Did you know that today is World Health Day? When was the last time you sought health advice? In this part of the world, it is assumed that the hospitals ought to be visited by the sick and so when one is healthy, he/she sees no need to consult a doctor. Truth is, health talks are usually boring especially when you think it doesn’t affect you directly. � But how about when health talk is fun and void of all medical jargons and jajabantis?  From an interesting angle, I would want us to  look at how Dr. Ibe Chiemezie has chosen to make people more conscious of their health and wellbeing. Through rap and music, he talks about various health problems and gives possible health counselling to these problems. He fuses his passion and career and offers the best output. He calls himself a Star doctor. Well, let’s see…


Star Doctor, may we meet you?
I am Dr . Ibe Chiemezie Chukwuma I am Nigerian who hails from Imo State. I was born in Owerri , at age 7 moved to Ondo State with my parents , I spent my child hood and teenage years there . I had my secondary education at King's College from where I moved to Port Harcourt for my University education, there I obtained MBBS at the prestigious University of Port Harcourt.





 You are passionate about rap and music but you are a doctor by profession. How do you juggle both?

Music is therapy and my job as a Doctor is largely to give therapy, so for me,   music and medicine are more or less two sides of the same coin.
The Port Harcourt environment is a highly artistic one, so while I was there,  despite being a medical student at that time , I had ample exposure to arts both in and outside the classroom and I was greatly encouraged by my teachers and  colleague and never did it affect my grades . I even made a distinction in Biochemistry while juggling music and Medschool. So it's really not a big deal because I see both complementary to each other.

What inspired your talking about health through music and rap?

Rap as a genre of music emanated from and was widely publicised by people who at a time in history wanted to address societal ills. 2pac is one name that stands out forever not just because of his lyrical prowess but because he addressed topical issues with his craft.
I fell in love with rap music just like every other Nigerian child born in the 90's, I was greatly influenced by elder brother Dr.Obinna - a DMX and Busta rhymes fan -  and my mum-  a highly talented multi-lingual music composer.
My inspiration to talk about health  is drawn from two sources .
First, I was greatly disheartened by the high level of medical ignorance in our  society and the fact that a lot of unqualified people  are latching on this ignorance to defraud the general public yet feed them with wrong information and therapy.
Secondly,  I was also greatly dissatisfied with the mode of communication when it comes to health education  by a lot of health care givers.
 A lot of educators while emphasizing on the seriousness of health condition end up leaving people in fear .
 Medical terms can really sound uninteresting and disturbing to persons who are not in the medical field.
So for the above reason i sort a creative and innovative way to pass sound health information to people in a manner that even the ordinary man on the street can relate with and clearly understand and Music came in handy as my tool.

How well do you think this style have been received considering that people are used to the conventional way of getting health education?

The reception has been  massive because  people  actually want something new , something away from the norm yet sound and that's what I am doing .
I have enjoyed massive audience thanks to social media platforms run  by Tundeednut, correctbae, healthentertainer, drzobo, obynodaddymuna  and a lot of my friends on whatsapp, Facebook , twitter Instagram , etc
The mainstream media has also been supportive of my style of health education as I have enjoyed multiple radio sessions where I educate  people about their health using music.
Even at very formal settings like the clinic and wards , my patients are more at ease more relaxed  when I break the ice with my style of health education.
In summary , the reception has been massive and encouraging . I am grateful to God for that.

Do you intend to take this to a whole new level in times to come? 

Definitely , if there is no plan to take it to the highest possible level there'll be no need to start in the first place. Catch him on his social media handles to get educated and engaged:
Instagram: Stardocofficial
Twitter: Stardocofficial

It is a great privilege to have the Stardoc feature on my blog to give insights into his field - music meets medcine. As more progresses are made, be rest assured that you'll be updated. Merry World Health Day People of the world. Many thanks for stopping by.
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