WHY I AM LEAVING MEDICINE

BY

DR UVIE-EMEGBO ANDERSON
FAGBA, LAGOS
NIGERIA
14th March 2007

Let each man pass his days in that where his skill is greatest (Propertius, 50 BC)
My moment of truth came when I was incidentally diagnosed with severe, debilitating
pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) of the lungs on February 22 2006 at the Obafemi
Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife. I was
undergoing a routine chest x-ray examination in preparation for a possible surgical
procedure on my nasal passages. I had been having severe sinusitis (an inflammation
of the nasal passages with symptoms being: persistent catarrh, blocked nostrils and
fever) for about three months prior to this. Due to an abrupt deterioration in my state
of health, I was given a thirteen (13) day leave of absence from the orientation camp
of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Ebonyi State to enable me have
surgery. I was there for the compulsory national youth service.
I was devastated by the diagnosis! My life seemed to have crumbled and my dreams
shattered. My hopes for a great future appeared bleak and my plans were falling apart
like a pack of cards. Ostracized by and alienated from friends, I almost rejected
myself. Two HIV tests within a month (both negative) were traumatic experiences.
Thankfully, TB the commonest communicable disease in the world (affecting a third
of the worlds population), is curable. Its medications are free. The attending
physician placed me on the eight (8) months daily schedule of curative drugs. He
wrote a letter to the State Director of the NYSC (Ebonyi), advising relocation to
my home state (Delta) on health grounds.
Inspite of the relocation advisory and the desire of my family to have me at home to
recuperate, I went back to my place of primary assignment. Igboeze village in Onicha
local government area of Ebonyi State was a tale of gross neglect and
underdevelopment - no electricity (never had!), very dusty, untarred roads and a poor
mobile telephone network. Everything seemed to point towards the direction of home,
but against all reason, I decided to stay. And stay I did! Initially I struggled at work.
My body ached. The condition of my already hurting lungs was worsened
by the dry and dusty air. Though I was weak physically, the villagers were so poor and
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in dire need of medical care, that my resolve to make a difference in their lives was
greater than the onslaught of the tuberculosis bacilli on my poor body.
Initially, I was despondent and lethargic. Drifting through each day, I had a
regimented life. A typical day was like this: wake up - prayers - take my medications eat - bathe - run the outpatient clinic- review inpatients (if any) - go home - eat and
finally sleep. I was on the road to nowhere! All the lofty plans of reading for my
primaries (qualification examination taken by a doctor before starting a specialist
training programme) in Public Health fell through. I had neither the desire nor the will
to pursue it anymore. Increasingly dissatisfied with medical practice, it was pure
drudgery attending to patients daily. It was certainly not as pleasurable an experience
as it once was. I started counting my days in Ebonyi State. The nagging question on
my mind was, is medicine worth it?
Reflectively, I had contacted the disease some eight months earlier. I had three months
of unprotected exposure to TB patients while rotating through the chest medicine unit
of OAUTHC, Ile-Ife as a house officer. The chest x-ray I had taken at the time I
started housemanship was normal, while that taken at the end of same was TB
infected. The general unspoken rule was for doctors not to wear face masks or other
protective clothing while attending to TB patients. They were not to be ostracized. It
was enough that they (TB patients) were kept in an isolation ward
away from the general in-patient population. Hence, unwittingly house officers (their
closest contacts) were exposed to a generous dose of the bacilli. Furthermore,
preventive inoculation like the BCG vaccine was not give to house officers prior to
working closely with TB patients. I had become a victim of an occupational hazard.
Reputed to be one of the most dedicated and dependable, house officers with a strong
work ethic and a high sense of duty, I got on well not just with doctors, but also with
all cadres of the hospitals staff. My patients and I were mutually attached as I gave
myself consummately to my work. My patients were my first family and I tried to be
there for them. I didnt deserve what I got. It just wasnt fair! But hey, who says life is
fair?

