How long have you been a member of AAAM?
Just a little over one year.
What inspired you to join AAAM?
I was doing some work on injuries and was curious about AIS and its origins which led me to AAAM. When I checked I found there was an offer for reduced membership rates for LMIC and that clinched it. (For the record, reduced rates really do make a difference because the sum total of the various rates professionals in LMIC pay to different bodies to keep current with knowledge is high.)
What are your main areas of interest in the field of Automotive Medicine?
Injuries management and research. Biomechanics is very relevant in orthopaedic and trauma surgery and the chance to interact with engineers and all the other fields AAAM members belong to is enlightening.
What do you find most rewarding about working in this field?
The clinical part is enhancing or returning individuals back to pain relieved mobility greatly enhancing their quality of life and is very gratifying to me. The research part is better understanding of the processes that lead to pain and loss of mobility and perhaps contributing to prevention of the same.
What challenges have you faced over the years and how have you overcome them?
Orthopaedic and trauma surgery is expensive (long training, orthopaedic surgical sets and equipment, implants, operating theaters, etc.) so working in a resource constrained environment calls for a lot of innovation and improvisation. The temptation to return to work in a High income country is there.
What’s something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know?
I have been team doctor for our National Football team in the past and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro – highest peak in Africa (apologies, those are two facts actually).
How do you think the field is changing and what trends do you see coming up on the horizon?
To me autonomous cars are a game changer. LMIC very quickly took up mobile phone technology, however autonomous cars are in another league. I am very curious to see what the effect will be on injuries.
What advice would you give to someone interested in this field?
Join AAAM immediately.
What’s one thing – either field-related or not – you learned in the last month?
A reminder of just how mortal we are having just lost a professional colleague to COVID-19.
Is there anything else you would like to share with your colleagues?
Be happy and never go to bed angry. Once COVID is done you are all welcome to Kenya!