Dr Margaret Mwania doesn’t just see her reflection in the mirror. She sees resilience, determination and conquest.
These, she says, are things that make her stand out. Her journey has been about conquest, wrapped around small pockets of passion and dedication.
In 2017, during her first year of radiology residency, she was diagnosed with cancer. Despite the difficulty, undergoing surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy while continuing her programme, she kept the lights on. This led her to settle on nuclear medicine as it has a strong focus on oncology.
Her personal battle fuelled a desire to help others going through similar struggles, turning her profession into a means of giving back. “Passion, many times, overcomes tragedy. It is the fuel that drives you to achieve things when your motivation wanes and you have zero desires to press on.” She got into the field when Kenya had only three specialists, all of them men.
After completing her six-year undergraduate medical degree at Moi University, she pursued postgraduate studies in radiology and diagnostic imaging at Aga Khan University, a four-year programme. She then undertook a fellowship in nuclear medicine.
As the Associate Program Director of the radiology graduate programme at Aga Khan University, she ensures it maintains world-class quality and provides a top-notch learning environment.
Her definition of success is achieving one’s dreams and reaching the highest level in their career.
“Through this role, I am helping the country and the field of medicine in nurturing the next generation of specialists in my field. I feel this is my other small way of giving back to the society,” she says.
–Ndugu Abisai