A myriad of questions popped up in my mind: was I ready to make so great a

sacrifice to save lives? Was I fulfilled or just going through the motions? Days
turned to weeks, and weeks to months as I pondered on these things in my closet in
that village. It was crunch time! Did I have a job or a career? Why was I so
reluctant to even consider a career in medicine? If medicine was really worth it, then
I would go the whole hog. But if not, could I dare to make an adjustment - a career
switch? If yes, by how much? If I did consider another career entirely, would I be
willing
to walk away from medicine after investing over eleven years of my life in it? Can I
stand the persistent questions of my family, friends and the society? What did I really
want out of life? What were my best strengths, innate abilities, talents and interests?
What would I rather do freely, but which the world would gladly pay me greatly for?
What is that one thing that gives me the greatest leverage and the cutting edge in life?
What can I do better and more excellently than most people? What is my unique
selling point (USP)? Hard questions if you ask me.
This intense soul-searching catapulted my mind down memories lane - some twentythree years earlier. As a precocious eight year old in primary four (4), I had started
reading newspapers (cartoons, pictures and any other thing that caught my childish
fancy), storybooks and novels. I was fortunate to have attended what was then
unarguably the best primary school in Delta State (Delta Steel Company Primary
School II, Orhunwhorun via Warri). It was one of three primary schools owned by the
Delta Steel Company, Aladja. My increasing love for literary works took me to its
well-stocked library almost on a daily basis. I just couldnt get enough of
Pacesetters, Enid Blytons Famous Five and the Secret Seven series, Gullivers
Travels, Treasure Island, Oliver Twist, Lamb Tales from Shakespeare and countless
other books.
Since study time was strictly enforced at home, I would place the storybook in a
textbook and lift up the textbook to give an impression to the uninformed eye that I
was studying the textbook. The librarian soon noticed my zeal and started lending me
2-3 books at a go. These I promptly returned within two days. That same year, I read a
book titled Makers of civilization. This all time classic was the book that first
opened my minds eye to the door of possibilities in life. In it were the stories of
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inventors (Thomas Edison, Michael Faraday, and James Watt); scientists

(Archimedes, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Louis Pasteur, Marie and Pierre Curie);
explorers (Francis Drake, Christopher Columbus); missionaries (John Bunyan, Mary
Slessor); philosophers (Socrates); generals (Napoleon) and statesmen (Winston
Churchill, Abraham Lincoln) amongst others. As I soaked myself in the achievements
of these great minds, the seed of greatness was planted in me. There and then, I
resolved to make a difference in this world.
From that moment on, I read even more extensively. My acumen in English Language
grew as I regularly engaged in dictation challenges with my peers and superiors. Also,
I had an unbridled passion for current affairs. On an average day, I painstakingly
pored over notebooks containing the names of the states of the federation, their
capitals, governors and commissioners. These, I had jotted down while reading the
newspapers. My favourite pastime was reciting the countries in Africa, their capitals,
presidents and key mineral/economic resources. Hence, it was no surprise that at my
primary schools send forth/prizing-giving day, I won the first prize in both
English Language and Social Studies. William D. Bests Student Companion was
my cherished prize in English.
My literary skills blossomed in secondary school (DSC Technical High School,
Orhunwhorun via Warri). In junior secondary 2, I won an essay competition for junior
secondary school students in my local government area titled Youths As The
Vanguard of Democracy. By junior secondary 3, I had compiled a dictionary of my
favourite two thousand words. I was also the schools supporting speaker in the
debating team (for 5 years). Moreover, I had two awards from the Ahmadu Bello
University (ABU) Alumni Association, Delta State branch for the best result in (you
guessed right) English Language and Social Studies in Delta State in the 1991
national JSSCE exams. My foray into the arts took me to the Junior Engineers,
Technicians and Scientists (JETS) Club as well as the Press Club and the Literary and
Debating Society. In all three instances, I served as the secretary.
Relentlessly, I developed my verbal and written communication skills by studying
poems (Rudyard Kiplings If is a master piece), collecting inspirational articles,
quotable quotes and reading Readers digest (my all time great). All through
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secondary school, I consistently had the best result in English Language in my class.
Eventually, I graduated with the best English Language result (A2) and the best
Literature-in-English result (A1 in both WAEC SSCE and GCE) in Delta state.
Unfortunately, as good as I was in the literary arts, I was equally doing great in the
core sciences.
My moment of glory came when in senior secondary 2; I led my school to the first
position in the state finals of the Junior Engineers, Technicians and Scientists (JETS)
competition. At the state and national finals of the same competition, I won the 1st and
4th prizes in biology respectively. To crown it all, my senior secondary certificate
exams (SSCE) result was the best in the state. Four of my 5 distinctions (A1) were in
the core sciences.
Even though, I had this creative side of me that needed harnessing and expression, my
parents, guidance counselor, teachers and friends prodded me to go for gold - a career
in medicine and surgery. This I did at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun
State. With the benefit of hindsight, thats where it all went wrong! Agreed, I was
exceptional in Physics, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology,
but I was a natural in English and Literature-in- English. In fact, I lived and breathed
Literature. It was my passion, interest, hobby and joy. In them, I found expression and
my creativity shone.
I felt hollow and unfulfilled in medical school. Nevertheless, I threw myself
conscientiously into my work. It was only a matter of time, I told myself before I
would come to love and appreciate medicine. However, this was not to be, as my
creative side took over. I became a pressman (was in Prognosis News Agency), a
sought after public speaker and resource person in the fields of motivation,
marketing, leadership, entrepreneurship, public relations, personal effectiveness and
self management (at that level).
It was commonplace to find me in the midst of computer graphic artists and
dramatists than with my colleagues. My foray into information technology almost led
me to establish a cybercaf in my 3rd year in medical school. My entrepreneurial
skills came to the fore in my 4th year, when I started providing computer softwares,
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accessories as well as personal computers to health personnel at a relatively affordable

