How young doctor is using comic skits to break hospital boredom

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Traditionally, medical doctors are expected to spend their days attending to patients, retreating to the quiet of their homes after long shifts in hospitals. In Uganda, like in many parts of the world, society has long held tightly to rigid perceptions of what professionals should be—and how they should behave.

But a new generation of professionals is beginning to challenge these norms, and at the forefront of this shift is Dr Solomon Kimera.

At 27, Dr Kimera is not only a practicing medical doctor, but also an increasingly influential digital content creator. His journey into content creation began during his university days—not out of necessity, but from a genuine passion for storytelling and expression. Today, the Gulu University trained doctor skillfully straddles two worlds: the seriousness of the medical field and the creativity of the digital space.

From lecture halls to online platforms

Kimera began creating content while still in medical school, driven by a desire to shed light on what healthcare professionals experience behind the scenes. Before gaining traction on social media, he was just like any other person online, posting just for fun.

However, the turnaround happened after he started making hospital related content. His first major TikTok video post, which demonstrated what medical professionals go through, was inspired by an encounter he had with a patient who neither wanted an injection nor a medical tablet for medication. The post garnered over 200,000 and 500 views and comments, respectively.

“Things changed when I started making hospital-related content. My first post was inspired by an encounter I had with a patient who frustrated me because she did not want an injection, nor did she want medical tablets. Out of frustration, I filmed the-would be reaction to her and posted on TikTok. The post garnered a lot of views and comments,” he reveals.

Over time, what started as a frustrating encounter has evolved into a passion to educate, entertain, and inform his audience. Dr Kimera thereafter started running the Doctor-patient series on TikTok, which gained a lot of attention from fellow doctors and the public out there because it revealed what medical professionals go through when treating patients.

“I use my platforms not just for laughs,” he says. “I see them as tools to share medical knowledge in ways that people can relate to and easily understand. After my first viral post, I started running the Doctor-patient series, which gained a lot of attention from fellow medical professionals and the public out there,” he further reveals.

Dr Kimera attending a workshop. (Courtesy Photo)

Growing audience

Dr Kimera relies on producing digital content that is relatable to the people out there, which has enabled him to grow his audience. His skits often merge humour with health education—an approach that makes complex medical concepts more accessible. From sexual health to common myths about illness, Kimera communicates important information in digestible, memorable formats.

“I rely a lot on day-to-day experiences both at the hospital and out there. These content ideas are relatable to the audience out there, which has helped me constantly engage my audience and grow it,” he shares, adding, “I sometimes get these ideas when I am walking on the streets, when I am home, etc.”

Generating content

“When I get an idea, I call my team I work with and we brainstorm how to bring this idea to life. After brainstorming, I script what we have agreed on and share it with the team to review again before we start shooting. When the reviewing is done, we then shoot the content and share it on different social media platforms, most especially TikTok.”

“Among the projects I am most proud of is the love story of a young man who was struggling to provide for his young girlfriend. The girlfriend had insecurities about her teeth. The boyfriend works hard to work on them, only to be left later and move on with another person. In a nutshell, this is a story about the sacrifices we make for people we love, only for them to disappoint us. It teaches us to think of ourselves first.”

Resisting Convention

While some celebrate Dr Kimera for using his platforms to share important health information and entertain his followers, others remain skeptical. There are those who, upon meeting him, are surprised to learn that the humorous, quick-witted character they’ve seen online is indeed a licensed medical professional.

“People often ask me if I’m really a doctor when they meet me in person,” he says with a smile. “Some patients are even shocked to find me at the hospital, doing what doctors do.”

Despite occasional criticism that his content creation distracts from his medical career, Kimera remains undeterred. He is quick to clarify that his digital work is not a hobby—nor is it at odds with his profession. If anything, it complements it.

“I use my platforms to both entertain and educate,” he explains. “There’s so much misinformation out there, especially around health. I try to make accurate medical knowledge accessible in a fun, relatable way.”

His supervisors, initially cautious, have come to appreciate the value of his work beyond the hospital. Kimera’s ability to reach a wide audience with health-related content—wrapped in humour and authenticity—has become a tool for public health awareness, especially among the youth.

On platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), Kimera is deliberate about the tone and language he uses. He crafts his content with clarity and cultural relevance, ensuring that it resonates with a wide demographic without compromising on substance.

Dr Kimera at work (Courtesy Photo)

A new kind of professional

For Kimera, embracing multiple facets of identity is not just personal—it’s a message to his peers. He believes young professionals, especially in demanding fields like medicine, should explore their full range of talents while they can.

“The medical field can be all-consuming. It can rob you of your most creative years,” he says. “Your 20s are your prime. It’s when you have the energy, the ideas, the boldness to try new things. I encourage young professionals to experiment—beyond the boundaries of their formal careers.”

Indeed, the Gen Z generation is rapidly reshaping societal expectations. In this new era, it’s not unusual to find a doctor who is also a digital influencer, a lawyer who DJs, or an engineer with a fashion brand. The modern professional is multifaceted, and society is slowly learning to embrace that complexity.

Dr Solomon Kimera stands as a vivid example of what happens when tradition meets innovation. He is not abandoning medicine, nor is he trivializing it. Instead, he is carving out a new path—one where professionalism and passion coexist. In doing so, he invites others to challenge the mold, follow their instincts, and redefine what it means to be a professional in the 21st century.

Dr Kimera shooting one of his skits. (Courtesy photo)

Challenges

“Some of the challenges I have faced are that sometimes people who see me online and know I am a doctor don’t think I am competent enough, largely because they don’t think a doctor can do such work, while being online and engaging people.”

“I also struggle to balance my medical practice with digital content creation. Medical work involves putting in a lot of hours, which may leave little or no time at all for digital content creation. To overcome this, I utilise days when I am free.”

What the future holds

Looking ahead five years, Dr Kimera envisions himself as a multidimensional digital content creator—one who continues to grow his influence with intentionality, purpose, and a deep reverence for both his craft and medical practice.