General Surgery Resident Bismarck Osumo, MD, Shares His Journey to Medicine

Bismarck Osumo, MD, is a general surgery resident at Inspira Medical Center Vineland.

When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in medicine?

I was born and raised in Kenya. My upbringing was quite humble, I can say. My dad was a nurse and my mom was a farmer. I think watching my dad as a nurse for a very long time impacted me. Given that he was a nurse in a very small village, everybody tended to know him. Seeing him taking care of patients made me want to emulate him. So I moved to this country in late 2007 to pursue a career in medicine, and that's why I'm here today.

What made you choose the field of general surgery, specifically?

I remember very well in 1996, my dad bought me a book by Dr. Ben Carson, an accomplished neurosurgeon, called Think Big. After I read it, he bought me a second book called Gifted Hands. Back then I really didn't know anything about Dr. Carson, but I appreciated his way of thinking. Half of the things he wrote in his book, I really could not understand, but the little that I could understand seemed very fascinating. He inspired me by using his hands as gifts, so that further inspired me to pursue a career as a surgeon.

Why did you choose Inspira for your medical residency program?

Back home in Kenya, people are friendly. As a matter of fact, Kenya is known to be one of the most hospitable countries. There's a little bit of a relaxed culture here in South Jersey, almost something that reminds me of home. You drive around and you see farms, little roads and plants growing. That reminds me of home. People really care about you here. They want to train you. They want you to learn. These were all things I was really looking for in a program.

What is the benefit of having a community-based teaching hospital like this in South Jersey?

As a smaller community program in a rural area, you tend to see patients who may not have insurance, or may have a lot of medical problems. This is very sentimental to me because I didn't grow up with the best or most accessible health care back home. Being a part of a program like this here at Inspira, one that is bringing accessible health care to the community, is something I am very willing to participate in.

How have you evolved as a physician during your time here?

The beauty of medicine is that it's always growing, and the more the medical field grows, the more you need to learn and adapt. As I transitioned from my first year to my second year as a resident, not only did my clinical knowledge grow, but I learned how to better treat and diagnose patients and  how to strengthen my technical skills as a surgeon.

What do you enjoy most about the residency program here at Inspira?

To me, It's the gratification that I get from taking care of my patients, especially when they're most vulnerable. That is something I don’t take for granted. I also work with some of the smartest and most helpful colleagues. I trust them with my life, I trust their clinical judgment and I do believe that they have the best intentions for their patients, just as I do. I'm glad that I can say my colleagues are my extended family.

What’s next for you?

In the next five to ten years, I see myself taking care of patients in whatever capacity I can. I'm hoping in whatever I do, that I can do the best for my patients.