Kairuki 2014

1. Give a short narration about yourself

I am Priyank Chandrakant Punatar, a Tanzanian by nationality and heart,with an Indian ethnic origin. I am a self motivated focused individual who aspires to live a life driven by universal moral values and principles that govern acceptable behaviour in line with my profession I completed my high school at Aga Khan Mzizima Secondary School. . I have just completed Doctor of Medicine Program in 2014 at Huebert Kairuki Memorial University. In my school life I have been able to register a number of achievements in both academic and extra curricular activities and was fortunate to have been elected Head Boy in both primary and secondary school. I take interest in creative writing and sports.

2. Why did you decide to study medicine?

Well, the reason that triggered this decision was my potential and interest in Biology at high school and my ambitions to go for an academic and professional career that is trying, challenging and interesting. I love thrills and challenges that energize my desires. I also have the wish to be of service to community at large and this profession will give me ample opportunity to do that. I also believe in the local system of education at the medical schools originating in Tanzania due to rigour of their syllabi and system of teaching and practical experience.

3. How did you feel when you got “Team Tanzania Scholar Award”? How did it help you or your family?

I felt privileged and honoured to have been given this awarded while at the same time it has given me confidence in my potential and competencies. To be recognized and stand out from others is always motivating and give self-satisfaction that you tapped your potential. I have also together with this acquired the award for a Valedictorian Student for the 5 years study of Doctor of Medicine which recognizes someone who standards first in all the five years of the course. To my family the award was not just money but a recognition for their son which made them very proud. The money from the award will help me buy medical equipment that I will need during my internship and future practice. This award was not in place when I was in year I – III otherwise would also have qualified for the same.

4. What do you think should be done to improve the selection and presentation of the “Team Tanzania Scholar Award”?

First thing is that not a lot of people outside the community of the medical schools know about this onerous gesture by Tanzanians living in the USA so if the purpose allows then there is need for communication to be done using public media. Secondly the criteria for selection is currently academic excellence in the year of study which I think is fair as adding any other parameter for evaluation may conflict with the purpose of awarded academic excellence.

5. If you faced two challenges you faced while studying at HKMU, what would they be?

I can recommend areas for change and improvement.

• They should look into implementing modern pedagogy for teaching using interactive approach to develop confidence in the student with regard to the knowledge gained and its application.
• Improved monitoring and supervision together with support in year four and five of the study program where application of theoretical knowledge is key.
• Flexibility of learning by implementing some modules through e-learning. Student workshops.
• Introduce soft skills development in areas like presentation and communication

6. What do you want to do after graduating medical school / if you have graduated, what have you been doing since graduation?

As mentioned above I graduated this year and since October 2014 I am doing my internship at Muhimibili Hospital and getting very good experience since I joined. I have completed internship in the Paediatrics Ward, Now completing the same in the Psychiatry division and moving to internal medicine from 2/2/2015. I will be completing internship on 30/9/2015.

7. Please write a few words to thank people who donated to Maendeleo, and thus made the Team Tanzania Scholar Award possible.

I acknowledge with thanks and great appreciation the award given to me for excelling in academic study in year five of Doctor of Medicine. I also would like to commend the gesture extended by my fellow nationals who live in the USA to encourage academic study in our noble profession. Very few people in the world are able to share what they earn with others whom they do not even know. I would love to meet with some of these people even through the social media if their identity can be disclosed and known so as to take the relationship further.

My name is Khatib Sh. Khatib, from Zanzibar- Tanzania. I am 37 years old now. I started my primary education in 1986 at Kinyasini Primary School in Pemba. In 1996 I joined Fidel Castro Secondary School in Pemba where I completed my A level education in 2000. I then joined the College of Health Sciences at Mbweni Zanzibar where I got my Diploma in Clinical Medicine. I was employed by Ministry of Health and Social Welfare as Clinical Officer in 2004.
I worked for six years before I decided to join Hubert Kairuki Memorial University in 2011. I became interested in Medicine since I was in primary school, where some Health Officers came to our school to talk to us about keeping ourselves clean, washing our hands after using toilets, keeping our nails and hair short, and they were giving us some pills for reasons I didn’t understand, but I kept wondering how they knew all these stuffs. I looked at them as most gifted and talented people in the world. From there, becoming a doctor, helping and educating people about diseases was a dream of my life and that’s why I decided to study Medicine.
Being announced as an Awardee, before tens to hundreds of people, shaking hands with high profile honourable figures like HKMU Chancellor, Dr. Salim Amed Salim was really an honour, and to this date I am writing this letter, I still feel great. It really helped me, I most of the time since then feel eager to read and read and read. It really changed my momentum and took me to a new high energy level and most of the time I feel energetic on reading. It’s an honour to my family too. Since then my family has been so supportive and tolerant about me and infact, all my family feel proud of me especially my parents and wife who since then keep on telling me, “You can”, something which absolutely keeps me moving.

Selection and presentation of “Team Tanzania Scholar Award” to me, it’s quite great well done.
One major challenge, I have been facing at HKMU is studying with mates fresh from school and still in very young ages. They hardly take your contribution during studying and advice. Second one is staying out of campus. This makes me miss a lot of important group discussions, experiences and moments of fun with colleges.

My plan is to go for a specialty as soon as possible after graduation, hopefully a year after my internship. I dream of becoming Pediatrician and help improve child health in Tanzania. I like teaching too, so becoming a lecturer in Pediatrics and child health, is in my plan as well.

I might have no good words to say to “MAENDELEO” group who donate the prizes but all what I can say is “Thank you a lot” for making the “Team Tanzania Awards” possible, you have honoured us, you have changed our lives for the better and above all, you have made us write history in our medical Carrier for our names shall be remembered. Thank you very much for all these. Lastly, I would like to quote a wise saying which I always read from one of HKMU walls which says” There is no limit to the goods you can do in this World, if You don’t care who gets credit”

Thank you very much for your donations.

My name is AISIA NICHOLAS MERO, 2nd year Medical Doctor student at HUBERT KAIRUKI MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY.
I am very glad to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude upon receiving my gift from your organization after being the best student in my class in the academic year 2013/2014.

The gift has a great positive impact in my academic life since it has made me to realize my capabilities and motivate me to struggle more in achieving higher goals.

Some of it has also helped me to purchase some medical books as well as medical equipments for my carrier. I would like to share a short history of my education background.

Before joining the university I was a qualified clinical officer working at one of the dispensaries in country. When I was practicing as a clinical officer, I faced a lot of challenges, one among them was people of my society suffering a lot with some medical problems and due to a little knowledge I had, I couldn’t help them to fullest, so I felt motivated and challenged to seek for further studies to upgrade my knowledge.

Furthermore, the scarcity of medical personnel’s in my country forced me to study medicine to add medical human resources on helping my society.

My aim is to become the best doctor in my society and to help people of my country regarding their medical problems; Also I would like to pursue MASTERS IN PEADIATRICS after completing my degree of medicine so that I can be able to stand in the best position of providing services in the area of my specialty.