Where are you currently a student?
I am a senior student at Kaiser Permanente School of Anesthesia / California State University Fullerton
What is the most rewarding experience of training thus far?
I think the most rewarding experience is when I see patients wake up comfortably. It’s always very rewarding when I drop off a patient in recovery and they wake up asking, “It’s done already? “ It makes me feel that I did my job right.
How do you deal with the stress of school?
Anesthesia school can be stressful and the trick to surviving is trying to balance between school and life. I try to take it one day at a time, never taking anything personally, being open minded, making sure I give myself some “me time” and having the support of family and friends.
What/Who inspires you to keep pursing becoming a CRNA?
Always remenbering where I came from inspires me the most. I grew up in Kenya, a third world country with minimum resources, and consider myself very lucky and fortunate to be where I am today. It was always instilled in me the value of an education and I am grateful that I have had this opportunity.
What is your favorite anesthesia specialty?
I think OB is one of my favorite specialties because it’s both rewarding and challenging at the same time. I find OB to be interesting because you just don’t know what going to happen next, and preparation for and anticipation of emergencies is key.
Is there any research, thesis, practice projects, missions, or other anesthesia related work you would like to share with our community?
Currently I am very interested in doing some mission work after I graduate. It would be a great experience, as well as a great way to give back. One organization that comes to mind is kenyarelief.org, an organization that does a lot of mission work in Kenya where I was born and grew up.