Episode Details

What if the difficult experiences in your life don’t have to define your future?

Today’s guest is Dr. Oluwole Babatunde, a physician, scientist, psychiatrist, epidemiologist, and author. Born in Nigeria, Oluwole lost his mother at seven and his father at thirteen. He describes those experiences as shaping his independence, resilience, and ability to navigate adversity.

His journey took him from medical school in Nigeria to the United States, where he completed a PhD and psychiatry residency. His work sits at the intersection of medicine, psychiatry, epidemiology, and faith, and he describes balance as an important principle in bringing these different parts of his life together.

His book, Adapt and Advance, explores lessons he has drawn from life’s challenges and the process of making meaning from difficult experiences.

In this conversation, we explore:

• How losing both parents at a young age shaped Oluwole’s independence
• Why resilience became one of the most important skills he developed
• How early adversity influenced the way he approaches later challenges
• The importance of making meaning from difficult experiences
• How psychiatry, epidemiology, medicine, and faith intersect in his life
• Why Oluwole emphasizes balance between the different roles we carry
• His perspective on the relationship between faith and science
• How faith can provide meaning and a sense of something beyond oneself
• The seven sections or principles he discusses in Adapt and Advance
• Why focusing on the bigger picture can help during difficult circumstances
• The importance of planning and connecting where you are today to where you want to be
• Why taking action matters even when circumstances are difficult
• The role of learning and reading in helping him navigate challenges
• How books have helped him recognize that other people have survived difficult experiences
• Why he believes there is value in finding books that address the particular challenges you’re facing
• How he thinks about service, family, faith, finances, health, and personal development
• Why he encourages people to use challenges as stepping stones rather than allowing those challenges to define them

Oluwole’s central message is captured in the title of his book:

Adapt and Advance.

He encourages people facing difficult circumstances to make meaning from what they’re experiencing, focus on what they can control, plan for where they want to go, and take action toward that future.

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📖 Get Oluwole’s Book

Adapt and Advance

Oluwole says the easiest way to find his book is to search his name on Amazon.

He says the book is available in multiple formats, including:

• E-book
• Physical/paper copy
• Audiobook

📧 Connect with Dr. Oluwole Babatunde

Oluwole explicitly gives this email address during the interview:

uluwale.pabataundai@outlook.com

He invites readers who have read his book to send him a message and tell him how the book has impacted them.