Your love for helping old people is just too much”: My journey to a PhD in Geriatrics

My academic journey has been anything but straightforward. Being the firstborn of my mother and an orphan at the age of 14 years, posed a lot of challenges. By the age of 21, I was funding my tuition and had completed a certificate and diploma in counselling and child psychotherapy. My dream to pursue my career further drove me to International Health Sciences University (IHSU) now Clarke International University (CIU). However, I could not be admitted into my desired program since I had not done my A level. Immediately, I went on a search for a school that could allow me to study while working. Makerere A-level Evening Classes for Adults (MAECA) was the ultimate place. I enrolled a little late, and I only had about 11 months to prepare for the final UACE exams. I passed my A-level with flying colours and was admitted into the program of my choice (Bachelor’s in Public Health) at CIU.?After my Bachelor's, I enrolled for a Master's of public health, then later, a post-graduate diploma in Medical Education, and now a PhD in public health specializing in geriatrics.

My passion and love for elderly persons started way back when l was a little child about 8 years old. I enjoyed being around the elderly and helping them. I would feel sad seeing an elderly person struggling to carry water, fetch firewood, or do laundry. I would do anything possible to help out. One day, I stole sugar and posho from home to take to an elderly person in need. When l got back, I was scolded by my now late grandmother and forced to take her to where l had taken the things. On reaching there, Grandma was shocked and all she said was; “Afiyon (meaning Fiona), your love for helping old people is just too much, and may you continue to be a blessing.”

I enjoyed being in the company of the elderly because of their wisdom, fun, and advice. I recall one holiday when Grandma was staying with her older cousin sister (aged about 70 years at the time) who had become blind from age and had come to the city for treatment. Many children were staying with Grandma, but the blind old lady would only wait till I returned from fetching water or anything for her to send me. She would sense my presence, even if I had only stayed with her briefly. It is my childhood encounters with elderly persons that informed my career path to pursue a PhD in Geriatrics. My childhood experiences bred my passion for ageing research, my interest in improving access to elderly healthcare, cultivating the quality of life of senior citizens, and the desire to contribute to societal well-being. Additionally, research on the ageing population has long been ignored in low and middle-income countries, creating a leadership role gap in gerontology, and inadequate knowledge and expertise in this field. Having pursued a PhD in geriatrics, I feel motivated to fill this gap.

Despite the challenges associated with acquiring a PhD and the fact that “a PhD is a lonely journey”, I am grateful to the Almighty for having been able to pull through it within record time (three years). Right from the start, I planned to complete my PhD within 3 years, even though I knew it wouldn’t be easy, I was determined to put in the work. I worked extremely hard to achieve this dream. Completing my PhD within three years has not been a piece of cake. Feelings of devastation, sleepless nights, mental breakdown, and regrets at a given point in time defined my PhD journey. However, the incredible guidance, support, and motivation of my supervisors (Prof. Rose Clarke Nanyonga and Prof. Faustino Orach-Meza) made the lonely journey a success. Moving forward, I aspire to represent and advocate for the well-being of the elderly both at local and international fora. I’m also working on various project ideas for research in this population and more publications in peer-reviewed gerontology journals are in the pipeline.