Why my mother worried about my career choice as a female trauma surgeon — Dr Chichi Menakaya

Dr Chichi Menakaya, Consultant Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgeon, is the CEO of Annomo Health. The daughter of former Health Minister, Dr Timothy Menakaya, in this interview, shared her life’s journey with Anthony Awunor.

Tell us about your childhood, especially the kind of family you grew up in.

I grew up in a family where hard work, discipline, education, resilience, and service were the standard. Excellence was expected. My mother constantly reminded me of whose child I was, while my father believed deeply in hard work and “burning the midnight oil”. Watching them taught me early that success rarely comes without sacrifice. Beyond achievement, I grew up around strong-minded people who believed life should be lived with purpose and dignity. There was always an understanding that you were meant to contribute, think deeply, and carry yourself well. I was also a very curious and expressive child, always asking questions and trying to understand people, systems, and the world around me.

What schools did you attend, and what was the experience like in those schools?

I started my education in Onitsha, a city that shaped much of who I am today. I attended Cathedral Nursery School, All Saints Primary School, and later Federal Government Girls’ College, Onitsha. Onitsha gave me more than education; it gave me resilience, ambition, and drive. I later attended the great University of Ibadan, which expanded my world enormously. School taught me discipline, adaptation, confidence, and healthy competition. Looking back, it was also where leadership quietly began for me

What were those pranks you were playing, or the funny moments you had, while in school?

I was very bubbly and cheeky, although I was also a good student and one of the teachers’ favourites. Of course, I had moments of mischief with friends, and laughter helped us through stressful periods. Even then, I could laugh one minute and become completely serious the next when work needed to be done. That balance has stayed with me into adulthood.

Did your parents influence your career choice?

Not directly, but they shaped my mindset. My parents taught me that excellence mattered and that whatever path I chose, I should pursue fully. Although my father is a doctor, he never pressured me into medicine. However, once I entered the profession, he deeply influenced how I approached it. He constantly reminded me, “You are an eagle, so you must fly.” That mindset stayed with me.

What then informed your decision to become a doctor, and eventually a trauma surgeon?

At about 12 years old, I became very ill with typhoid. I remember being fascinated by how a simple bag of fluid and a woman in a white coat could take away pain and make me feel alive again. That experience stayed with me. I initially wanted to become a cardiothoracic surgeon, but everything changed after witnessing a mass casualty situation in Ibadan. Seeing urgency, leadership, teamwork, and immediate intervention shifted something in me. Trauma surgery is raw, immediate, and deeply human. People meet you on some of the worst days of their lives, and your skill, judgement, and calmness matter enormously. I was drawn to that responsibility.

How did your family respond to your career choice?

My mum was initially worried about surgery because of how demanding it is, especially for a woman. But once she saw my passion and commitment, she became one of my greatest supporters. My dad was my biggest cheerleader from the beginning. He constantly encouraged me to think beyond limitations and never shrink my ambitions.

Looking back now, did you ever imagine your career would become this global?

Honestly, no. I have always been a big dreamer, but I never imagined the scale of this journey. I thought I would simply become a surgeon and perhaps do charitable work along the way. I did not realise medicine would open doors into leadership, global health, entrepreneurship, systems transformation, and policy across multiple countries. When I look back now, I know only the grace of God made it possible

You now operate across 11 countries. How has that shaped you personally?

It has taught me that true success is never built alone. The people around you, mentors, teams, family, friends, and communities are often the real architecture of success. No matter the country or culture, people fundamentally want the same things: dignity, safety, health, longevity, and hope. Travelling, extensively, has also made me more intentional about identity. When you move constantly between cultures and leadership spaces, you must know who you are clearly or the world will define you for you. I am proudly Nigerian and even more proud of the resilience, ambition, and strength of our people. Coming from Onitsha taught me grit very early.

What would your reaction be if one of your nieces or nephews decided to follow your path into medicine?

I would support such person completely, but I would also be honest with them. Medicine is deeply rewarding, but it is also demanding intellectually, emotionally, physically, and psychologically. It requires discipline, sacrifice, and resilience.

But, beyond Medicine, who is Dr. Chichi Menakaya really?

