Dr. Catherine, 39, asserts that she is a Christian and that Christ is the epitome of everything she does. “You will see it. In the nitty-gritty of my daily life,” she says.
She was brought up in Thika, Kiambu County and recalls that her family had a doctor whom they would call whenever anyone had any health concerns.
“I drew so much inspiration from him, and I wanted to follow his path. When my KCSE results came out and I was a grade short of the cut point, my dad promised to enroll me in an alternative programme in medicine.
"I like to say I'm a family physician who found her passion in teaching."
In retrospect, I thank my parents for believing in me and going the extra mile to make sure I got a good foundation in medical education. I like to say I’m a family physician who found her passion in teaching.”
Medical education, Dr Catherine explains, is studying how to teach medical students. “My journey began with me having a lot of criticism around how medical school was back in my school days. It was a traditional way of learning where a lecturer would come with notes and just dictate, and your work was to be a passive recipient of that knowledge. It was quite paternalistic.”
After attaining her first Master’s degree in family medicine, she enrolled in medical education, curious to learn how medical schools can be taught differently. “On a day-to-day basis, I serve as the academic coordinator of the undergraduate medical school, a recently launched programme at Aga Khan University Hospital. I coordinate the day-to-day running of students’ learning, liaise with their lecturers and the faculty to ensure they are well-trained.”
Her work also involves teaching, linking students to suitable mentors, and being their go-to person, especially in their first year of medical school. “That has probably been one of the greatest privileges that I’ve had, whereby students come back to tell me that the mentors I gave them were able to nurture them through the different challenges and opportunities,” says the educator.
As a consultant family physician, her work focuses on preventing disease, promoting health and wellness, and improving the well-being of patients within the primary healthcare setting, as opposed to a disease-focused model of care.
“My colleagues would probably describe me as a thorough person who pursues excellence. If I wasn’t in this space, I’d probably be travelling around the world. I enjoy spending time with my children, especially now that they are young, knowing that they will grow up and leave my house someday,” says the mother of four.
She notes that it is important to embrace change and lifelong learning. “I think I’ve got where I am through that. I don’t know it all. Also, I would tell my younger self to look for the areas around her that challenge her. That could be the very area where God is calling you to make a difference.”
In the future, Dr Catherine aspires to run a medical school.
– By Lilys Njeru
