184 GTG® Alumni Spotlight: Adesuwa Akhetuamhen, MD

In this episode, Kemi welcomes Dr. Adesuwa Akhetuamhen, an emergency medicine physician and faculty member at Emory University. Dr. Akhetuamhen’s research focuses on preventative medicine for emergency department patients at risk for neuro-cardiovascular disease. She has substantial experience in clinical medicine, with specialized training and expertise in addressing racial health disparities, conducting medical education research, and neuro-cardiovascular disease prevention in emergency care settings. 

Tune in as they discuss Adesuwa's experience with the Get That Grant® program, she reflects on the importance of community, mentorship, and the actionable strategies that have propelled her career forward. Adesuwa's candid insights reveal how she navigated the challenges of motherhood while achieving significant milestones, including securing her first grant shortly after completing the program. 

Conversation Highlights: 

• The importance of community in academia 
• Navigating motherhood and career milestones 
• Overcoming challenges and celebrating wins 
• The power of passion in research 

If Adesuwa’s story resonated with you - and you’re looking for structured support, community, and strategy in your own academic journey - now’s the time to take the next step.  

Applications are now open for the July 2025 cohort of Get That Grant®.
Apply here. 

P.S. New this round: We’re piloting direct institutional payments - and this is the last time GTG® will be offered at its current price. 

Loved this convo? Please go find Dr. Akhetuamhen on LinkedIn and Instagram (@adeakhmd) to show her some love!  

And if you'd like to learn more foundational career navigation concepts for women of color in academic medicine and public health, sign up for our KD Coaching Foundations Series: www.kemidoll.com/foundations. 

REMINDER: Your Unapologetic Career Podcast now releases episode every other week! Can't wait that long? Be sure you are signed up for our newsletter (above) where there are NEW issues every month! 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:00

The biggest takeaway and the shift in my perspective is the idea of not operating from a scarcity mindset, which is so important in the environment we're in. Knowing that as long as I continue the work, as long as I'm passionate about what I want to do, funding sources will come, opportunities will come, and this will be successful. I didn't get here 13 years later just because. Thank you. 13 years from now, I know I will continue to make progress.

UNKNOWN: 0:30

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01: 0:31

Hello, hello. You are listening to your unapologetic career. Being a woman of color faculty in academic medicine who wants to make a real difference with your career can be tough. Listen, these systems are not built for us, but that doesn't mean we can't make them work for us. In each episode, I'll be taking a deep dive into one core growth strategy so you can gain confidence and effectiveness Thank you so much. Hello? Welcome back to the show, y'all. I'm really excited for our guest today. First of all, we share a special link, which I'll tell you about in a second. And second of all, she's just an incredible person, has an incredible career, and has just a beautiful energy that I think you all will enjoy spending time with her today on the podcast. So without further ado, I would love our guest to introduce herself, please. Yes. Well, thank you so much for the kind introduction. Everyone, my name is Adesua Akotowaman. Friends call me Ade. I was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, but I'm Nigerian. So my parents came to Kentucky separately, by the way. Oh, interesting. Decided to stay. I know, I know. Nigerians were everywhere. Oh, for sure. They came to Kentucky, met at my sister's and I, and here we are. And here we are. Yes. And so I did my undergrad at the University of Kentucky. Okay. And then I did medical school at Yale. And then from there, I completed my emergency medicine in residency at Northwestern in Chicago. Girl! And then... Our paths are so similar. Oh, really? Yeah, I did my residency at Northwestern. You did? Yes, I did my OBGYN residency at Northwestern. So first of all, back up. First of all, we have the same name. I mean, my born name, I go by Kemi, but my born name is Adefala Kemi. So we both had the Ade going on. So that's first of all. Second of all, my parents also came over here, although together, but I also grew up in the South-ish. I don't know if you consider Kentucky the South. but I do. It's the South. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Grew up in the South. Went to college in the South, North Carolina, then went to the Northeast for medical school, New York, went to Columbia. I know. Look at this. And then went to residency in Chicago. Girl. Oh my gosh. And you know what? I did my residency fellowship at UCSF. So now you're on the coast now. That's so good. Okay. Anyway, so emergency medicine. We love it. Okay. And where are you now? So I first heard about Get That Grant actually when I was doing my research fellowship. So I talked to Eugenia South, who did the Sim a similar research fellowship, like the NCSB program. And her first advice was, listen to this podcast. And so it feels like a full circle moment actually being here. And I tried to join, get that grant as a fellow. I

