Nneka Isamah and Hadiza Kazaure have a lot in common.

They both are biology majors and honors students who plan to attend competitive medical schools in the fall. And they both were born in Nigeria and plan to return their home country as doctors.

Since immigrating to America from southern Nigeria with her family in 2001, Isamah’s focus has been on gaining the best medical education and training possible.

“Even as a child, I was aware that hundreds of people were dying from easily preventable and treatable diseases such as cholera, malaria, typhoid,” Isamah said.

When she was only 8 years –old, her younger brother died from injuries sustained after being stuck by a vehicle.

She credits the tragedy with shaping her views about the medical field and encouraging her to work toward improving healthcare in Nigeria.

“His injuries were treatable, but the undereducated medical staff did not realize that he was bleeding internally until it was too late,” she said.

“I’m determined to pursue a career that will help rectify the appalling Nigerian healthcare system,” she continued. “I want to be the person who, through training and dedication, can spare a family or two the grief that ravaged mine.”

While attending Temple, Isamah was exposed to several fields of medicine. However, it was neurosurgery the really piqued her interest.

“I am fascinated with the brain,” she said. “Especially with its intricate structure and complex functions.”

Isamah has her sights set on attending Duke University in the fall.

Kazaure, who is from northern Nigeria, has a similar interest in neurosurgery and the current state of the medical industry in Africa.

However, she admits that she had to persuade her parents to allow her to study medicine in the United States.

“Sending women out of the county to study is not very common,” said Kazaure, who is of Hausa decent. “It is usually the men who are allowed to leave to pursue their education. Women are expected to do other things.”

Dolores Lami Mohammed, a Philadelphia native and the director of Essence International School in Kaduna, Nigeria, convinced Kazaure’s parents that Temple would be the best place for her study and promised to set up a support system that would help her get acclimated to life in an American city.

“The diversity on campus helped me to adjust,” she said. “Not just the cultural diversity but intellectual diversity really helped me become more confident in my ability. I never felt like I was an outsider.”

African health issues, women’s health rights and international health issues also are paramount to Kazaure, who recognizes that it’s going to take a new generation of medical professionals to start to change international health issues.

Kazaure will attend Yale University School of Medicine in the fall.