How did you prepare for your journey to become a physician?

I would describe the whole process as a cacophony of trials and errors that in due course, matured into a sweet symphony where all things sort of fell into place. There’s no magic formula and different things work for different people. In my case, being raised in a developing country gave me an edge, which came in handy in the face of transition and adversity. For instance, moving to another country to study wasn’t as anxiety-provoking because it wasn’t new to me. That also framed my outlook in life to remain optimistic, open-minded and realistic in my journey. Traits will help to stand during adversity. There were ups and downs, but with persistence I made it through.  

Why did you pick the specialty you did? 

After graduating from AUC, I took an unexpected detour where I volunteered as a general practitioner for three years in Cameroon. That period was pivotal in my journey and ultimately to my self-discovery. Having gravitated towards pediatrics, I signed up for a volunteer position at the referral children’s hospital Fondation Chantal Biya. I wasn’t prepared to experience how profoundly disadvantaged my patients would be and to that end, my perspective on a lot of things started shifting. 

While working in the ED, I encountered my first baby with congenital heart disease. I would soon learn that plans were underway to emergently evacuate them to France as there was no local means of treatment for this baby. More to that, the hospital would not pay for the mother to accompany the baby. That stirred something in me and I wanted to do something about it. To that end, I returned to the US and became a pediatric cardiologist.  

With the help of like-minded organizations, I aim to bridge the gap in the diagnosis of congenital heart disease and access to lifesaving cardiac surgeries in this population.  

When doing your clinical rotations, what advice can you give to students to get the most out of them?

1.  Bring your A game from day one. First impressions matter.  
2. Do not underestimate the power of mentorship. Seek mentorship early, especially from peers who have already completed the rotations. This was particularly helpful to me.  
3. If you want to make a lasting impression, invest your time and volunteer to take on extra tasks. Residents are overworked and will appreciate all the help they can get.  
4. Always remind yourself that unlike trainees and attendings, you’re paying to do your rotations. That will influence how you spend your time.