At my core, I am still just a girl in an adult body, energised by impact, growth, humanity, and possibility. People often see the surgeon or CEO, but beyond all of that, I am someone constantly thinking about how systems can improve, how people can live better, and how Africa can shape the future more boldly. I am still evolving. I believe the most powerful people never stop becoming.

You travel a lot. But, as a doctor, constantly travelling across multiple countries while balancing surgery, leadership, and business, how demanding is life in the air physically and mentally?

People often underestimate the physiological and psychological cost of frequent flying. When I tell people I am actually afraid of flying, they rarely believe me because of how often I travel. But there is a certain vulnerability that comes with air travel. You surrender control completely, trusting that someone you have never met will safely carry your life across continents. Then, there is the reality of constantly crossing time zones while still being expected to perform at a high level mentally, emotionally, and physically. As surgeons, our performance depends on precision, concentration, reaction time, judgement, and emotional regulation. Fatigue is not an inconvenience in our profession; it can alter outcomes.

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The body is designed around circadian rhythms. This sets a 24-hour day clock in your body, telling you when to sleep and when to wake up. So, when sleep cycles, hydration, movement, nutrition, and recovery are repeatedly disrupted, it creates biological stress that eventually affects cognition, immunity, metabolic health, and even your mood.

For me, travel is never passive. It requires discipline, intentional recovery, and understanding how the body behaves under pressure. I have learned that high performance is not sustained by adrenaline alone; eventually, biology collects its debt.

Have you ever managed a health crisis aboard an aircraft?

Yes, multiple times. I once had a woman suffer such overwhelming anxiety mid-flight that she collapsed onboard. In that moment, at 35,000 feet in the air, something becomes very clear, titles disappear, status disappears, and all that matters is whether someone in that cabin can think clearly enough to keep another human being alive.

There is no emergency room to run into. No crash team waiting around the corner. Just pressure, uncertainty, limited resources, and the responsibility to act.

I resuscitated her, stabilised her, and gradually calmed her down until she recovered. Aircraft cabins are incredibly complex medical environments because you are operating in confined spaces with limited equipment, altered cabin pressure, physiological stressors, and delayed access to definitive care.

What people often misunderstand is that most in-flight emergencies are not about dramatic procedures. They are about leadership under pressure, rapid assessment, calm communication, decisiveness and recognising what absolutely cannot wait until landing.

Medicine has taught me that true leadership is often revealed in confined spaces, under pressure, when there is no time to panic and no one else to call.

This is interesting. With this, a lot of people would want to have your impressions about “flying doctors” and doctors who assist during in-flight emergencies.

I think it reflects something deeply sacred about medicine. Doctors do not stop being doctors once they leave the hospital, responsibility follows you everywhere. Whether you are in an airport lounge, a restaurant, or an aircraft, there is an instinct to step forward when another human being needs help. That instinct reminds us that medicine is not simply a profession, at its best, it is service. It also highlights why emergency preparedness matters globally. Medical emergencies can happen anywhere, and the more society invests in basic emergency knowledge, the safer humanity becomes collectively.

As someone working across multiple countries and health systems, what have your travels taught you about health globally?

Health is deeply connected to lifestyle, environment, systems, culture, and mindset. I have seen societies where prevention is embedded into daily life and others where healthcare only begins after crisis develops. The future of healthcare, globally, is moving towards prevention, optimisation, longevity, regenerative medicine, and proactive care.

Travel has reinforced my belief that Africa must stop seeing itself only as a consumer of global healthcare trends, years after the world has moved forward. We must actively participate in shaping the future of healthcare ourselves.

Africa has the intelligence, talent, and human capital to lead important parts of this conversation if we choose to think beyond survival alone.

Finally, what advice would you give frequent air travellers trying to protect their health?

Treat recovery with the same seriousness as movement. Hydrate properly, move during flights, respect sleep, listen to your body and stop glorifying chronic exhaustion simply because modern life rewards busyness. Your body keeps score, even when your schedule refuses to slow down.

Ultimately, health is not simply about surviving your lifestyle. It is about ensuring your lifestyle is sustainable enough for you to continue living, leading, building, and loving well.