September 29, (THEWILL) – After 25 years in the United States, a Nigerian medical doctor, Julius Oni, has taken a very bold decision to leave his highly placed job at Johns Hopkins Hospital and return to Nigeria to fulfill his ultimate goal of transforming musculoskeletal care in Nigeria.
Musculoskeletal health refers to the performance of the locomotor system, comprising intact muscles, bones, joints and adjacent connective tissues that bind them together. The return of the associate professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and the CEO of Xsite Capital, a private equity multi-family real estate company, has undoubtedly attracted mixed reactions among Nigerians.
While some, including those in dire need of this service, have applauded Oni’s decision, not a few have had to question his rationale for returning to a country plagued by economic woes, hardship and high cost of living. But Julius has remained undeterred and is focused on fulfilling one of his life’s goals which is to ensure that Nigerians no longer need to travel abroad to access high-quality orthopaedic surgery and treatment.
As part of his mission to deliver great healthcare, the 41-year-old returned to set up a world-class orthopaedic practice in Lagos, offering high-quality musculoskeletal care. He also plans to establish a fellowship training programme to train the next generation of joint replacement surgeons to serve the Nigerian population.
Before his relocation Julius relinquished his duties as Director of the Joint Replacement Fellowship and his role as the Diversity Chair for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Johns Hopkins. He however retained his position as the Director for Global Orthopaedics. He took a leave of absence from his job at Johns Hopkins, sold his property and then moved back with his family.
Julius’ interest in orthopaedics was spurred by his paternal grandmother’s inability to access care while she suffered from end-stage knee arthritis. Unfortunately, she passed on during his orthopaedic surgery training, and he never really got the chance to take care of her. With a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, a medical degree from the Howard University College of Medicine, Oni completed his Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Programme at the New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases. A fellow of the University of Iowa’s Department of Biochemistry and the NIH/National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, MD, he is also an inductee of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.
Julius Oni has practised in his field for 11 years across three different continents, including over 10 years of experience as an Academic Joint Replacement Surgeon, being a fellow of the American Orthopaedic Association, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, recognition as a ‘Top Doctor’ in Joint Replacement by Baltimore Magazine from 2019 to 2022, and over 50 publications in orthopaedic surgery, among others. He is also an active angel investor, with a portfolio featuring companies such as Helium Health, Akido, Magic Fund, Chronus Health, MDAAS Global and ROM Tech.
