Isaac O. Opole, MBChB, PhD, MACP
Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Ruth Bohan Teaching Professor of Medicine
Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
— MEDICAL SCHOOL —
School of Medicine, University of Nairobi, Kenya
University of California, Irvine, CA
— RESIDENCY —
Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
Background
1. I was born and raised in … Nairobi, Kenya.
2. As a child I was … an inquisitive problem-solver (thinker).
3. I decided to be a doctor … although I loved physics and imagined myself as a particle physicist.
4. The persons who influenced me the most … were my parents, Richard and Janet Opole, and my mentors, Professors James Kimani and Jim Fallon.
Career
5. I chose internal medicine because … it is both challenging and satisfying. Using knowledge and detective-like inquiry, and the complexity of the diagnostic process, challenged and appealed to my sense of curiosity; also, “finding the answer and fixing it” was very satisfying.
6. What I find most rewarding about my career is … my patients, my learners, and my colleagues.
7. I joined ACP because … it was my go-to place for knowledge as a resident, and it elevated the specialty of internal medicine and embodied the pinnacle of excellence and professionalism in medicine.
8. An award or achievement I am proud of is … Fellowship of the American College of Physicians.
9. My advice to medical students is … in selecting a career path, choose what you love and love what you choose. That way, you can wake up every morning loving your life rather than dreading the day.
Personal
10. I like people who … challenge me and make me a better person.
11. My family includes … my community, my friends, and my colleagues.
12. My interests/hobbies are … gardening, playing bad golf, traveling, and music.
13. If I had the time, I would like to learn … how to play the piano.
14. I enjoy listening to … any eclectic array of music, but am particularly fond of jazz, blues, and rhumba.
15. I enjoy watching … thought-provoking movies and shows.
16. My idea of a great vacation is … Rest, Rest, and more Rest!
17. Something others may not know about me is … I love dogs, although I do not currently have a pet.
18. If I could be anything other than a physician, I would be … a chef or preschool teacher.
19. A person I greatly admire is/was … Nelson Mandela.
Back to the May 2024 issue of ACP IMpact
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