In (Aug 2016 to July 2017), he was in the process of applying to medical school, and after getting multiple acceptances, he decided to pursue a medical education at University of Washington School of Medicine. He’s currently a fourth year medical student, who just matched at Vanderbilt University Medical Center to do general surgery residency training. He is interested in cardiac surgery, and so plans to pursue a CT fellowship as part of his training.
Regarding who he is as a person, he says “I am a very open minded Christian. I enjoy adventures and trying new things. I enjoy challenging myself cos I believe that’s how I get to grow. And finally, I am very passionate about mentorship and advocacy, especially for people from disadvantaged backgrounds”.
Ladies and gentlemen, let’s rub minds as we always do with our guest of the day.
Hello Enock, you’re welcome to 10QFNC
Thanks Alby
Q1. Do you mind introducing yourself please?
I’m Enock Atta Adjei (not a twin, but my dad is). Born and raised in Taifa-Burkina, Accra. I grew up in a large household, of about 10-15 members. My dad worked and still works as a taxi driver in Chicago since I was born. I have two full siblings (older brother and younger sister) and three half siblings. My mum passed away from a complicated c-section delivery when I was 7. As I mentioned earlier, I grew up in a large household, with six cousins, whom I consider as siblings. My cousins lost their mom a few years before my mom passed away, so we grew up together supporting each other. I completed JHS in 2005 at Shalom School Complex in Taifa, and went to study Business at Osei Tutu High School in Kumasi. After graduating from high school in 2008, I spent the gap year before college working at my fathers old printing press store, where I served as an accountant, deliverer and sometimes assisted with printing and making books. In 2009, I started off my college education at Catholic University College of Ghana in Sunyani, where I majored in Accounting. As I was about to start my final/senior year in College, with my dad’s help I had the opportunity to move to the United States; which occurred in 2012. Upon arrival, my dad asked what careers or profession I was interested in and I shared with him that I envision myself being one of the following: Chartered Accountant and CEO, President of Ghana (lol) or a medical doctor. Given the shortage of doctors, especially in Ghana, I was motivated to go into medicine. So I changed my major from Accounting to pursue a BSc. in Biology at Loyola University Chicago (LUC) from Jan 2013 to Dec 2014. Getting into medical school in the U.S. is super challenging, especially if you are a first generation college student or have no family friends in the field. I lacked guidance and mentorship and faced several challenges. I wanted to have a good study skill before starting medical school, so I did a one year Master’s of Arts in Medical Science at LUC from Sept 2015 to May 2016. Commitment to service and humanity is very important to me, so I went on to work as an Americorps project coordinator, where I organized and coordinated dental health outreach events that provided free dental care to homeless, disadvantaged and underserved populations in Washington State.
Regarding who I am as a person, I am a very open minded Christian. I enjoy adventures and trying new things. I enjoy challenging myself cos I believe that’s how I get to grow. And finally I am very passionate about mentorship and advocacy, especially for people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Q2. For someone from a big family, there must be so many memories when you look back at your childhood. Which would you say is your fondest?
I used to think that stealing and selling some of the exercise books that we made from our printing press to pay for my after school classes, was my most favorite memory. But in retrospect, my favorite childhood memory would have to be the role I played as a kid in the family. Whenever my dad came to Ghana, I was the liason between my dad and the rest of the family. If anybody needed anything, whether it’s money for tuition, grocery shopping or even had something to tell my dad, they always went through me. I really don’t know why everyone was afraid of my dad or relied on me to convey their concerns to my dad.
Was he strict?
He was, just like most Ghanaian parents
Q3. When does your residency begin … is it right after medical school. How different is it from the Ghanaian system?
Yes, it is right after medical school. It begins on June 24th. So yes, our residency training starts after you have completed your medical degree (which is usually 4 years of medical school).
A quick overview of the U.S medical education is:
– You need to have at least an undergraduate degree, which usually takes 4 years or more to complete.
– then 4 years of medical education
– and 3 or more years for residency training depending on the specialty you apply to.
A thorough overview of requirements in order to apply to medical school in the U.S. are:
1) complete your undergraduate degree, which could be in any major, but you need to make sure you take the prerequisite courses such as physics, math, chemistry and biology among others.
2) You need to take the standardized medical school admission test (MCAT).
3) You need to have some form of volunteer or research experiences, and also experiences of shadowing a physician (medical doctor).
4) You need three to six letters of recommendation from your professors, work place and doctors you’ve worked with.
Once accepted to medical school (whether osteopathic, aka D.O, or allopathic, aka M.D.), you will complete 4 years of medical training. The first 2 years comprise mostly of pre-clinical courses. Then during your last two years (3rd and fourth) you will complete core clinical rotations (OBGYN, Family medicine, Psychiatry, Surgery, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine and Neurology/Neurosurgery) and other elective rotations of your choice. Before your 4th year of medical school, you need to have taken the first and second part of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (Step 1 and Step 2 respectively).
