What you don’t know about your doctor

Nairobi, Kenya: We are in debt. I mean, real debt. It actually cost most of us almost Sh20 million to become doctors. It has taken us a long time to get here.

Let’s do some math. Five years of medical school plus one year internship, add four years of masters training and two years of fellowship. These equal saying goodbye to my 20s. While my friends were going to clubs, getting married and taking vacations, I was busy trying to learn about microbiology, genetics and anatomy. So, although we "appreciate" Jenny McCarthy’s medical degree from Google University, please listen to your real doctor.

We hate when you ask us when you can go smoke. Um, duh, the answer is never. Being a doctor is oftentimes like being a parent.

We joke about some pretty gross things because with what we see daily, we have to find humour somewhere.

We make really good secretaries. We do a tonne of paperwork. Out of a 12-hour workday, up to four hours will be devoted to writing and returning phone calls, which is not supposed to be the case.

Our families sacrifice so we can take care of yours. I was on call the night my son tore his biceps tendon in half. I had to tell him to take ibuprofen, put ice on it, and try not to pick up his 18-month-old brother until I could get home.

You may not remember the faceless doctor who told you that we could not save your loved one. But the pain we see in your eyes makes an imprint on our hearts. In spite of all these, we love what we do and care about you.