cost.

Personable, affable and imbued with persuasive skills, my marketing and public
relations stunts soon made me known as your one stop connection. The question on
most peoples lips was that, would I practice medicine? Of course, I knew my
unique selling point was in the maximal utilization of my natural abilities and in the
pursuit of my interests. Besides, the thought of leaving medicine flashed through my
mind time and time again. But, I just couldnt summon the courage to do so.
Moreover, there was really no one to talk to. They just wouldnt understand.
Medicine was (and still is) a dream course for many. To walk away from such a
prestigious gold mine especially in a nation like ours was simply unthinkable. To
many that would be crazy!
I was made the public relations officer of the Ife Medical Students Association
Journal Club (IfeMed). I also served in the same capacity in the central organizing
committee of the 2004 graduating class of Medicine and Dentistry. As the editor-inchief of two committees - the yearbook and the year compact disc, I led a team that
successfully produced a state of the art yearbook and a fully digital, highly interactive
and cutting edge, multimedia year compact disc. Both productions were adjudged the
best ever in OAU, Ife as at 2004 (and of note, they were done at a much cheaper price
too). The year compact disc was also the first made in Ife Medical School. This was
my most fulfilling achievement in life as at then. These assignments brought out my
innate flair for providing creative solutions, as well as my passion for excellence,
visionary leadership and team building skills.
Throughout medical school, we were required to make public presentations of various
topics to the different departments we rotated through. These demanded extensive
research and great presentation skills. With all sense of modesty and humility, I
consistently got a standing ovation during my presentations. Furthermore, my
presentation on Acute Asthma on May 5th 2005 (during my internship) was
adjudged the best by a house officer. With infectious passion, I am at home sharing
my ideas with a large group of people.
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As I flashed back to the foregoing, I made a significant decision right there in the
village of Igboeze: I would fully explore my talents during the remaining five months
of my service year. Nothing, not even my health would stop me. It was time to start
adding value to the lives of those that needed the message I carry. This prompted me
to start a series of seminars on empowerment for members of the National Youth
Service Corps (NYSC) in Ebonyi State. It was a furtherance of my quest to build the
human and intellectual capacity of Africans. On two separate occasions, in two
different local government areas, I was privileged to be the keynote speaker at
seminars for Corpers titled The Purposeful Corper and Making the most of service
year on 30th August 2006 and 30th September 2006 respectively.
My editing and proof reading skills were once again in demand as I served in the
editorial unit of the Nigeria Christian Corpers Fellowship (NCCF), Ebonyi State
chapter. Together we produced a year compact disc, a photo album (year book) and
two quarterly bulletins. All these made my service year truly memorable.
In December 2006, I was completely cured of TB. However, it had left an
indelible mark on me. It had being a wake up call to discovering and maximizing
the true and hidden me. Medicine was my job. Now I needed a career one in
the area of my strengths, talents, innate abilities and interests. I want to help
others discover purpose and maximize their innate potentials. I want to inspire
and empower Africans to greatness. I want to stand before tens of thousands
across the globe and communicate timeless principles, ideas and ideals. I want to
bring excellence to human relations, image consulting, research, editing, proof
reading, public relations and public speaking. I want to provide creative business
solutions to organizations. All these and more I aim to achieve through a career
in consultancy in human capital development and business strategy.
Today, I stand at the threshold of history. I owe no man an apology. It is really never
too late to become what I could have been. I have decided, to follow the less
