When young Francis began his educational journey in Obuasi, he could only picture a future where he was an Engineer working in the mines.
He was used to the sight of smart and sharply dressed engineers in Obuasi who ensured that the mines functioned. He loved their discipline. He was coveted their protective helmets.
To achieve his aim, he was told to be studious and observant. And he did just that, excelling academically even though he took turns to attend several basic schools in Obuasi and Bolgatanga( precisely Winkogo where he hails from) due to the challenging dynamics of his family at the time.
In 2003, he gained admission to the Bolgatanga Senior High School( Big Boss). Thankfully, he was put in the General Science class. The dream was on. He was excited.
But the excitement fizzled out within weeks when he realised that he had to study some of his elective subjects on his own due to a lack of teachers.
“The absence of my parents, especially my mother, made life difficult for me in general. So I had to be sent from Kumasi, where I was attending a private school, to Winkogo where I continued from primary 2 to primary 6, first term in a public school.
Again, I had to return to Obuasi to my sister. And in Obuasi, I continued from P6 third term up to JHS. After JHS, I had Big Boss[ Bolgatanga Senior High School] as my first choice to read science.
At Big Boss, we didn’t actually have teachers for all the elective science subjects and that really affected me. Having to study some subjects by myself was not easy but in the end, I passed creditably in the WASSCE,” Dr Adongo recalled.
But his success in the WASSCE didn’t mean he could go to the University to actualize his engineering dream. Financial challenges at home made nursing an unavoidable stepping stone for him. And this is where his interest in medicine was nurtured.
“I was initially posted to rural areas after nursing school and as the work demanded, I had to play the role of a prescriber (PA) and while doing this I realised I could help a lot of patients if I studied or took a course that will enable me play that role much better. So initially the idea of physician assistantship came up and while I was thinking about that, I remembered an inspirational story by Dr Ben Carson in his book titled “Gifted Hands”.
I learnt not to settle for less from that book. So with my Science background, I realised I could spend almost the same number of years doing medicine instead of the Physician Assistantship programme. So I decided to pursue Medicine with my BSc in Nursing at the UDS Medical School in 2019. Six years in medical school was scary but I knew medicine was what I wanted to do,” he added.
Studying Medicine after having worked for years as a nurse, coupled with family responsibilities, was not an easy task.
But Dr Adongo is part of the graduating class of 2025 and he hopes to not only give off his best as a doctor but to inspire others to reach for greater heights despite their personal circumstances.
Congratulations to Dr Francis Adongo. We’re inspired by your diligence and perseverance.
