PLOUGHING THROUGH HER DREAMS

I want to be a pilot, an engineer, a doctor, a lawyer… these are all familiar phrases that we’ve one time or another uttered in our early days, when asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. Thing is, much as we may have big dreams, some if not most of us have found ourselves in the opposite course. For one such lady, this is an exception. Her name is Dr. Clara Agutu. She is the new doctor at the Daystar University campus clinic (Nairobi West Clinix).

I ventured into the campus clinic one sunny and bright Tuesday morning for a scheduled interview with the doctor. Unlike hospitals where the smell of medicine and antiseptic hangs heavily in the air, fresh air permeated throughout the interior. That, however, didn’t make a difference to me; hospitals, clinics… all of them, make me nervous. I knocked lightly on the brown wooden door, with the inscription “Consultation Room” before getting in and closing the door behind me.

Doctor Clara Agutu was born in Nairobi province on 31^st of December 1985. She is the first born in her family with two siblings: the second born, who is 23 years and has just completed her degree in Biochemistry and the last born who is pursuing her Bachelor of Commerce in Business and Information Technology (BBIT) at Strathmore University. Dr. Agutu always knew that she wanted to be a doctor, but the difference between her and some of us; well… that’s a story for another day. The combination of playing with dolls in her childhood, reading Dr. Ben Carson’s books (Think Big and Gifted Hands) while in school and a heart of service is what motivated her to pursue medicine. “…I just wanted to help people,” she said.

She went to primary school at Kianda School and proceeded to go to high school at Precious Blood- Kilungu after doing well in her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations.  On completing her four years in high school and sitting for her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations, she performed exceptionally well and was able to chase after her dream at the University of Nairobi.

Dr. Agutu studied Medicine at Chiromo campus, and later moved to the Kenyatta National Hospital. “Med school is hard,” she said. She had to double her efforts after she realised that it wasn’t the same as high school “no amount of biology, chemistry and physics could prepare you for med school as such,” she clarified, “It is a new thing all together.” There was a lot of studying to be done which most of the time extended till late in the night and she constantly had to be on her toes.

 

                                          Dr. Agutu at her office
Dr. Agutu also found that the competition was very high because she had to compete with other students who also emerged tops in their districts or in their schools. The challenge came in her first year when she was studying Anatomy. She and her classmates had to go to the lab for practicals, real practicals where they would dissect the dead body of a human being to learn about and master blood vessels, muscles and body organs.

She recalls some of the studying she did with her study groups that involved going back to the morgue at night for more revision. The morgue during her time at Chiromo campus was located in a dark basement. Such constituted the scariest part of the practicals where even the slightest creak from a window would evoke a terrified shriek from her and her study group members. Dr. Agutu had to struggle through nightmares and unpleasant flashbacks until she finally got used to it “some people even used to eat in the lab,” she said.

In the course of her studies Dr. Agutu enjoyed studying Paediatrics and Internal medicine although she at times found paediatrics to be a bit depressing because of such diseases as Tuberculosis (TB) or even HIV/AIDS.

Her toughest years, however, were: first year, of course, because she had to learn concepts that were very new to her, third year, which comprised mostly of clinical medicine that involved integrating the new concepts learnt over the two years and applying it to patient care and fifth year because it involved summing up together everything she had learnt from her first year to her fifth. This she managed guided by her passion for the field.

Dr. Agutu managed to successfully complete her studies in 2010 at which point she was posted by the government at Kenyatta National Hospital for a one year internship period. It was here that she gained the bulk of her inpatient and outpatient experience from treating all kinds of patients with all sorts of conditions. Her dark and sorrowful moments in her profession were the times she would witness little children losing their lives some due to incurable conditions such as kidney and heart failure while others due to curable diseases such as diarrhoea.

At present, she is completing the first month of her position at the clinic where she treats an average of about forty to fifty patients- staff and students- in a day at Daystar University Athi River with the evenings being the busiest of times.

The medical industry is rapidly changing with new technological advancements and discoveries. This is an aspect that Dr. Agutu finds to be somewhat of a challenge as she has to keep up with the current ‘trends’  in the medical field in order to remain relevant. The books are also changing and the fact that hundreds of doctors are graduating by the year means that the market is getting more and more saturated “In medicine you constantly need to be reading and you need to upgrade your degree,” says Dr. Agutu.

“Medicine is a calling,” says Dr. Agutu, and with that she has had to sacrifice on her social life. This is because she spends most of her time in hospital and may not have as much time as she may want to spend with her friends and family.  Her family has nevertheless been supportive of her throughout giving her both emotional and financial support “I would not be here if my family was not supportive,” she stresses.

Dr. Agutu finds fulfilment in her occupation especially when she sees former patients in good health. In Kenyatta National Hospital she would often encountered former patients at the corridors who thanked her for treating them. Flora Khamala and Nyokabi Kinyua are some of the students who have been treated at the clinic by her. “She was so warm and welcoming to me, and I even felt at ease telling her about my problem,” says Nyokabi. “I like the way she handles patients, she is understanding and very competent,” adds Flora

Generally, Dr. Agutu who likes watching movies, reading novels and going out with her friends during her free time, envisions herself having completed her master’s degree five years into the future, working in the field of her choice and having established a proper career path. She also expects to raise her own family of at most four children. (1,186 words)