Alex Githinji was first interested in specializing in paediatrics. While on clinical rotations at undergraduate level, he realised that his love for children was not reflective of the way the medical field approaches them.
As the first medic in his family, Alex has always had a passion for giving back to the community. Since paediatrics didn’t work out, he leaned more towards radiology as a specialization.
“Medicine the way we know it, is hinged a lot on diagnostics. Everything you do needs to be diagnosed. But in the wards, in the clinics, diagnostics is actually a very difficult thing, and this is what leads to the successful management of the patient,” he says.
The first-year resident at Aga Khan University had a light bulb moment. Imaging was crucial and somewhat central to every medical department’s needs. He has always had a curious side. This played out when he walked into a tumour board meeting while still a medical student at Kenyatta National Hospital.
“One of the lecture rooms I used to study in was the meeting room for the tumour board. I would find lecturers coming in, and they would discuss interesting cases. At first, I would leave the room but one day I decided to listen in. Gradually I became interested in those meetings, as they always discussed interesting cases.”
Alex noticed that radiologists were highly respected in meetings. Their interpretation of images had a big bearing on everyone else, determining the diagnosis and possible treatment of medical cases.
“Whenever I attended a meeting for radiologists, it was a relaxed atmosphere. People shared knowledge and were not as intimidating as other high-level medical meetings.”
He then went ahead and applied to AKU for his Master of Medicine degree. On his first attempt, Alex was accepted into the programme. He immediately began talking to radiologists to know what lay ahead and how to make residency an enriching experience.
“The AKU website is very well organised. It enticed me to apply. I also wanted a first-hand experience of the campus, so I visited the Medical College. I met the secretary to the Dean who was very helpful. It’s these first impressions that encouraged me to apply and want to study at AKU.”
Alex knows the road will not be easy, but he believes mentorship, quality education and holistic growth will get him through his postgraduate training – and achieve his dreams to be an excellent radiologist.