For Prisca Osuji, M.D., MBA, medicine isn’t just a profession – it’s a calling shaped by her deeply rooted commitment to community care.  

A New Jersey native from Maplewood and the eldest of six siblings, Dr. Prisca Osuji grew up in a first-generation Nigerian-American household where success was never taken for granted.

“I thank my parents for my tenacity and high standards,” she said.

Much of her family, Dr. Osuji added, is now committed to health care: “My sister’s pursuing psychiatry, my brother’s going into internal medicine and eventually interventional cardiology, and I have two brothers who are nurses,” she said.

Dr. Osuji said her personal identity has shaped her outlook on what it means to serve as a physician.

“There are unspoken levels of comfort and trust by patients for physicians who have personal insights into the cultural elements of the challenges they may be facing,” she said. “We need more doctors and health care leaders who share similar life experiences with patients, and who possess insights into policies, initiatives, and decision-making that could drastically improve public health — things that only come with being an authentic part of a community.”

Dr. Osuji completed an accelerated six-year program at Howard University, earning both her undergraduate and medical degrees from the historic institution.

“Howard was one of the best decisions of my life, I received excellent training and am forever grateful to have been in an environment where I could focus on becoming the best possible physician for my future patients.”

Her medical education also included a Summer Opportunity for Achievement in Research Health Scholarship with the Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science, and a six-week intensive at Adelante Healthcare in Phoenix, Arizona, with NMF’s Primary Care Leadership Program (PCLP), where Dr. Osuji studied how a lack of public transportation affects care delivery.

“Prior to PCLP, I never fully understood the beneficial impact I could have on the community at large after becoming a doctor,” she said. “In being asked to create innovative quality improvement projects focused on health excellence, I began to think more broadly about how I could be of service to my patients outside of the clinic, as well as reach patients who never made it to my office.”

Dr. Osuji said she also recognized a gap in her understanding of health care systems and administration during her studies and chose to pursue an MBA as part of the university’s M.D./MBA dual-degree program.

“After my PCLP experience at Adelante, I thought I might want to run a federally qualified health center (FQHC) or go into health administration.”

That was nearly 10 years ago — today, Dr. Osuji said she is much more attached to remaining in practice and possibly opening her own one day.

“I’m grateful for the business acumen that Howard University’s College of Business provided me and the focus on productivity, operations, and quality that my education there has helped to emphasize in my practice,” she said.

After receiving her degrees, Dr. Osuji completed an internship in internal medicine at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, and spent four months as a physician at Buckingham Correctional Center in Virginia.

“I was on a gap year from training when this opportunity to work directly under a medical director came along — to see things I’d often see in family medicine and primary care, including the typical ear infections, cuts and bruises, fevers, and then more uncommon events such as an overdose on smuggled opioids. It was more on me to make decisions, so it gave me the confidence to practice on my own and carry those skills and confidence forward,” she said.

Dr. Osuji completed her residency at the Harlem Residency in Family Medicine through the Mount Sinai Hospital and the Institute for Family Health, graduating with the class of 2024.

“The continuity and variety of care is what’s most satisfying about family medicine. I can follow my patients from newborn to adult; having the repertoire of knowledge to serve patients throughout their entire lives is extremely cool.”

She added that no two family doctors are the same.

“In family, you can choose your niche: from sports medicine to women’s health, from pediatric to geriatric — then there’s research and fellowships if one is interested,” Dr. Osuji said.

Today, Dr. Osuji practices outpatient family medicine at Keystone Family Medicine, an FQHC in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania — a centrally located neighborhood with a small-town vibe, just four hours from her New Jersey hometown.

“I wanted to find a position that allows me to prioritize lifestyle and work-life balance, as I feel that’s the only way to have a chance at a sustainable career in medicine,” she said. “Between the demand for productivity and the endless documentation in our inboxes, it’s easy to see how physicians become burned out working in primary care.

“I wanted to make sure I was in a setting where my work would be appreciated, I’d be fairly compensated, and in an area conducive to my own health and well-being. I’ve achieved that with my position at Keystone.”

While her current setting is quite different from her time training in Harlem, New York, Dr. Osuji said she’s struck by how persistent certain challenges remain — including how socioeconomic differences impact health and wellness.

“One thing that sets Keystone Health apart is how intentional it’s been about addressing not only quality care but also providing services to address other challenges in livelihood,” she said. “Before working at Keystone, I felt like the health care system might be broken — but Keystone is the first example of a well-rounded solution I’ve seen, and I love being part of it.”

Dr. Osuji said the community-focused work at Keystone reminds her of NMF’s mission daily: “It’s scary to think something as small as a missed payment could prevent a committed student from completing their training and subsequently being unable to provide care for hundreds, maybe thousands, of patients over the course of what would have been a fruitful career.

“Thank goodness for NMF and the incredible work they’re doing to assist medical students, residents, fellows, and even practicing physicians showing up every day focused on providing excellent-quality health care to the communities most in need.”