Pretty Smart Issue 018: Francesca Ezennolim on Refusing to Stay in One Lane
The Physician Associate, creator and health communicator proving that one career should never define an entire life.
More Than a Job Title
Healthcare has always been where Francesca Ezennolim saw her future.
She was drawn to science, fascinated by the human body and knew she wanted a career where she could make a difference in people’s lives.
But she never wanted healthcare to become the only thing that defined her.
Alongside her career, there has always been room for creativity. While studying, she built a beauty business, created content online and looked for opportunities that allowed her personality to exist beyond her degree. Those experiences reminded her that having a career in STEM doesn’t mean every other part of who you are has to disappear.
For Francesca, the two have never competed.
Instead, they’ve grown alongside one another.
“I strive really hard not to place myself within a box when it comes to healthcare.”
That mindset continues to shape the way she approaches both her career and her life.
Choosing a Career with Purpose
Francesca’s interest in healthcare began with a curiosity about the human body and a desire to understand how medicine can improve people’s lives. She wanted to learn what happens when things go wrong, how conditions are treated and the role healthcare professionals play in supporting patients through some of life’s most challenging moments.
As she explored the profession further, she realised it was the human side of healthcare that resonated with her most. Alongside the science, she was drawn to the opportunity to build relationships with patients, listen to their concerns and advocate for them when they needed it most.
“I saw the value in learning about the human body, what can go wrong and how to fix it. I saw the value in speaking to patients in their most vulnerable moments and advocating for them.”
Today, as a registered Physician Associate working as a GP Assistant, Francesca supports patients through chronic disease reviews, lifestyle discussions and preventative healthcare. The role allows her to combine her interest in medicine with the part of healthcare she values most: working directly with people, helping them better understand their health and supporting them to make informed decisions about their care.
Refusing to Stay in One Lane
Although healthcare became her career, Francesca never wanted it to become her entire identity.
While studying at university, she found herself exploring opportunities that allowed different parts of her personality to develop alongside her degree. She built a beauty business offering lashes and waxing, created content online and completed a BBC internship, embracing experiences that challenged her in different ways.
Trying to balance everything wasn’t always straightforward. Juggling university, work, business and personal ambitions often felt overwhelming, and there were times when the pressure led to stress, self-doubt and procrastination.
“The pressure was very high.”
Looking back, those experiences helped Francesca understand that success doesn’t always come from following one path. Each opportunity taught her something different, whether that was learning to communicate with people, building confidence or developing skills she continues to use today.
For Francesca, pursuing a career in healthcare has never meant putting every other interest on hold. Instead, she has learned to make space for the different parts of herself that exist beyond her profession, something she believes has made her both a better healthcare professional and a more rounded person.
Redefining What Pretty Smart Means
When we asked Francesca what being Pretty Smart means to her, she didn’t hesitate.
For her, it isn’t about choosing between beauty and intelligence or proving that one matters more than the other. Instead, it’s about recognising that a woman’s value extends far beyond her appearance and refusing to let other people’s assumptions define who she is.
“Your beauty is not limited to your external and there’s more value to you than your looks.”
That belief has shaped the way Francesca approaches both her career and her personal life. She has never felt that enjoying beauty, creating content or expressing herself should take away from her credibility in healthcare. To her, those interests simply reflect different parts of who she is.
Confidence, she believes, comes from much more than appearance. It grows through experience, achievement and the person she continues to become.
“What makes me feel the most confident is success. It’s not just about my looks, but what I’m carrying with me.”
That same thinking influences how she sees women working in STEM. Too often, she believes, people focus on the profession before they take the time to see the individual behind it.
“I wish more people knew that women in STEM aren’t just STEM.”
For Francesca, women in STEM are daughters, sisters, entrepreneurs, creators and community builders. Their careers are an important part of who they are, but they should never be mistaken for the whole picture.han Herself
Outside of work, Francesca has learned that balance isn’t about slowing down. It’s about making space for the things that remind her who she is.
Church, spending time with friends, going to the gym, enjoying a Friday cinema trip or catching up over FaceTime all help her step away from work and reconnect with herself.
She also believes identity is something that develops over time.
Trying new opportunities, saying yes to experiences and allowing herself to evolve have all played a part in helping her discover who she is beyond her career.
That outlook naturally led to one of the projects she’s most excited about today.
Eze Speaks began as a health show, but Francesca already sees something much bigger. She hopes it will become a platform that brings healthcare closer to communities, making expert knowledge easier to understand and more accessible to everyone. She dreams of collaborating with charities, interviewing specialists and creating conversations that empower people to take charge of their health.
“I don’t just see it as a show. I see it as a whole movement.”
It’s another example of the way Francesca approaches everything she does. She isn’t simply interested in building a career. She wants to create something that leaves a lasting impact.
Building Something Bigger Than Herself
Outside of work, Francesca makes a conscious effort to protect the parts of life that help her switch off and reconnect with herself. Spending time at church, catching up with friends, going to the gym or enjoying a Friday cinema trip are all ways she creates balance alongside a demanding career.
She also believes that discovering who you are doesn’t happen overnight. It comes from trying new things, embracing different opportunities and allowing yourself to grow through every experience, even the ones that don’t go to plan.
That mindset has shaped one of the projects she is most passionate about today.
Eze Speaks began as a health show, but Francesca sees it as something much bigger. Her vision is to create a platform that makes healthcare information more accessible, brings important conversations into communities and gives people the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their health.
She hopes to collaborate with charities, interview healthcare professionals and create content that helps break down complex medical topics in a way that feels relatable and easy to understand.
“I don’t just see it as a show. I see it as a whole movement.”
Like much of Francesca’s journey, Eze Speaks reflects her desire to create impact beyond her job title. It brings together her interest in healthcare, her passion for communication and her belief that knowledge should be shared in ways that genuinely reach people.
Follow Francesca
Instagram: @Francescaezennolim
TikTok: @Francescaezennolim
LinkedIn: Francesca Ezennolim
About Pretty Smart
Pretty Smart is SiSTEM UK’s editorial series spotlighting Black women across STEM through storytelling, ambition, culture, identity and honest conversations.
Because the future of STEM deserves better storytelling.