SPEAKER_00: 3:51

don't know if you remember. You were

SPEAKER_01: 3:52

like, no, don't do it. Wait till your faculty. I said, no, you gonna have to wait. I waited. So to answer your question, I'm now faculty at Emory. That's in ATL, which is where I grew up. That is so wild. So many connections. I know. all great. Oh, wow. So I feel like Emory is on the come up too. Like, I don't know when I was growing up, Emory was, I mean, segregation, whatever, but like, it was like, it won the place for black people. But now I feel like there are so many amazing young black physicians at Emory. I'm like, yes, let's do it. Actually in my cohort, we had another Emory physician. Yes. Yes. So I love it. We're all there. Yeah. Okay. So you hinted at this. So you found out about GTG during your fellowship and you were like, Hey, can I come in? And I was like, no. And I just, I think one thing is true. Like we're very policy oriented is probably the wrong way to say it, but like we have our policies and we do stick to them. Like we do have parameters for a reason, I think. And I love when people are like, hey, but what about this? And I'm like, y'all, no. But I'm curious as now that you've gone through, now that you've been through DTD, do you understand why? Yes. Thank you. Okay. Why we're like, no, like it does not work as a fellow. It doesn't. Okay. I'm glad. And you said no in a nice way, but I'm glad that I joined at the time that I did.

SPEAKER_00: 5:11

And

SPEAKER_01: 5:13

I think it really did help me to kind of get what I needed to get done for my work. So I'm happy to talk more about that. Yes. It's the majority of the program. is towards action and results. This is not a program where we all just come and we keep talking and then we talk about our perspectives and we talk about our goals and then we set our values and now we have clarity. No, like this is an action oriented program. So like you can't take action as a faculty if you're not a faculty, boo.

SPEAKER_00: 6:22

It's true. It's true.

SPEAKER_01: 6:24

So we talked a lot about your training background, but I'm curious if you just could tell us a little bit about the research that you do. Sure. So overall, my goal is to use the emergency department to prevent the next emergency. So

SPEAKER_00: 6:38

you

SPEAKER_01: 6:38

can imagine as emergency medicine doctor,

SPEAKER_00: 6:40

I'll

SPEAKER_01: 6:42

every day see patients with heart attacks, with strokes, with now needing dialysis because they have kidney disease and kidney failure. But then I also see folks who come in with uncontrolled hypertension and with diabetes and who are smoking. And while I have amazing training, world-class training and managing those acute emergencies, we actually don't get great training. on how to deal with those chronic conditions that cause those emergencies in the first place. And so I'm interested in trying to figure out how we can better identify, manage, and help that person then transition to the next stage of care when someone with a chronic issue comes to our emergency department motivated, ready, trying to seek care. Yeah. Oh, that's a good point. It's a window. They're here. They're ready to be helped. It's an opportunity to shift someone's path. I personally feel I'm so sorry, Ade. make a difference and ensure that this doesn't happen to my future patients. And this feels great to finally say 13 years later that I can be in a position to make a difference. And part of your program has helped me to achieve that goal. Thank you. First of all, may he rest in peace. Amen. Thank you. I'm so moved by, by that story and your motivation. I'm going to get emotional. I'm sorry. It's heavy, but it's not heavy. It's deep. It truly, I don't feel heavy. I feel moved.

SPEAKER_00: 8:36

Hmm.

SPEAKER_01: 8:36

you know, in a way. And I'm, I'm thinking about how, yeah, you said 13 years and like, here you are, like how brilliant the people that I meet through this program are because you all are people who will say, Hey, I'm going to go do that thing.