traveled road after all these years in the wilderness of indecision. As I walk away
from medicine, I am grateful for all it taught me. I learnt resilience, patience, love,
compassion, teamwork, a strong work ethic, social responsibility, excellence, and
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leadership through it. Medicine opened many doors for me. It gave me an
unbreakable, unbendable, unshakeable, immovable and unputdownable attitude.
I can go through anything, anywhere for I have come through the valley of despair.
Once I put my mind to anything, I go for it 120%. I still desire to be a doctor but a
corporate doctor. I now want to effect positive change (healing) to a sick society.
Thats why I have started work on the manuscript of my first book, Memoirs of a
Corporate Doctor.
In the midst of the realities of the present and uncertainties of the future, my resolve is
unshakeable. Theres no future in any job; the future only lies in the man that holds
the job. Ill stay true to my dream and calling - no matter what! Ive seen the light.
Now I want to light the path for others to follow. I am an agent of positive change
who is unafraid of challenges. It may take me time and some additional training,
hands-on-tasks, and some knocks; but Im ready for, no force on earth can stand
against an idea whose time as come. Like Ralph Waldo Emerson, I have come to the
realization that, what lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters
compared to what lies within us.
My innate flair for creativity, ever increasing quest for excellence, effective people,
writing, public presentation, leadership, marketing, public relations, entrepreneurial
and empowerment skills will no longer be confined to the back stage of life. The
challenge before me is to grow these daily by applying myself in situations that
demand their utilization. I am ready, willing, and able.
I can, I am, I will and I must are my affirmations in this regard. I see only
opportunities in every seeming obstacle. Im self-driven, focused, resolutely
determined, passionately committed and stoically uncompromising in my quest for
excellence and fulfillment in life. I can accomplish the impossible!
Life has started anew for me. Now I wake up each day with renewed zeal, infinite
hope, indestructible courage, matchless passion, irresistible persona and inner
tranquility. It may have taken me all of thirty one (31) years to get to this realization,
but therein lies the beauty of it in that, no matter how far one has gone on a wrong
road, it is not too late to turn back. The story of Albert Schweitzer (1875 1965) is a

constant challenge to my life. Though, he entered medical school at the age of 30

years, before his death at the age of 90 years, he was a medical doctor; medical
missionary to Gabon; (its national hospital in Lambarene is named after him) and
a music composer (had a PhD in music and has many classical pieces to his credit).
Besides these, he had a PhD in theology and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952 at
the age of 77 years! What true greatness!
The words of the following poem by an anonymous writer titled On Creativity,
aptly describes in a nutshell why I am leaving medicine.
ON CREATIVITY
The man, who follows the crowd, will usually get no further than the crowd.
The man who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one as ever been
before. Creativity in living is not without its attendant difficulties, for peculiarity
breeds contempt. And the unfortunate thing about being ahead of your time is
that when people finally realize you were right, theyd say it was obvious all
along. You have two choices in life. You can dissolve into the mainstream or you
can be distinct. To be distinct you must be different. To be different, you must
strive to be what no one else but you can be.
This is the big picture. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a step. Youve
just witnessed the end of that first step. Ill study, Ill prepare and when my
opportunity comes Ill be ready. So come what may. Let the heavens fall. I wont have
it any other way. And thats the bottom line!
Eureka!!

P.S: I officially left medicine about 3 months later on June 28th 2007.

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