Like many medical students in Kenya, Isaac Opole hoped the government would provide a job after he graduated. However, in 1992, following the ethnic clashes after the general election, opportunities for the young doctor became even more limited.
Seeing his counterparts leave the country in pursuit of better pay, improved working conditions and greater opportunities, Opole decided to try his luck.
It seemed that the West had the best to offer and when the opportunity arose, he seized it. He was aware that this move would grant him access to cutting-edge technology, world-class mentorship, and a global network of peers.
Born in Nyakach ,Kisumu County and raised in Kabete, Kikuyu County, the doctor embarked on his journey to the United States, a move that would see his life transform from just a doctor to become President of the American College of Physicians (ACP).
He stayed in the US for a short while, atter which he returned to Kenya only to find the situation has worsened, with doctors involved in industrial action over the deplorable state of healthcare and dismal pay. He knew he had to find a way back to America.
“I came to the US for about three months for research and then returned to Kenya to teach at KMTC and the University of Nairobi. Back then, as is the case now, there was considerable frustration and despair over the state of healthcare, the working environment, and ongoing strikes by young doctors.
“During the big strike of 1992, the government offered us nothing. The healthcare facilities were deplorable and rundown. Many of us started to look for options elsewhere.
“Various countries quickly recruited us, including South Africa, Botswana, and Swaziland, which opened recruitment offices at the International Life House to hire us,” he narrated in an interview with a local newspaper.
In 1996, he returned to the US for a research fellowship and enrolled at the University of California, Irvine, to pursue a Doctorate in neuroscience. Amid Kenya’s turmoil following the general elections, the US was offering asylum to citizens, and he seized the opportunity without looking back.
His father, Richard Oduol-Opole, studied Animal Husbandry at Kansas State University, making it natural for the young doctor to settle in the city, especially since his wife, Dr. Rebecca Opole, joined the University of Kansas Medical Center’s internal medicine residency program.
Within four years of working as a doctor in the US and a lecturer in Kenya, he joined the ACP, a prestigious organization with over 161,000 medical practitioners worldwide. It is the largest professional body for medical specialties and the second-largest physician membership society in the US.
“I joined as a trainee and medical resident in the early 2000s and started out like anyone else by attending conferences and presenting papers.
Through my hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm, I gained recognition. I was soon appointed as the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
Before that, I was a lecturer at both the University of Nairobi and the Kenya Medical Training College,” he stated.
His first role in the ACP was member of the Council of the Kansas Chapter, and his contributions and commitment saw him gradually rise in rank.
“In 2015, I was elected as the Governor and led the chapter for four years, through the middle of the pandemic. In 2020, I was elected to the board of regions of the ACP, where I served until last year. Although typical board members serve for two year served for four,” he stated
Last year, the Nairobi School alumnus rose to the helm of ACP leadership, and was elected president, a position that only four black individuals had held since its inception in 1915.
He is one of the experts advising the White House, Congress, and various state and federal governmental organizations.
“I am honoured and humbled by the opportunity to serve. I have been invited to the White House three times in different capacities. Typically, we go to Washington to lobby or propose policy positions that the college supports,” he explained.
He has inspired his wife to follow in his footsteps, and she is an associate professor of medicine and also serves as the assistant dean for student affairs at Kansas; she is also the Governor of the Kansas Chapter of the ACP.
Opole credits his mother, Janet Odindo-Opole, and his late father, who passed away in 2022, as his main sources of inspiration. His father spent most of his life working at Kabete Vet Labs, reflecting his dedication to medicine.
Opole is a father of two, 29-year-old Odindo Janet Opole and 26-year-old Michael Otsyula.
An avid gardener, Dr Opole spends his free time tending to his crops and in other times watches the Kansas City Chiefs football team. He also plays the trumpet and the saxophone and is a fan of jazz music.
