enriches the mentee’s experience) if they have a specific goal in mind and have multiple mentors providing a myriad of input and advice, to help them achieve that goal. Their experiences with mentoring and sponsorship are, in this way, robust. I believe the motivated mentees in  such cases accomplish more than what they had hoped for.

Do you have tips or advice you would recommend for someone looking to enter your field of work?

Talk to plenty of people who are in your field and get advice from as many people as possible.

What are your hobbies? How do you like to spend your free time?

I love spending time with family and friends, biking, reading novels and hiking. I am just beginning to get interested in flying. I will let you know how that goes!