Sadeke Brooks, Staff Reporter

It might be a task to balance being a medical doctor with being an entertainer, but Dr Michael Abrahams says his family is his priority.

Abrahams, who is the father of three children, 13, seven and one year old, says the most important of all the things in his life is his family.

"It is hard to say how I do it (balance), but I have to prioritise 'cause my family is the most important thing. My medical practice comes after that, and then entertainment," said Abrahams who is married to wife, Gail.

"I love them (children) to death, but it is a lot of work. I take that job seriously. They are extremely important to me and, luckily, I am self-employed. I have never missed a Sports Day, prize giving or school concert, unless they have a secret one and they never tell me about it."

Creating a Balance

Abrahams, who does obstetrics and gynaecology at Ruthven Medical Centre, says he tries as much as possible not to take on more than he can manage. For instance, he says he does not take on new pregnancies because they are unpredictable, and he recently turned down a monthly hosting gig.

"I try to minimise the things that are unpredictable. I have control over the number of pregnant women under my care. It's about controlling the things that you can and balancing it out," he told The Gleaner.

And if he feels as if the work load is too much, he withdraws.

However, Abrahams says he has never thought about giving up medicine or entertainment.

"I am passionate about both. I love my day job and that's how I support my family and myself. I have always wanted to be a doctor," he said.

In addition, he said his job has taught him a lot and has led to his having an even greater appreciation for women.

Appreciation for Women

"There are so many issues that women have to deal with and I totally understand and I appreciate women so much more," he said.

In fact, he said it was medicine that led him to entertainment, as he used to perform at charity shows during med school in the '80s. But he was inspired to start writing again in 2005 after attending a concert that featured Damian Marley.

In 2006, he said he performed on a cabaret show and, later that year, Owen 'Blakka' Ellis asked him to speak at a launch about laughter and health. In the same year, he also performed and did well at a comedy show and flopped at the next staging of the event.

The experience inspired him to write a poem detailing what happened. Since then, Abrahams says he has been writing poetry and has delved even more into social commentary. In recent times, he was one of the hosts at the Red Label-sponsored STAR People's Choice Awards, and he also has a regular spot on JN Vibe that is aired on TVJ on Monday nights. He also racked up a lot of YouTube views with his video Miserable Jamaican, which is a parody of the Volkswagen Super Bowl commercial.