My heart is very heavy right now. A little moment ago, I went through a moment of thinking about how the things we accomplish are a result of contributions from others outside ourselves. For example, when I finished my residency last year, my board score was in the top 0.5 percentile of all doctors in my specialty in the United States. I considered the fact that when I went through primary and secondary school in Cameroon, there were students who were much more intelligent than I was. I remembered two specifically. Njong Padisco and Akwar Robinson. I knew that Padisco was a nurse in Bamenda, Cameroon. I’ve not stayed in touch, but I believed I had more opportunities than he had not because I was smarter or more hardworking. The guy was brilliant! I Googled his name only to realize that he and his wife, both nurses, were shot dead reportedly by their own government soldiers. Their crime? They were accused of taking care of patients in wartime that were rebels. I am completely deflated. Doctors, nurses, and all allied health care professionals are trained to treat all patients.
But can you imagine? I am safe in the U.S., working as a primary care physician, and doing what I love. Yet, I know people I grew up with who were more gifted than me who didn’t have this opportunity I have. If I could do so well in life, what could Padisco and the many other more talented students do if given the same opportunities?
It wasn’t that I grew up in a well-to-do family. My siblings and I were underprivileged children. I dropped out of school for lack of tuition. I am where I am now because of God’s doing.
Padisco, may your soul rest in peace.
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**Just FYI, I mentioned my performance above just to illustrate a point, not to glory over anything. Honestly, I really don’t care about that kind of glory.
https://www.voanews.com/a/medical-staff-abandon-hospitals-cameroon-troubled-region/4531373.html
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