SPEAKER_00: 8:52

And

SPEAKER_01: 8:54

13 years later, you're doing it. Everybody says, Oh, I want to do this. I want to do that. It would be great if dah, dah, dah, dah, dah. But like, I love the GTG crew. I love the people who come to us for coaching. I love the people who get through our application process. Cause they're all that kind of person that like, no, no, I said I was going to do this. I'm going to do it. Now, what I don't want you to do is to be suffering. You know what I mean? And I, yeah, exactly. I want you to be well, but like that part of it, that like, I'm going to do it like that. We don't give you that y'all come with that. And so I'm just having a moment of gratitude, you know, cause I'm so inspired by that energy too. I love that energy. So you came and you did, you got through GTG, you completed the program. And I'd love to talk to you a little bit about like, Your timeline, like how long has it been since you got through G2G and then where are you now? And maybe you can talk a little bit about like some life events that happened in there. Sure. Absolutely. So I started Get That Grant in January of 2024. Yep. So about like four months after I started my faculty position, like I was ready to go. And so I finished the program in July and then I submitted my first grant soon after in October. Had to do a little interview component to it And then in January, I found out that I got that grant. She got that grant, y'all! And so that was kind of my grant-getting journey. But then in terms of a personal aim to it, I also had a baby. Yes. And when did you have your baby? I had my baby in November. So I finished the grant in July. I finished TTT in July, submitted my grant in October, and had my baby next month. I mean, y'all, that's what we're talking about. Amazing. So it was a great experience. And I think it really having this kind of organized process and a community of people to support me, I think really helped make that journey just enjoyable. Yes. I love it. That's exactly right. It's like you did the journey, but you said it made it enjoyable, right? Like somebody else could tell that same story and give you the timestamps so that you could understand how terrible I started my job. And then four months later I was doing this and then I was working on the thing. And then I submitted the grant that I had to It's like stress, but you're just like grinning. And I think that is the difference. It's like, nobody's going to change your ambition and get that grant. Nobody's going to, we're not, we don't do that. It's about how do we do this? And like, have you genuinely enjoy the process? There's going to be ups and downs, but like literally you are doing what you came here to do. And how do we have your career oriented so that you get to lead with that feeling? So that's like top of mind at all times. So considering that you are successful right away, which is like some people, I mean, a lot of grant getting, I tell people, grant getting is like a long-term strategy. There are a lot of people, you come through, get that grant, the R01 comes in a year later, right? Because like just the whole process of it, you had kind of an immediate win, which we also love. And then you decided to come back and continue with us with Fully Funded, our program for GTG alumni. So I'm curious if you could talk a little bit about the decision. Why do you decide to come back through Fully Funded? And then how has that impacted your career ongoing being in Fully Funded with us, with your Fully Funded self? Yeah. happen to talk more about that. So it's interesting because like we talked about with the timeline, finished the program in July, I submitted my grant and I had my baby. So I did not initially plan to sign up fully funded. I'll be honest. You know, I went through the program, I did the modules. I thought I got what I needed. Yes. And then the election happened. Oh girl. And then as I was thinking about transitioning back into work from being away from maternity leave in this environment with so much uncertainty, I realized I do not want to do this alone yeah I'm not people I need my community yes and so I signed up and I just felt this sense of peace I knew it was the right decision yeah