– After Medical School, everyone who wants to practise as a doctor will have to complete residency training, which could be atleast 3 to 8 years of training depending on your specialty – Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Surgery (Orthopedic, Neurosurg, etc), Emergency Medicine, OBGYN, Pschiatry, Radiology, Neurology, and Pediatrics among others.
– After residency, some people go on to complete a fellowship to receive sub-specialized training in that particular specialty. For instance, if someone wants to be a pediatric heart surgeon, they will have to complete 6-8 years of cardiothoracic surgical training, and then 1-2 years of fellowship training in pediatric heart surgery.
Our medical education system is very complicated and usually requires several years of training before becoming a practicing physician.
Q4. Mind talking about your NGO plans?
Haha, my NGO plans. I usually think of them as projects. As an individual who is the first in my family to attend college and even become a doctor, I am passionate about providing mentorship opportunities for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds (low SES or underrepresented such as women). I plan to embark on Pre-Health mentorship programs for high school students with the aim of helping to cultivate in them an interest to pursue the medical Sciences and STEM related courses. The mentorship project would comprise of summer camps, opportunities to shadow doctors, surgeons and other healthcare professionals, connecting them with people who are willing to mentor them, and finally providing scholarship opportunities to enable them pursue higher education.
Other NGO projects I have in mind include providing health education and literacy, and finding ways to train Ghanaians on how to perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and handle traumatic events. Many times we will hear someone has fainted or people involved in road accidents and the by standers usually have no idea how to handle those situations.
Q5. Aside medicine, where lies your passion?
As I mentioned earlier, I really enjoy mentorship. Other things I’m passionate about include social issues, discrimination and injustices, and women empowerment. I know this may sound like a cliche, but I am passionate about anything that will help to alleviate the plight or decrease the difficulty faced by disadvantaged people in our society. These things give me the most satisfaction and sense of accomplishment.
Q6. What do you do for fun? It can’t be all serious right?
Haha, all work and no play, makes one dull and boring. For my alone or “me” times I enjoy binge watching TV shows and anime, reading manga, cooking, listening to music, praying and wandering in my imagination. Besides that I like bowling, hiking, listening to music, playing board and video games, and trying new things like skiing, ATV riding, fishing or learning how to assemble Nixie Tube Clocks. You should look up Nixie Tube clocks on YouTube, I think they are coolest clocks ever.
Q7. How did you meet your girlfriend?
We met via an online dating app called Bumble.
Why a dating app?
Meeting people through dating app is very common here in the U.S, especially in Washington.
Medical School is super busy, and the little time you get to hang out during the first 3 years are mostly with your classmates and family.
So it’s easier to meet people online, you just have to keep swiping and if you match, chat and go on several dates and end up liking each other, then you continue. But if not, you go on your separate ways and keep swiping until you find a match. Haha
Q8. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt yet, in your 20s?
I don’t have one particular lesson, but several important lessons.
1). Never take advantage of people.
2). Be ready when a genuine opportunity presents itself, grab it and take full advantage of it.
3). Cherish people who are willing to mentor and coach you, they are very rare to come by.
4) Take joy in the journey of your personal growth, even if it feels long. I think the song “Almost home” by MercyMe sums up some of the important lessons I have learned so far.
5) Strive to be open-minded, because close mindedness will hinder your growth
Q9. What’s your take on sex before marriage
As a child, I was taught that it’s a “big” sin and that it makes you unholy, etc.. But they never explained to us what in particular makes it wrong. I can see some benefits to abstinence such as prevention of STDs, the mental and emotional damage it can cause if things don’t work out with your sexual partner, etc.
As an adult, I’ve learned that many other activities are equally sinful. So I see nothing wrong with pre-marital sex. Moreover, it’s important to determine the sexual chemistry between you and your partner before trying to embark on a life long journey – aka marriage
10. What do you miss about Ghana?
Several things. Family and friends, the sense of community, being a part of the majority and not having to worry about racism (both overt and structural), having conversations in Twi, the food and weather!
It was WONDERFUL having you here Enock. I wish you THE VERY BEST in all your endeavours. Any last word?
Thank you Alby and I look forward to our career paths crossing soon or in future.
For my last words, I’d like to quote Mohammed Ali when he was asked how he’d like to be remembered in this life:
He took a few cups of love. He took one tablespoon of patience, one teaspoon of generosity, one pint of kindness. He took one quart of laughter, one pinch of concern. And then, he mixed willingness with happiness. He added lots of faith, and he stirred it up well. Then he spread it over a span of a lifetime, and he served it to each and every deserving person he met.”
#MuhammadAli #Ali
#YOLO (you only live once)
Alhaji Ish
•3 years ago
The most informantive interview by far, learnt soo mu h here. Keep it up bestie. Kudos Enough, lets make a difference.