Seun’s Personal & Professional Pearls
Be Real. Always.
Real recognizes real. Pretending to be who you think others want you to be may get you in the door, but it won’t keep you in the room. Sincerity, humility, and showing up as your authentic self will carry you so much farther in the long run.
Be Reliable. Be Consistent. Be Someone People Trust.
One of the most undervalued professional skills isn’t something you’ll learn in a classroom, at a conference, or even on the wards. It’s simple: Be someone others can count on.
Be a Person of Your Word
If you say you’re going to do something, do it. Full stop. If you realize you can’t follow through, the least you can do is communicate that early and clearly. Over time, people learn what to expect from you, and that expectation becomes your professional reputation. So make sure your name is tied to excellence, not excuses.
📉 Underpromise, 📈 Overdeliver
Your work ethic will speak long before you enter a room. Whether it’s an email thread, a group project, or a research collaboration, the way you show up consistently is what people will remember. If your work is sloppy, if you're unreliable, or if you disappear when it matters most, that becomes your brand. And trust me, word travels fast.
🧩 Don’t Be a Chameleon
Be consistent across spaces. Don’t be one person in a group chat and another person in a meeting with faculty. Academic and clinical spaces are small—you never know who knows who, or who exists in multiple spaces you’re trying to navigate. Let your character be stable, not situational.
🙅🏾♀️ Stop Saying Yes to Everything
Being overcommitted isn’t impressive—it’s irresponsible. When you overpromise and underdeliver, you’re not just disappointing yourself—you’re letting down entire teams. Don’t accept commitments you can’t follow through on. Respect people’s time and energy enough to know your limits.
🛠️ Build Skills. Be Valuable.
In academic and professional spaces, your external value is often tied to what you bring to the table. Be a self-directed learner. The more skills you have, the more indispensable you become. Make it your goal to have a skill set that sets you apart—something that makes people say, “We need them on this.”
🤝 Respect Your Peers
Don’t underestimate or look down on your colleagues just because they’re at a similar or earlier training level. Influence isn’t always loud. That same peer you ignored might have the exact connection to the mentor or opportunity you’ve been praying for. Be a decent human being—not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because relationships matter.
👥 Don’t Fumble a Sponsorship
When someone connects you to their mentor or vouches for you, they are putting their name on the line. The worst thing you can do is embarrass them by being inconsistent, unprofessional, or unprepared. Follow through. Say thank you. Make them proud they believed in you.
