She’s a family doctor who founded the Black health program at the U of A, and led a process to address racial discrimination in clinical and academic settings
Age: 34
Eniola Salami wears many hats. “I’m a family doc first and foremost, and I do cradle-to-grave care,” she says. In addition to her clinic duties in Mill Woods, she’s an assistant professor at the University of Alberta. “As part of my work, I teach, research and do community outreach and service.”
She’s also the Black health lead for the MD program in the faculty of medicine. “Medical schools across the country have objectives around how to teach the issues and concerns that pertain to Black health,” she says. “So I’m responsible for ensuring medical students meet those national levels.”
Outside the clinic and lecture hall, Salami stays active in her community as a volunteer society member with Youthrise — a prevention-based organization that supports youth through sport and education — and volunteering at her church. The gym and frequent outings with her fiancé Anthony and Maui, her five-year-old Labrador retriever, keep her active.
Salami has a passion for mentorship. “I’ve been brought up to think of serving as a part of what it means to be a leader,” she explains. “I think that you need to pour into people your time, your effort, your compassion, your understanding, your creativity — so they work for themselves and for their patients. As physicians we’re always going to be leaders whether we want it or not. There’s always a way to be better.”
In primary care, her approach is one of active listening and her chill demeanor helps. “We often interrupt people because we listen to respond, not to understand,” Salami says. She says that a clinic visit might be the only time that a patient has talked to anyone in a long time. “People will tell you what they need if you just listen. I think that just being a non-anxious presence and just listening is what a lot of people need.”
This article appears in the November-December 2026 issue of Edify
