Beyond the White Coat, How Dr. Chisala Chewe is Redefining Passion and Purpose

Dr. Chisala Chewe

15 SEPTEMBER 2025  Mondays Mag Publications

From the Lecture Hall to the Spotlight

When Dr Chisala Chewe reflects on her beginnings in the fashion and media world, she smiles at how unexpected it all was. While in her third year of medical school in Russia, a friend asked her to step in for a video shoot. Until then, her only camera experience had been playful TikTok videos some of which went viral — but that day on set changed everything. The thrill of performing and the ease she felt in front of the lens revealed a new side of herself, one she couldn’t ignore.

A Passion for Storytelling and Healing

Long before she discovered modeling, Chisala was a storyteller. As a child, she filled notebooks with tales of mystery, thrillers, and love. Writing was her first creative outlet, and medicine, her enduring fascination. Even as she immersed herself in anatomy and clinical practice, her curiosity about people and their stories continued to flourish. Balancing these two worlds came naturally, and soon a third modeling entered the mix, giving her a platform to express yet another facet of her creativity.

Pageantry as Growth

It wasn’t long before Chisala tested her skills in pageantry. Entering Miss Charm, her first competition, she embraced the challenge as a way to grow beyond traditional modeling. For her, pageantry was more than elegant gowns and poised smiles. It was discipline, intelligence, and the art of communication. The experience deepened her respect for the craft and strengthened her resolve to take part in even bigger competitions, perhaps one day claiming a crown of her own.

Balancing Two Distinct Worlds

For Chisala, medicine and modeling are two separate worlds and she likes it that way. She often jokes about living a "Hannah Montana" life, switching between her white coat and the runway. Her medical training gives her a profound understanding of the human body, almost like a “cheat code” to life ‘’When it comes to medicine, it’s a science I have always been fascinated by and I absolutely love it, can’t picture myself in any other professional career. She recalls,” Yet she maintains a boundary, keeping her clinical practice private while savoring the exhilaration of creative projects.

Of course, managing these dual paths isn’t always easy. There are moments when schedules clash, forcing difficult choices. But Chisala approaches each decision with gratitude, knowing every opportunity adds depth to her story.

Creative Energy and Vision

As both writer and performer, Chisala’s process thrives on energy and vision. Music often sets her mood, helping her tune into the frequency she wants to project. She believes in the power of vision boards to bring ideas to life, and she surrounds herself with collaborators who understand her drive including a trusted photographer she has worked with since returning home from university. Even when styling, she often takes the lead, though she enjoys collaborating with professional teams on set.

Revive: Advocacy with Purpose

Among her proudest achievements is founding Revive, an initiative born not from inspiration but a sense of urgency. Early in the year, a series of tragedies involving children in her home country spurred her to act. Through Revive, she hopes to create meaningful change, offering support and hope where it’s needed most. For Chisala, advocacy and modeling are intertwined: a public platform is most powerful when paired with purpose.

She also recently ventured into film, starring in a feature project that expanded her storytelling abilities in yet another direction. Bigger, more impactful work, she hints, is already on the horizon.

Style, Sustainability, and Self-Belief

Chisala’s style reflects her personality: elegant, daring, and timeless. She champions sustainable fashion, believing in the value of quality over excess and finding new ways to style favorite pieces. A former ambassador for sustainable energy, she extends this ethos to her wardrobe, encouraging mindful choices over overconsumption.

Through her platforms, she aims to inspire young people to nurture their creativity, no matter their chosen field. She knows that being in the public eye invites scrutiny, but she meets it with quiet confidence, focusing on positivity and surrounding herself with a supportive community.

Lessons Learned and Looking Ahead

Like any journey, Chisala’s has not been without challenges. She recalls moments when guidance turned into ridicule, but meditation and resilience helped her see past others’ insecurities. Those experiences taught her to stay anchored in her goals. Her advice is simple yet profound: start from the end envision what you want to achieve, then align every step with that vision.

As she looks five years ahead, Chisala sees herself continuing to blend medicine, modeling, and advocacy, refining her craft in each sphere. And while she keeps her dream collaborations close to her chest, she promises they’ll be bold, exciting, and deeply rooted in the confidence of her heritage.

Dr Chisala Chewe’s story is a testament to the power of embracing every part of who you are healer, storyteller, model, and advocate and weaving those pieces into a life of purpose and style.