Meseret Mulu Mekonen having outclassed 75 Doctors of Medicine has emerged as the most outstanding one with 3.54 CGPA. He can be called an accidental doctor, for he wanted to be an engineer, but it was his parents and school director, who diligently conspired to make medicine his first choice and there he is.Click here to see the pictures
Meseret hails from Basoliben in east Gojjam, Amhara Region; his farmer father, Mulu Mekonen, owns 2 hectares of land, where he grows crops such as teff, maize, peas, beans, wheat, etc., and half of the produce is sold out for the upkeep of family; mother Mulu Enawgaw is a housewife and he is the eldest amongst five siblings; his three sisters and one brother still pursuing school education.
On schooling, he said, I did 10th and 12th Grades from Eyeb Secondary and Preparatory School and could score impressive GPA in 12th Grade; actually by then, I was nurturing a desire to be an engineer as mathematics and physics were my most favorite subjects, yet I scored pretty high in biology. But finally, wishes of my parents and director of school got materialized and now I am the Doctor of Medicine.
My parents, he adds aren’t educated, they don’t know anything regarding medicine, what they aspire that after graduation, I should stay with them. I am the only graduate in my family; now I didn’t inform them that I topped the table, but have just invited them for graduation as I want to surprise them.
He further said having invested six years, I feel good, but initially due to high temperature, I was frustrated and wanted to get transferred to Gonder and Bahir Dar universities but failed. By the time I resumed my study, I befriended a doctor from Arba Minch, who had been my guide and mentor all through my study.
Meseret probably studied around 50 to 60 subjects and said all are interlinked, so one just can’t dare to ignore any of them; if you do, then you miss the point. Gynecology and Obstetrics had been interesting, because here you deal with human life; when you save a mother you also save the child, it’s satisfying. I wasn’t interested in minor courses like immunology, nutrition and parasitology but in major one, he added.
And even I wasn’t concerned about A and A+, but focused in assimilating nitty-gritty of this life science, because medicine is a life-saving profession; here one got to be thoroughly cautious, meticulous and fully responsible because you have to restore health, life and provide respite to those seeking assistance.
Sharing study plans, he said, I would study four to five hours every day, of pre-clinical and clinical, clinical phase was the most interesting because here you are close to the stark reality of human lives. Relating an unforgettable tale during yearlong internship at Arba Minch General Hospital, he said, there was a kid, who had congenital anomaly with heart popped out of chest cavity, we tried but kid died after two hours.
His future plan is to obtain Master degree, he said, if we score higher marks in national entrance exam, I can pursue the subject I like, otherwise Ministry of Health assigns you courses, which it deemed fit. I have been selected for Master in Radiology in United Arab Emirate because Ethiopia needs Radiologists. Though, you will remain away from people while pursuing this course it will be great service to nation. Nevertheless, I want to be a researcher and would love to have Master in Gynecology and Obstetrics.
Lest pursuing radiology rust his therapeutic doctoral skills? Pat came answer; our community needs more radiologists because diagnostic radiology plays pivotal role in medical investigation. Therefore, we need them. And I feel privileged and hail the gesture of government for choosing me to study radiology in UAE.
Attributing credit of his success, he said, my colleagues, teachers and others had been very supportive. And stay in Arba Minch was pretty good for people over here is very humble and supportive, even in spiritual aspect my fellowship with people was unforgettable.
He reads Amharic fictions and in future would be reading English fiction to get his language skills enriched. The best fiction (Love unto Tomb) in Amharic he read was the best by Hadis Alemayehu.
Giving his piece of mind to future doctors, he reiterates, medical profession needs those who are humane, committed and unequivocally devoted; here, you have to keep human welfare first; negligent have no place in this arena, the element of sacrifice is key to be a good doctor, he signed off.
(Corporate Communication Directorate)