By Koketso Mamabolo
I
n February of 2020, Dr. Allison Amarachukwu Karen made a discovery which marked the beginning of sub-Saharan Africa’s battle with the COVID-19 pandemic. The general practitioner diagnosed the first case of COVID-19 in Nigeria in an effort that was recognised by the Ogun State government in March of that year. She graduated from the University of Port Harcourt in 2013 and has been practising for almost 7 years. “Besides being a medical doctor, I am also a fitness enthusiast and an entrepreneur,” says the young medical professional. “Asides from AI Packers, which now offers mostly consulting services, I also offer virtual fitness training classes to people. Because I’m on the move a lot, it also serves as a way to hold myself accountable, while also creating an income.” Her focus is on emergency medicine, but Allison finds time to make a contribution to an underappreciated aspect of healthcare: administration. “Currently I am running an online master’s degree program called Masters in Business Administration Health Management.” “I learned that patience, paying attention to details, delegating, and just being tenacious about your goals and beliefs will get you further than your wildest imagination.” We find out more about how she’s balanced being an entrepreneur with practising medicine, the effects of the pandemic and her thoughts on vaccination mandates.
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