Jojo talks Med👩‍⚕️

The insinuation that a nurse is less important than a doctor is a common one. The accolades given to medical doctors, surgeons or physicians from the field of medicine and surgery especially in Nigeria varies starkly from that given to a nurse or radiologist. Why is this so? The truth is all medical practices are important in their own way. Medical professionals ranging from the medical doctors, physiotherapists, pharmacists, radiologist, laboratory scientists, nurses, dentists and pharmacologists are all vital to the healthcare system and all require unique sets of skills and knowledge. No single medical career is “more important” than the other! Let’s consider NURSING for our first case study. Nursing is a very diverse field with various career paths to choose from. The nurses provide direct patient care, diagnose and treat patients and in some cases even prescribe medication. To fulfill these tasks, nurses are required to have excellent communication skills, critical thinking and ...

  It is a known fact that a huge sense of satisfaction comes with the knowledge that you are working towards something that’ll help others. As medical professionals, we learn about the fascinating human body and how it works, using our knowledge to make a difference in the world, one patient at a time. Now that you have succeeded in pursuing a medical career, where do you put your knowledge to use? What life paths can you take? Where will you be of impact? Where can you gain the rewards for your service? There are several areas where your services are needed particularly in Nigeria. These include: PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL BODIES. There are several medical-dedicated professional bodies in Nigeria such as the NIGERIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (NMA) which is the largest professional body for medical doctors and dentists in the country. In NMA, you could work as medical officer, a medical administrator or a research officer. Other professional bodies include; the NIGERIAN SOCIETY FOR PHY...

  6.      SELF-CARE ROUTINES. There is so much to do, I relate, but self-care is important. Take regular breaks to stand and stretch during study, schedule some no-study days for your hobbies, fun with friends and relaxation, set clear boundaries around when you will stop studying for the day.   7.      KEEP RECORDS. This tip is for all those with a literary side to their personality. Learn to keep journals of your activities and your feelings. Writing about your emotions can improve personal honesty and understanding of your feelings. From record keeping, you can discover insights to problems you haven’t thought of before. Make time to introspect.   I do this because I feel more connected to my experiences after writing about them. I think you should try it out.   8.      RECOGNISE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. In light of the struggle in medical school, it is easy to overlook your accomplishments. Writin...

  Becoming a health care professional is a form of self-sacrifice indeed. This choice creates a strain in the balance of livelihood of this individual. The challenge lies therein in finding a balance between one’s school, work and personal lives.   Medical school being very demanding requires consistency, persistence, discipline and endurance. Working while in school also creates a different area of urgency. Personal life including health and relationships are also important aspects of being human. A medical student depending on his/her personality will either find a balance or get overwhelmed by these life factors. How you go about balancing these life factors goes a long way in whether you’ll fondly remember medical school or see it only as the herculean task you perceive it to be.   As a medical student myself, I am no stranger to facing these balance challenges on a daily basis. Writing this piece has made me realize some of the things I could do better, here...

According to Punch newspaper , Nigeria produces about 12,000 doctors per annum. How are these doctors made? What do they have to do to become doctors? How did they overcome those challenges?   The main question dear reader is, who knows those struggles and success stories? As a medical student in her second year, I have faced several difficult trials, been pressured even disappointed. Yet the need and aspiration to have that degree doesn’t dwindle nor become easier. My case study today will be the MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS studying in the prestigious COLLEGE OF MEDICINE UNILAG, NIGERIA. For every student, what is the first stage of study?   Admission into your chosen course and school. For our case study, it has been clear for all aspiring students to see that getting into this school gets increasingly difficult every year. The merit mark required to get medical courses now ranges from 76 to 90 percent out of a 100 for the diverse departments in this school. This means...