New Professors in the Yale Department of Internal Medicine

The Yale Department of Internal Medicine is proud to welcome new professors in the department.

Fellowship: Baylor College of Medicine
Residency: MetroHealth Medical Center/Case Western Reserve University
MD: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

What does your promotion/appointment mean to you?

It’s recognition for a sustained path of focused, hard work and local and national impact over many years. It means a lot to have colleagues at Yale and outside Yale acknowledge my contributions and that I have met this standard of achievement. It’s been a rewarding path, and this adds perspective.

What was the first thing you did when you found out you were promoted to/appointed as professor?

I was actually surprised to hear the news when I did. So, I waited a while to make sure and confirm it. Then, I let myself be excited, feel the gratitude for the opportunity, and share the exciting news with a few key people.

What are you proud of most thus far in your career?

I’m most proud of providing high-quality palliative care to patients in collaboration with our interdisciplinary palliative care team. To serve some of our most vulnerable patients with serious illnesses is my mission. I’m also proud of the palliative care clinical and educational programs we’ve created at Yale over the last 13 years, especially the hospice and palliative medicine fellowship. Being able to be part of growing our field of palliative care on a national level, over more than two decades, has also been a privilege.

What is your favorite part of academia?

First and foremost, I love being part of the community. Having interested, collaborative, and supportive colleagues in pursuing learning and the scholarly work of innovation is so fun. The steady pace of stimulation that comes with staying up to date with new knowledge and skill acquisition and embracing change over time at a place like Yale is invaluable to me.

Tell us a fun fact about you—something people may find surprising.

I’m a big sports fan and love to travel. I attended the Summer Olympics in London in 2012 and in Paris in 2024, and I’ve seen tennis matches in all four of the Grand Slam tennis venues. I find so much joy and inspiration in these adventures. Looking forward to more.

Fellowship: Yale School of Medicine
Residency: Mount Sinai School of Medicine
MBBCh: University of Calabar College of Medicine

What does your promotion/appointment mean to you?

My parents are both full college professors in their fields of study. As a kid, I aspired to that same achievement and always told them I wanted to be a professor one day so that whenever we received mail addressed to "Professor Ogbuagu,” we would each think the message was intended for us, and we would fight over it! So, in that sense, this accomplishment is fait accompli!

On a serious note, it means that the composite of hard work, dogged determination, and strokes of fortune (I believe by God’s design) can be a recipe for ultimate success in one’s career and life, in general.

What was the first thing you did when you found out you were promoted to/appointed as professor?

I thought I would scream, cry, or jump for joy, but that didn’t happen. I just felt a sense of pride and accomplishment, and said a prayer of gratitude. I first informed my wife, Grace, who is my biggest fan and supporter. She is also a physician who shares and appreciates my life goals and dreams.

What are you proud of most thus far in your career?

I am thrilled to have successfully integrated my three passions into my academic career: my commitment to the underserved, who deserve attention; global health, especially in a world that is turning inwards; and drug discovery and development for HIV – a disease I have both hated due to its impact on people, and loved, because we are winning the battle against it in remarkable ways.

What is your favorite part of academia?

Easy! I enjoy collaborating across institutions, borders, and hemispheres to make impactful research and clinical trials come alive with scalability and resource constraints in mind. I just haven’t achieved extraplanetary connections yet!

Tell us a fun fact about you—something people may find surprising.

I am a twin and have twins. I am willing to share the secrets for a fee :)

Residency: Yale New Haven Hospital
MD: Tufts University School of Medicine

What does your promotion/appointment mean to you?

I am proud of the contributions I’ve made to patient care and medical education over the course of my career. This promotion recognizes that work, but more broadly, it affirms the value that Yale places on medical education and the faculty who dedicate their careers to it.

What was the first thing you did when you found out you were promoted to/appointed as professor?
I took a deep breath and sat quietly for a moment. I had been waiting for that phone call for a long time, and I simultaneously felt relief and gratitude. Then I shared the good news with my wife, family, and colleagues.

What are you proud of most thus far in your career?
I’ve had many rewarding educational experiences, but I remain most proud of my first and longest-lasting initiative: the Yale Primary Care Pediatrics Curriculum. Early in my career, I proposed creating a comprehensive, online curriculum for outpatient pediatric training. Yale recognized the need and supported the vision. More than 20 years later, the curriculum is used by hundreds of residency programs and has shaped the training of countless pediatricians, family physicians, and advanced practice providers. I am deeply grateful to my co-editors, support team, and the hundreds of chapter authors whose collective efforts have made this a lasting success.

What is your favorite part of academia?
Yale is a special place. I came here 25 years ago for my training and have been continually energized by the intellectual stimulation and sense of community. I am surrounded by colleagues I trust and admire, trainees who challenge me to improve and innovate, and patients who give meaning to the work we do. I have also been fortunate to have supervisors and mentors who support the breadth of my interests, allowing me to grow as a clinician and educator.

Tell us a fun fact about you—something people may find surprising.
I continue to play ultimate frisbee at the national level, now competing in the 48+ division, and plan to do so for as long as my body holds up!

The Department of Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine is among the nation's premier departments, bringing together an elite cadre of clinicians, investigators, educators, and staff in one of the world's top medical schools. To learn more, visit Internal Medicine.