SPEAKER_00: 12:47

as

SPEAKER_01: 12:48

soon as I signed up I felt the sense of peace and I'm so so happy that I made that decision because I really feel like the community is just so powerful we help each other with our grants yes and outside of that like just general life things being a new mom dealing with personal issues it really really, really has had a positive impact on my career. So I'm glad, I'm glad I signed up. Me too. You're right. It's like, I don't want to do this alone. Just that alone is like, yeah, why? Yeah, we're not going to do that anymore. It's not worth it. So can you share with us a powerful moment that you've experienced during Fully Funded, maybe post-election, like what? Yeah, of course. So I knew I was going to go do Fully Funded for the community, right? We have our coaching calls and we have like a text group where we kind of connect with each other. But I would say my powerful moment is also a humbling moment because another component of Fully Funded is going back through the modules that we did and get that grant. And I'll be honest, Kemi, I wasn't trying to redo those modules. I was like, I did them. I feel like I've gotten what I need for them. I'm signing up for the community. But then, I don't know if you remember, but I signed up to join you in one of your office hours. Yeah, the office hour calls for everybody. And I had brought to you an issue about me feeling really overwhelmed about this upcoming grant because my grant starts in july and i in my mind i was like i had all these things i gotta do and i was just really really overwhelmed yeah and after talking to you you asked me some really specific questions and after talking to you i realized that i want you really only had like two things to do i do remember this and i had to sign up for some classes which i was able to get done like it was not a lot and so you helped me to understand that the reason why i was feeling overwhelmed was not just because of the work but it's because I was the first in my department to have this opportunity and it was really powerful because I actually went back through some of those earlier modules where we like you taught us how to ask like those questions yes really make sure that when we're in these situations we're feeling overwhelmed we don't focus so much on our feelings but more so on the facts and like what is it that I need to do to move forward and it's just a reminder that all right let me actually sit down and go back through these modules Yes. Yes. Yes. that's my powerful moment and i think i'm lucky that i've i've appreciated that even though i came to fully funded for the community honestly that chance to go through the modules again and hindsight is important and yes as well i love that i just people call the modules a gift that keeps on giving and i just i feel very proud of them on and i am not humble about i'm so proud of them because there was so much intentionality in creating something that felt so useful right and that felt so real and that you really can come back over and over again and get something new out of it. You can also recognize your growth. You can be like, oh man, look at where I started and where I am now. And the way I think about it too, is like, these are the foundational concrete concepts in order to build the career that you want and then lead it well. That is literally what, and lead yourself through it. That's how I think of it. So it makes sense to me that people are like, man, I can keep going. I'm back to this and mining it. Cause I'm like, it's the foundation. It's delivered through the lens of like, okay, let's organize to get a grant. But underneath is like, this is how you lead your career. This is how you go and play the game. And this is how you're going to get it done. So yeah, that makes me really happy. And I love hearing about the text group and the motivation and the like making community connecting, having people. I think you, this is kind of what you're talking about, but to me, it's that it's the authentic community. It's like, it's not the group chat where you just roll your eyes right it's not the email listserv that you're on that you're like oh that is just mostly noise and every once in a while there's like maybe something helpful the whole point is that it's real and it's like what these things are supposed to be every time we sign up and we think that's what we're getting so it just makes me really happy to hear that after just to be clear after the program is ended like after that like you guys are in motivating each other and like referring to the tools because then that means to me it's a you know kind of permanent intervention it's like you come in you can't leave the same You've got new comrades, you've got new connections and you've got new tools. And it's just really lovely to hear. And then when I think about it, I don't know, I feel so, I call it a powerful moment, but a humbling moment as well. Cause I feel so silly, like thinking back to why I tell my learners all the time,

SPEAKER_00: 17:52

you

SPEAKER_01: 17:54

haven't done enough intubations, whatever procedure you haven't messed up. Right. I haven't had like issues where you're thinking, oh, I need my technique now coming back me up. Right. And. Similarly, when going through these modules, it's like, you got to look at it again. No, I did PGY1, I got to do PGY2, PGY3. It's like, you got to go through it to get a different thing at each time. At each level. A day, it's spiral learning. It's like, you did get it at the challenge that you had when your challenge was, I want to get funded. So you got the lesson for what you needed it for then. Then you got funded. And then the lesson shows up again and you're like, I'm overwhelmed And it's like, no, boo, you have the tools for this, but you don't see it because the challenge looks different.

