Meet Prof Kasonde Bowa- First Zambia professor of Urology

By Winston Muleba II, Zambia 

A Medical career, Accountancy, Piloting are often careers of preference to most people in infancy but because of some personal qualities and abilities, not everyone who opts to take a medical career becomes a medical doctor. 

Medicine provides a lifelong challenge of excitement and fulfillment says Prof Bowa. 

He explains the academic requirements needed for one to study medicine in Zambia, why young people should consider studying it as a career, the relevance of whether you are at school and thinking of applying to study a degree in medicine or if you are a graduate in another subject and considering applying for the graduate entry to medicine. 

Prof Kasonde Bowa is a Baptist faith believer, born some 49 years ago to Mr Christopher Chisala and Mrs Judith K Bowa.He is very much married to Theresa Bowa and they have 3 children.

Prof Bowa says he has written two books. 

“Writing of course, I have written two books, my biography “Making the Cut” and a fictional book “Doctors Diary”. I like to travel I have been to 30 countries in the world. I collect coins. I do weight training and I play chess. I love languages and can speak at least 2 foreign languages and greet in 7.” he says. 

He says he comes from a middle class family. 

“We lived in Mansa in my early school years. I was brought up mostly in Kitwe and attended Valley View primary school in Riverside. We were a middle class family and I enjoyed playing football. I learnt to play chess when I was 10 years old.” he says. 

Prof Bowa says he had three careers of choice prior to entering University. 

“I wanted to study three things as a result I changed many times. Firstly I wanted to be a writer, then an architect, but eventually I choose Medicine, although It was the least I was interested in out of the three but for the reason that it sounded nicer and allowed me to do all 3 I had to go for it. Above that, at the age of 17 I experienced a Christian conversion, which also focused my mind on the career of medicine, and I never looked back since. I studied Medicine at the University of Zambia and specialized in Surgery in UK and then Super specialist in urology at the Institute of Urology in London UK.” he says. 

He says most of the challenges he faced while at University are written in his book Called Doctors Diary. 

“Most of my challenges are the ones I written about in my book called a Doctors Diary. Mostly around financial social difficulties, problems with self-esteem as well as managing the large amount of school work while growing from a boy into a man. Against this, I yielded to most of them and they molded my character. I watched others and learnt from them, mostly I learnt from the bible and the Christians to whom I had access in the student fellowship group.” he says. 

Prof. Bowa says he was invoved in  some activities  while at University. 

“I was involved in Sport, Chess and the Christian Medical fellowship, where I became the president for 2years.” he says. 

Prof Bowa says, he is now involved in academic activities. 

“I am mostly involved in academic activities seeing that I am now a Professor at the Copperbelt University, School of medicine, Consultant Urologist at Ndola Central Hospital and Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital and the first Dean of the School of Medicine. Therefore, I do a lot of teaching.” he says. 

He says he has made few scholastic achievements so far. 

“I have few scholastic achievement this is to say I have 2 undergraduate degrees, 6 postgraduate degrees. I have received over 9 international and regional awards for academic excellence. I am the first Zambia Professor of Urology and the first dean of the Copperbelt University School of Medicine.” he says. 

Prof Bowa sharable plans, 10 years from now. 

“I plan to start the First Medical University on the Copperbelt Province and be its first Vice Chancellor.” he says. 

He explains challenges he faces in the course of his work as a medical doctor. 

“Mostly I face the challenge to meet many needs of or patients with their severe illness, the large numbers, and the limit medical resources available. I innovate, I buy my own equipment and I work hard. I love to solve problems created by disease and seeing patients walking home cured. That is the greatest challenge to beat the disease with limited tools. That’s real medicine, anyway.” he says.

Despite serving as Dean at the Copperbelt University, School of Medicine, Consultant Urologist at Ndola Central Hospital and Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital, Prof Bowa says he balances up time at home so well. 

“Basically, I give one day a week as family time, which is Saturday and one day a week a spiritual time that is Sunday. This rejuvenates me for the week.” he says. 

Prof Bowa explains why young people should consider studying medicine as a career. 

“I would say there are two reasons; firstly there is a great need for Doctors in Zambia. Currently we have only 49% of the Doctors needed to meet the health needs of Zambians. That clearly states that Jobs are the available. Secondly, it is a wonderful and fulfilling career for any young person with the appropriate intellect and discipline for it provides a lifelong challenge of excitement and fulfillment.” he says. 

“If you are interested in medicine only because it is what your parents want you to do or you like the prestige that comes with the title or because you think it is the best way for you to become wealthy, I encourage you stop and take a breath. Look into what your career dreams are and see if you truly can see yourself in medicine as a career. And if your heart is telling you to go into another direction, don’t be afraid. The earlier you come to this realization, the happier you will be.” 

Prof Bowa illustrates the nature of a medical career to young people who do not have a clear picture of what the medical career is all about. 

“I would say a Doctor can be thought of as a Medical Detective. Everybody knows what a policeman does. The detective is the smartest policeman. A doctor is the smartest policemen who catches diseases and locks them up. However he has to be smart because diseases are crafty. That’s what I say to young people. It makes them laugh, but they catch it straight away.” he says. 

He says there are four schools of medicine in Zambia. 

“There are 4 schools of Medicine in Zambia; this is to say 2 public; the University of Zambia in Lusaka and the Copperbelt University in Ndola. The other two are private schools; the Cavendish University Medical School and Lusaka Apex Medical University all in Lusaka.” 

“To qualify for this programme, you need at least 5 O levels in English, Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics and at least 4 A levels or 1 to 2 years of Natural Science training in Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. You will be best placed to get a place if your grades are a B grade and above (over 65%). To apply for a medicine program in Zambia, one can check out the web sites of these said institutions and apply to them online or alternatively look out for their adverts every year in the newspapers.” he says. 

Prof Bowa mentions his role model in the medicine discipline. 

“My role models are Prof Yukub Mulla, the former Dean of the school of Medicine UNZA, my former boss and Prof Lupando Mukonge the Vice chancellor of the Lusaka Medical Apex University.” he says 

“I would like to be remembered as a nobody, who was given the chance to make many young people some bodies” he says. 

Take a career you are passionate about to have a lifelong challenge of excitement and fulfillment. It is that simple, isn’t it? You can do it! 

For comments:mwenyamuleba@gmail.com / 0966 461 943/0950 594 050