Credentials to run a South American country

I was just reading about Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria, the current president of Chile. Her biography is phenomenal (from wikipedia):

Bachelet—a surgeon, pediatrician and epidemiologist with studies in military strategy—served as Health Minister and Defense Minister under President Ricardo Lagos. She is a separated mother of three and a self-described agnostic, which sets her apart in a predominantly conservative and Catholic country. A polyglot, she speaks Spanish, English, German, Portuguese and French.

How could anyone so talented become the head of state of any nation?