SPEAKER_00: 18:42

And

SPEAKER_01: 18:42

that's what I have learned. It's like, I emphasize this so much in the curriculum, but I say it to y'all all the time. I promise you, like the challenge you're feeling right now is not about the particulars of the thing in front of you, because we all think, well, it's just because I don't have a grant. And then you get a grant. And then here I am overwhelmed. It's just because I haven't started. Then you start, but it's always something else. It's like, well, so you hear this when people are like, well, I haven't gotten my R award yet, or I haven't done this. this or if this, then that. And I just like, you know, with respect, I have talked to a lot of people about these issues. And I mean, I have talked to full professors who are deans. They sound just like you. Like, I promise you, it's about the underlying, as we were talking about, foundation of how you're dealing with the sense of overwhelm in the setting of academic medicine and public health. That's actually what it is. And you can feel overwhelmed when you just start. You can feel it in your mid-career. You can feel it when you're the head big boss, but the bottom line is the tools to figure out how to get yourself out of it are the same. And so I just submit to you, like, I think you're using your tools because you didn't sit in overwhelm and just be spiraling alone. You also didn't do a whole bunch of things to waste your time, which is the other thing that we'll do, right? We'll be like, I'm overwhelmed. So it's so weird to me. Then we'll just go do all this other stuff that adds stuff. People will go on an emailing spree. I'm like, why did you do that? No, you These people you will have to respond to tomorrow because you decided to use your overwhelm to respond to emails. Like you just want to check some boxes. Yeah, you want to check some boxes. So you're not thinking well. Yes, I did something. I did something. And you're like, okay, but all you're doing is adding things to your list right now. You just, you're adding noise. You're adding work. You're adding energy. I just want to give you props because you didn't do that. Instead, you were like, what tools do I have? Let me come to a coaching call. Let me come to office hours and be like, so I'm overwhelmed. Like what's going on? And then it's the questions, like you said, the exchange that's like, okay, these are actually the facts. This is where it is. And it's recognizing, I think you said something like your feelings are less important or something. I just want to say that I really, I think feelings are very important. This is not a no feelings place, but I think what you're bringing up is this idea that your feelings, you should feel them. You should have them, but then you should ask yourself, where is this coming from? Yes. Yes. And then you have to go through this process of like, is it a real thing that I'm wearing? Like what, if I'm overwhelmed because I have too much to do, what is the to-do? And that's what we went through. And it's like, okay, there's only two items. So there's something else that's overwhelming. It's not these two items, you know? And it's beautiful to do that in an environment that knows what it's like to launch a grant. It's beautiful. Like, as opposed to having to explain to somebody, oh, well, this is what it means. Like, you don't have to do any of that explaining in a group that's all the same, all faculty members, all getting grants, all in academic medicine or public health. Everybody knows, okay, so it's this kind of award. You're going to do this. That's all you got to do. So yeah, I really, I appreciate you sharing something more humbling because I think it's still very empowering and helps people to see like what community looks like in action, not just like, you know, as a noun. So how do you think like, well, I guess you could probably answer this question in different ways, but like how has being in our coaching community, would you say influence your perspectives around your career, around like what you're doing and also like the achievement that you've had? Like, how would you answer that question today? I would say that the biggest takeaway and the shift in my perspective is the idea of not operating from a scarcity mindset, which is so important in the environment we're in. Knowing that as long as I continue the work, as long as I'm passionate about what I want to do, funding sources will come, opportunities will come, and this will be successful. Like, I didn't get here 13 years later just because. Thank you. years from now, I know I will continue to make progress. And so I didn't mention earlier, but so this grant that I got, I wasn't the only one who applied for it. There was another, shout out to Regina, and she was pregnant also. We worked together in the same program in this grant. Both had our babies. And we both got to do it! Okay, so this is revolutionary. Wait, slow down. This is revolutionary. Because I'm sorry, there is no narrative like this in academic medicine anywhere. We're going to work together. We're going to help each other applying for the same thing. We're going to help each other. We're going to motivate each other. We're going to support each other. Why? Because we don't believe in scarcity. Who cares? I don't care how many they're giving out. We can both get them and you both got them. I'm saying y'all, if you are hashtag receipts, listen, sign up for this program. Don't That is amazing. That is so amazing. And it's so great. Again, a full circle moment because I'm actually at a, at one of our national conferences for emergency medicine and she's here and we had a chance to finally meet in person. So this relationship that we built, it had all been virtual and all began with TTG. Yes. And that's going to be your poly for life though. That's what's so beautiful. Exactly. So when people are like, Oh, like how do you find the right collaborators? I'm like, cause it starts with authentic relationship. Do you know the difference? If y'all ever merge, what would it look like if y'all like, let's join forces and knock this out? That is totally different. And you don't have the conversations like, I don't know why I'm a collaborator, won't turn her stuff in on time. It's like, y'all don't have any relationships under these superficial collaborations that you're throwing together to try to get the money. Okay, that's a separate rant. I'm very proud of y'all. And I'm so glad. I want to send a picture from the meetup, by the way. Okay, we will. Is there anything else you'd like to share or highlight about your journey since post-program that you think would be valuable specifically for current members to hear? Because it wasn't that long ago that you were in the thick of it. I want to say two things. Okay. For current members, don't undervalue the importance of community. There's just something so powerful about knowing... There's a place you can go to where you're safe, where people get it, they understand you. Yes. They're not going to go run to your chair a

SPEAKER_00: 25:04

day.

