JMU grad Okafor bound for med school and she could use your help

Dr. Lady.

We like the sound of it.

If you followed James Madison women's basketball when Lauren "Lady" Okafor played, you know this. In addition to being a beast on the court, she was a brain off it -- a pre-med and psychology major with plans to become a doctor.

Okafor played with the WNBA's Atlanta Dream for a season after her 2015 graduation from JMU (that included back-to back trips to the NCAA tournament under Kenny Brooks) before deciding she didn't want to put her medical career on hold any longer.

She completed the graduate biomedical sciences program offered by Georgetown and George Mason and began studying for the MCATs while holding down two jobs in Richmond. One allows her to do research for VCU's School of Medicine and the other is a full-time position as a case manager for a behavioral health agency.

The great news is she's bound for the Frank H. Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University this fall.

After an interview back in October, she got the offer just 11 days later.

"I loved the school; it was my sister's alma mater," she said. "It was awesome to go there and get my own perspective on the place."

Okafor considered continuing her playing career overseas, but her academics has always been front and center. At JMU, she was the Mama Bear who had in book in hand during road trips. Late games meant late nights at the library. Don't forget also, Okafor's long list of accolades at JMU include the Dean Ehlers Leadership Award and the CAA's Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2015.

"I've never been an instant gratification kind of girl," she said. "If I had played another year, that could have meant two or three years until I gained entrance to medical school and another half year to year until I start medical school. I just decided to charge forward."

But here's the deal. Medical school costs big bucks. She's started a gofundme page trying to raise $20,000 for a tab that will be upwards of $324,000 once it's all said and done.

Okafor is interested in surgery or family medicine with a sports medicine focus. She wants to use her sports background and remain involved with young athletes.

"I've always wanted to be a doctor," she said. "I've always been intellectually curious in biomedical science, the ones who asks the doctor a billion questions. I've always loved medicine."

Now she needs a little help to study it.

To read more on Okafor's plans and to make a donation (even a little bit helps), check out her page here.

Good luck, Lady! Let us know when we can officially add the Dr. to your name.