SGU Alum Inspired to Pursue Medicine by Time in Refugee Camp

“What would you be if there were no obstacles?”

At 16 years old, Otis Zeon, MD ’17, MPH ’20, MBA ’24, was asked this question by his aunt during a family road trip. He pondered it deeply. Growing up, it seemed as though he and his family had encountered nothing but obstacles.

At that point in his life, Dr. Zeon was a fresh-faced teenager navigating high school in a new country. He and his family had just spent a decade living in a refugee camp in Accra, Ghana and were recently granted political asylum in the US.

Considering his aunt’s question, Dr. Zeon recalled the volunteer medical professionals that had served him and his family in the Buduburam refugee camp. That is when he thought to himself, “I want to do that.”

Today, Dr. Zeon is a St. George’s University School of Medicine graduate and recently started residency specializing in family medicine at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles, CA. But once, he was a child growing up in an environment experiencing profound hardship.

Humble beginnings

In 1989, civil war broke out in Liberia, Dr. Zeon’s home country, when he was only five years old. As the sounds of grenades, bombshells, and gunshots rang in his ears and unspeakable acts of violence played out around him, his family fled. Their destination? Anywhere that was safe.

They called the Buduburam refugee camp in Ghana their home for the next 10 years. It was not easy, as conditions in the camp were harsh.

“During the dry seasons, the scarcity of water led to severe dehydration and hygiene issues, causing diseases like typhoid fever, dysentery, and malnutrition,” Dr. Zeon explained.

When a close friend who had been abandoned by his family came down with cholera, Dr. Zeon remained by his friend’s side, bringing him clean drinking water, soup, and medicine. His friend survived, and Dr. Zeon immediately began encouraging healthier habits in the camp to prevent disease. He found a passion for educating and caring for others.

“The discovery I made years later was that at such a young age, living in such a deplorable condition, my burning desire was to help take care of my sick friends and family,” he said.

Dr. Zeon’s passion for medicine only grew as he watched the volunteer doctors in the refugee camp remove parasites, perform amputations, and administer vaccination. He asked the doctors questions and sought to be close to the action to help them. These were the memories that came to his mind in response to his aunt’s question on that road trip.

A dream in progress

In 2000, Dr. Zeon and his family were granted asylum. They relocated to Lansing, MI for a few months and eventually settled in Minnesota.

“The adjustment to the US was shocking but in a good way,” Dr. Zeon said. “Despite the challenges in the US, life in Michigan was a hundred times better.”

He studied hard, finishing high school in Minnesota. After that, he earned his bachelor’s degree in fine art and biology from the College of St. Scholastica as the arts and STEM were two of his biggest passions.

As he and his family embraced their new community, Dr. Zeon’s passion for caring for others deepened.

Dr. Zeon decided to become a certified nurse’s assistant. In this role, he realized that his time at Buduburam equipped him with the ability to communicate complex medical concepts and diagnoses in a more accessible way. Understanding one’s medical condition was an issue present in many regardless of whether they were in suburban Minnesota or a refugee camp in Ghana, Dr. Zeon observed.

“I became a volunteer to many in my [new] community, providing them with interpretation of their medical condition, treatment directives provided by their healthcare providers, as well as educating them on prevention methods,” said Dr. Zeon.

Entering a noble profession

A few years into working with patients and making an impact, Dr. Zeon decided to pursue earning his Doctor of Medicine. He initially became aware of SGU from two friends who had completed their first two years on the island. After researching and considering offers from other medical schools, he ultimately felt that SGU was the best option for him.

He looked back on his years living in Grenada with fondness.

“Apart from the fact that the university is built like a resort, living on the island put me in the best shape of my life, and my mind was very sharp,” he said. “The island provides a healthy isolation from distractions, allowing you to focus on pursuing your education. I particularly enjoyed tutoring my fellow classmates in anatomy labs, pathology, and other courses.”

His clinical years also provided ample opportunity for Dr. Zeon to go to new places and hone his skills. He spent his clinical years at hospitals in Miami, FL, San Francisco, CA, and Toledo, OH.

Paying it forward

Dr. Zeon’s chosen specialty of family medicine stems from his experiences in the refugee camp, as most of the doctors who provided them care practiced family medicine.

“After learning more about this field, I wholeheartedly believe that primary care, and particularly family medicine, hold the keys to community health improvements, education, and healthcare policymaking,” said Dr. Zeon. “This branch of medicine truly makes a difference.”

His long-term goals include practicing and teaching medicine in Los Angeles and developing more user-friendly healthcare products, software, hardware, and education programs. Already Dr. Zeon is making strides in this field with the release of his recent project, Medyfy. The online service, he explains, is an AI-powered medical question bank app with 20,000 questions for USMLE Step 1, 2, and 3.

He also plans to spend part of his time practicing medicine in less developed countries to pay it forward, connecting others to the care and opportunities that have been so transformative in his life.

For Dr. Zeon, he is grateful for SGU for giving him the chance to prove himself in the field of medicine. Being given this opportunity and fully embracing it helped him to land a position at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.

He credits SGU’s Office of Career Guidance and Student Development with giving him valuable advice and guidance to strengthen his residency applications earning him a spot in his first-choice program.

“Thanks to SGU’s support and guidance, I am now living my dream, making a difference in my community, and inspiring others to pursue their own paths in medicine,” he said.

Adding Dr. Zeon: “Earning my Doctor of Medicine from St. George’s University is the most significant accomplishment of my life. It represents a victory not just for me but for my family and community.”

— Juliette Kimmins

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