SPEAKER_01: 25:04

And... It's just really nice to be able to kind of take some of these issues to this group, a safe space. Yeah. And also not just take the issues, but the wins. The way we be hyping each other up. We celebrate. It feels good to just celebrate and support. It does feel so good. It feels so good. And you can't do that in every space. Absolutely not. And in fact, you have to celebrate your wins or your career experience is so dull,

SPEAKER_00: 25:32

you

SPEAKER_01: 25:34

know? So it's like, we're going to celebrate everything. I feel like when I get off these calls, it's like, I just had a conversation with my sisters, you know? Cause when we talk, you know, we're not doing, we be hyping each other up. Yep. And it's just, it's just really, really powerful. So I want to say that to the current people and get that grant. We're considering fully funded. That community is just. Yeah. The fully funded community. Oh man. It's fire. I love it. Well, thank you so much for spending time talking with, I'm really excited. Cause I saw you coming on the retreat. Yeah. spend more time together this fall. And yeah, is there anything else you wanted to say that we haven't covered? The only other thing that I want to say for other folks out there, focus on your passion and don't be afraid to, in moments of tragedy, use that to help you propel your work forward. You know, I think, so this all started when I lost my father and it's what has motivated me all this time. And I remember you have spoken about, and I hear now a lot of questions from mentees in this uncertain times, like how do I get funded? You know, what am I supposed to do? And I remember there was one thing that really stuck with me that you said is that the work that gets funded is the work that you are most passionate about because that's the work that you will complete. When it's hard, when it's nights, when it's getting told no's, the work that keeps you up at night that you really feel is your life's purpose, that's the work that's going to get funded. Exactly. Because that's what you will work the hardest for. That is the thing. That's how you have to choose. You can't choose based on what you think somebody else. No, it's like, this is the work that you need to want to do on your bad days. Yes. That's the project you choose. Yeah. Oh, I just wanted to just say, you know, it took 13 years, but I'm here doing the work that came from that stem from tragedy. And I just want to encourage people who are maybe in a similar situation to just keep following your passion. Don't give up. Yes. I want to thank you. Don't, Do it alone. No. Find a community. Yes. Ah, Ade, thank you so much. This has been so lovely in so many ways. You have wonderful, I said she had good energy at the beginning, y'all, and you see what I mean. Thank you for sharing so openly with us and for sharing your story and just everything. I also just, we didn't talk about your work that much, but that really moved me to this because I feel like there's a parallel with what you're doing and what I'm doing with this program, which is like people come in and you capture them for this moment. moment of time. And you're like, all right, I might only have you for this moment of time, but I want you to be changed when you go. I want you to be changed in a good way. I want to shift you enough, you know? I just got chills. Yes. That the path that you're on, we're shifting the slope of the line. We're shifting the path. So there's a before and there's an after here. And that's where that, I feel the parallel. And I just feel so resonant with what your work you're doing. So please keep doing it. There's so many. We'll talk at the retreat. We got so many friends. Okay.

UNKNOWN: 28:37

Okay.

SPEAKER_01: 28:38

All right. Bye. Have a good day. You too. Thank you for tuning in to the Your Unapologetic Career Podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode and want to keep the conversation going, here's what you can do. First, subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts or whatever platform you prefer so you never miss an episode. Your support helps us reach more listeners like you. Second, I'd love to hear from you. Text us any questions you have about this episode or just to show us some love, the link to text is in the show notes. Don't be shy. If you're interested in gynecologic health, make sure to sign up for my newsletter, Dr. Kemi Dole and the Womb at www.kemidole.com slash womb. It comes out once a month and it's packed with valuable insights. For those looking to enhance their careers, you can join our career foundation series for exclusive tips at www.kemidole.com slash womb. This also comes out monthly and is a great way to keep your career on the right track. And finally, if you're a woman of color faculty in academic medicine or public health, definitely get on the Get That Grant coaching waitlist. That's at www.kemidol.com slash gtgwaitlist. One word. We can connect in all types of ways. You can follow me on social media at my full government name, Kemi Dole, K-E Thank you again for being part of our community.