The journey to being a medic via the ‘longer route’

Happy New Year my readers. I hope you all had and enjoyed your downtime with family and friends. Some of you are back to your desks, business, or side hustle. I wish you all the best in 2025.

Over the holidays, I had the misfortune of looking after a patient at Nsambya Hospital. Having a patient over a period meant to be joyous is no fun. However, I was impressed with the quality of care we received and while there, I struck up a conversation with a young man, Joseph Kinobe. I have been permitted to use his name, and on a particular day, we had an interesting discussion about his motivation to be a nurse. Here is a snippet of our conversation.

Q: What is/was your motivation to become a nurse?

A: I have always loved how precise science can be. I enjoyed learning about how the human body responds to its environment and was fascinated by how it could self-regulate if there were a slight chemical imbalance. The experiments were exciting in primary school, and it was always a wonder when we did photosynthesis plant experiments. I was also very good. I am proud to say I am a good learner. I progressed to S4 and did well in my exams. However, I got “distracted” and lost focus on my dream of becoming a doctor.

After support and re-focusing, I started with a different approach. I had 'lost years' from being out of school due to personal circumstances, so I had to think about an alternative way. I spent time researching and found that with my S4 credentials, I could join nursing school. This was important for me because it allowed me to be a 'medic'.

Q: What was the reaction from friends and family when you informed them about your choice of career?

A: Many comments, such as “Are you sure you have the focus to do this? Why don’t you go back, see if you can return to medical school? Aren’t you too old for this? At first, it was discouraging, but I stuck to it. I got my certificate and started work. I got employed, and immediately, realised the profession’s value. I did the night shifts when asked and worked the longer hours when needed. It came to the forefront that I could start working and earn a living without having a degree. I think this was the biggest benefit. I was able to contribute to house expenses, I was able to start saving for investment, etc, and I was able to “make up for the lost years”. I also realised that with this journey, I could specialise in the field and become a specialised nurse. I still have a long way to go, and maybe I will become a doctor, but this journey has taught me so far that I did things differently and now have a passion for a career I had not considered.

My conversation with Joseph was enlightening and highlighted to me that the period between waiting for S4 and S6 results is not just a time of holiday and possibly uncertainty but is also an opportunity for young people and their parents to explore alternative education and career development paths. Joseph's story is a powerful reminder that there are many paths to success, and each journey is unique.