Dr. Adekemi Oguntala’s Spunky Interview

Written by Evan on Wednesday, December 28th, 2011 with 0 comments

Our next speaker, Dr Adekemi Oguntala, or “Dr. O,” is a teen doctor and blogger. She is known for being hip, energetic, and conversational, opening dialogue between parents and teenagers regarding tricky issues like sex.

Dr. O received her medical training at the Medical College of Pennsylvania and Drexel University, and has since completed her pediatric residency at St Christopher’s Hospital for Children.

Nowadays, Dr. O can be found chatting with teens and parents at her busy clinic in the South San Francisco Area. We can expect to find her first e-book, “Are You Kidding? It’s Just Sex!” hitting the electronic shelves soon.

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You specialize in teaching others how to handle problems, but that relationship can’t only be one-way. What lessons have you learned from the people you help?

Man, in a word… “honesty.” Being honest with your emotions; being honest with the dumb comment you just made that you wanted to sound like you’re a great philosopher. Honesty that that guy doesn’t like you if he treats you that way and honesty that the cause of your teen’s depression is not because they are a teen, it’s because of YOU.

How do you inject so much energy and passion into your speeches?

I don’t think of people in their underwear, but me as the audience member. I had been bored by so many speakers,  for so many years. I just decided one day… Ya ain’t gonna be bored when I’m talkin’.

Describe your approach as a physician in 2 words, and describe your speaking style in 2 words. The catch? Don’t tell us which words describe what. Let the readers guess which words describe your physician style and which words describe your speaking style.

Roller coaster

Whoopie

Naughty

superfunkycalifragisexy

What are your best and worst moments with public speaking?

The best moment is when you own the room and people are with you and not just because you’re energetic, but because they get what you’re saying. They have never heard it before and they have never heard it said that way, and their minds are blown. You see smiles on their faces from the WOW going on in their heads.

The worst is when there is NO energy in the room. You look all over and they are just beat down. It’s like singing for all industry people. They don’t clap, they don’t get out of their seats; they just nod in approval. It’s almost like they’re too cool to just have fun. I don’t like that crowd AT ALL.

We’ve all been an angsty teenager at some point in our lives. Do you draw upon your personal experiences or the assumed shared experiences of your audience to help deliver your message?

Both. I have so much insight from when I was a teen, my friends when I was a teen, and the teens I see and know now. But where I get a lot of help is the PARENTS. Man, their reaction and poor insight into interpreting their teen’s behavior helps me so much to tell a story. I am able to say, “You saw this and interpreted it this way, but this is what was happening for your teen. Just CHILL!”

What are the furthest lengths you’ve gone (geographically or otherwise) to make a point?

Across the country from where I currently live. I have added profane language to make a point of the frustration of both parents and teens. I have stepped inside the mind of the parent to help parents and teens SEE what the other looks like in those moments so they can empathize. This is so effective.

How would you approach a speech directed at parents differently from a speech directed at teenagers?

For parents, I want to see how their teen is thinking. Teens get frustrated by their parents’ reactions, as they are struggling to grow up while living up to their parents’ demands.

This is different from the teen. I want teens to see themselves from the outside and from a perspective in the future. This involves getting them to step outside of themselves and their environment of family and peers.

Two different takes on the same problem.

If you could say one sentence to every parent on earth, what would it be?

It’s not all about YOU!!!!!!

What about one sentence to every teenager on earth?

It gets sooooo much better.

What advice do you have for aspiring public speakers?

Be yourself!

Be yourself and tell the story as you see the story. Audiences are coming to see your take, not you copying a skit you saw on Comedy Central or the speech you saw on the History Channel. Like Russell Simmons says, “Do YOU!”