My name is Veronica Aletum, and I was born and raised in Cameroon, a bilingual country in Central Africa with 40% English-speaking and 60% French-speaking population. I have always had the passion to serve my community in a meaningful and impactful way, and this has been fueled by the fact that I grew up surrounded by family and friends in the medical field. Though my local population in Cameroon generally invests in their health, health outcomes are often suboptimal, owing to a high patient-physician ratio, and poor access to healthcare resources. My first-hand experience of how these factors impact patient outcomes led me to pursue and excel in the sciences in high school, and upon graduation, I emerged as the top candidate for the prestigious Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Cameroon.

While learning about disease processes and pathology in medical school, I discovered that my strengths of empathy, dedication, compassion, and patience aligned with what I eventually found out are essential characteristics to be efficient in practicing Internal Medicine. Empathy and compassion led me to pursue more knowledge through research on patients suffering from chronic illnesses.

With my move to the United States, I realized I could train on world-class standards of care through the internal medicine program of Conway Region Health System because, not only does it provide high-quality, compassionate healthcare services through its values of integrity, compassion, accountability, respect, and excellence, it also allows for the opportunity to develop relationships with faculty and staff that will enhance my learning experience which is a key driving force for me.

Away from the hospital, my husband Celestine and I enjoy participating in activities in the local church community, taking long walks, singing, and watching great sports matches particularly tennis and soccer.