Alumni Board Specialty Spotlight

Samuel Omotoye, MD, FRCPC, FACC, FHRS (CARD/E'15) is a Staff Cardiac Electrophysiologist at Cleveland Clinic main campus, where he serves as the Heart, Vascular, and Thoracic Institute (HVTI) Regional Director of the Cardiac Electrophysiology department. With various certifications as well as publications in peer-reviewed journals, Dr. Omotoye often credits his support system and superiors as a major influence on his successful career. Having described himself as a “product of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation” and those who have guided him, Dr. Omotoye now acts as a mentor himself and intends to create deep connections and develop a global network of healthcare professionals.

Outside of his work, Dr. Omotyoe finds passion in watchmaking, classical architecture, and wine chemistry. He also emphasizes the importance of prioritizing family and forging social connections as an important factor in overall health.

Q: What path led you to a career in medicine and your interest in the cardiovascular specialty?

A: I've been fortunate to ‘have stood on the shoulders of giants’ through my career and enjoyed the support and guidance from my superiors. I started out with my Internal Medicine training [at the] Western University of Ontario Canada, followed by my Cardiology Fellowship at [the] University of Toronto Canada. During these years I met and was tutored by doyens in Cardiac Electrophysiology such as Dr. George Klein, Dr. Andrew Krahn, Dr. Eugene Downar, Dr. K. Nanthakumar, and Dr. Hein Wellens (an annual visiting professor to Toronto from the Netherlands at the time). I was encouraged to expand in both depth and width in the field of electrophysiology which got me to pursue my sub-specialty fellowship training at the Cleveland Clinic.

At the Cleveland Clinic I was trained by all the world experts in EP under one roof! The experience was amazing.

Q: What do you find to be the most rewarding/gratifying aspects of your work?

Q: What motivated you to serve on the Alumni Board? How long have you served?

A: This is my second year on the Alumni Board. As a product of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, I wanted to stay connected and connect others to CCF. I also wanted to be a role model for graduates and trainees and be accessible even in diaspora; in other words, to enlarge the circle of Cleveland Clinic as a global entity.

Q: What is your philosophy, or your strategy, for navigating the healthcare field? What accomplishments/challenges have you achieved/overcome with this approach?

A: The healthcare field is a noble one. Being called to participate in saving lives or making people get better requires commitment and humility. It also requires recognizing your limits and maintaining [a] good support system, integrity, and collegiality so you are not isolated.

With such tenets, I have been able to foster lasting professional relationships that now serve some of my patients very well internationally as I'm able to connect them with other reputable healthcare professionals wherever they might be.

Q: What do you enjoy outside of work and how do you prioritize both your personal and professional needs?

A: I learned very early in my career that family matters and social connections play a huge role in our overall well-being. Outside work, I'm fascinated by artisan collections that [have] stood the test of time such as the Swiss Art of Watch Making, Classical Architecture, and Wine Chemistry.

Q: What piece of advice do you wish you had received when you were starting out that you would like to share with future alumni?

A: Regardless of your personality, you can make that connection with someone [who] would improve you as well as the person. Don't wait until you achieve some big status or some laurels of praise before you participate.