The idea that something as unimportant as money or status determines the way we treat ourselves, the relationships we keep or how we treat our fellow humans is a little bit scary. "In commune to all, rich and poor, the earth was made." I was reading a book by Norman Cohn when I read this quote. I believe that we all come from the same source; we are more similar than we are dissimilar. We have more in common with our neighbors than we realize most times.
My decision to become a physician is deeply rooted in this principle. I was born and mostly raised in Nigeria. I go back home every chance I get. I have witnessed corruption and inequality first hand. I’ve witness a birthing mother share a delivery room with three other women with no equipment, and sometimes, the power going out mid delivery. I’ve witness people with debilitating illnesses get turned down because they have no money for simple treatment; a lot of times, patients must be sent overseas for medical attention because our hospitals are lacking. Needless to say, only the extremely fortunate, usually government personnel, gets this luxury. The more I’ve lived and learned, I’ve discovered that this atrocity is not only happening in my home country, but in several other developing countries as well, Ghana, Kenya, Mexico, Brazil, just to name a few. My philosophy is that something as basic health care should be offered to every individual; regardless of how much the person makes, their status, or the country that they happen to be born in. Subsequent to acquiring my MD, I definitely want to spend some time in these countries