Question: What challenges have you dealt with since you got into this profession??

Esther Muthumbi answered on 11 Jul 2017:

The challenges are numerous. First, getting through medical school was a challenge, full of late nights and early mornings to be able to understand all the material needed not just to pass exams but to be of help to the patients. Then came internship which was also extremely hectic. Being on call at night and managing emergency cases mostly by myself, and still finding time to read and increase knowledge on the subject area. In the hospital the challenges are usually on not having enough equipment or access to tests and drugs that are needed for patient care, having to communicate bad news to patients and their relatives (I have a big problem here), having to balance work and family life, and in research, the challenges are in acquiring funding to be able to take on a research study and also convincing target participants to take part in your study. The best part is that there are always people who are around me who are knowledgeable or have gone through the same challenges, so I surround myself with such (colleagues, supervisors, mentors etc), who help me get through.