Academic Stories (01): An Interview with the Insignis Quiz Team
In our world, being the best doesn’t always guarantee success. It is sad that many times, incredibly endowed individuals do not always get the top spots. For some who are in this category, they eventually achieve their aim just when people think it’s over. A great example of this is Lionel Messi. He achieved so much success in club football with FC Barcelona, but with Argentina, he failed severally. He almost always seemed to fall at the final step, winning the silver medal at the Copa América 2007, 2014 FIFA World Cup, 2015 Copa América and the 2016 Copa América, and 3rd place at the 2019 Copa América. Messi was getting old, and he still hadn’t brought a cup to Argentina. But then, the universe finally opened the gates of blessings to him. Since 2021, he has won every international competition he has participated in, including the Copa América 2021, Finalissima 2022, FIFA World Cup 2024 and the Copa América 2024.
Like Lionel Messi, several members of the Insignis Quiz Team had achieved success in external quiz competitions with the Royal Quiz Club (RQC) and Inter-floor quiz competitions. However, they just couldn’t win the Ibadan Medical Specialists’ (IMSG) Quiz. They had won the silver medal thrice consecutively, narrowly missing out on the gold medal twice, but in their final year in school, they eventually won the IMSG Quiz. The UIMSA Press had a chat with the winning team, which consisted of Adeniyi Adesola, the quiz coach and participants Joshua Inioluwa John, Tobi Olajide, Damola Oyegbile, Ayomide Adesina and Franklin Obiekwe. In this interview, we uncovered a story of determination, grit and brilliance. If you are reading this, grab a seat—it’s going to be a long ride!
Q: When was the team first created? Kindly give us a brief history of the team’s early days.
Inioluwa: The 2K21 quiz team has been in existence since we were in 100-level. I remember when we were preparing for our first IMSG quiz. At the time, it was still called Osuntokun Quiz. We met at the tennis court at SUB in UI. Our outing that year was particularly good. I think it was in 2019. It was a very nice outing, and that was when the 2K21 quiz team was first identified as having a lot of potential. After that quiz, we started preparing against the 2022 Health Week and we formed an initial team that was very active. That was late in 2021. I headed the team during that period, and we had over 30 people on the quiz group. So, beyond those of us who are here [who represent the class in quizzes], we had a formidable set of individuals who have helped us prepare for quizzes over the years, and we are where we are today.
Q: Impressive! What was the most challenging part of working together as a team initially? As people who had just met, there must have been some friction. So, did you encounter this, and how did you manage that as a team?
Adeniyi: We may all have different perspectives about it, but I think what everybody would agree on is that we’ve never had any friction. I can’t think of any time we had friction. But I think one significant challenge we had over the years is that in clinical school, we had different postings and it was very tasking, especially in this last quiz. Scheduling a meeting to prepare together was difficult, but I think that because the majority of the people on the quiz team are used to quizzes, they know so much that working individually wasn’t so difficult. We could still schedule some meetings together, but it wasn’t so easy. Another thing is that the group Ini created in 2021 had a lot of people, so when we wanted to start preparing for this quiz, an idea was suggested that a separate group be created just for those who were interested in participating in the just-concluded edition of the IMSG Quiz.
Ayomide: Adeniyi has already talked about the major challenges we faced. People were on call at night sometimes, so it was quite difficult to meet.
Q: Alright. You already mentioned that your first IMSG experience was impressive. Let’s dig deeper now. What was the experience like?
Inioluwa: That year, the quiz format had 2 groups of 3 classes. So the 3 classes in each group faced each other, and the top 2 from each group would proceed to the next stage. We faced 2K16 and 2K18, and we came second. It wasn’t even a close gap between our team and 2K16. We were able to beat them by a fair margin, so we qualified for the second round. In the second round, we went against the 2K15 class, and we did quite well, especially in Mathematics and Logic, General Science and General Knowledge segments. Regardless, we still lost to 2K15 because they had a better knowledge of Clinical Sciences. I think we were also able to answer a couple of questions that really impressed the audience and the quiz master. Before that time, the 100-level class usually didn’t proceed to the next round, but after us, we started seeing more 100-level classes proceed to the next round.
Ayomide: I wasn’t on the team that particular year, but I was among the audience. I can remember how the whole thing went and how everyone was surprised that 100-level students could perform that way because we also got some questions in Clinical Sciences. That was the first time people really noticed us.
Adeniyi: Just to buttress what has been and add a bit of context to what Ayomide just said, I participated in the quiz that year. The quiz team has changed since that time. In our first outing, the team was made up of just those who were interested. In subsequent years, the team took shape. In that quiz, I remember that Ini got one question that I can’t remember now. It was in Clinical Sciences, and people were so impressed that a student in 100-level could answer it.
Inioluwa: I remember the question. It was, “What does the damage to the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus lead to?” I said obesity, but the answer there was excessive appetite. The quiz master was very impressed, and he gave us the mark because excessive appetite will lead to obesity. I remember that it was an informed guess from a book I had read— When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. So yeah, it was a very interesting quiz.
Q: Wow, wow! Now looking back on your experiences, what are those things you feel you could have known earlier, or you could have done differently?
Franklin: Should we answer individually or as a team?
Q: We can have both perspectives.
Franklin: I’ll start with the individual aspect and proceed to the team perspective later. For me, I have loved quizzes since my secondary school days, but in 100-level, I didn’t attend anything. I didn’t even know about the quiz. I was just hearing stories of how it went. Looking back, I would have joined the quiz team earlier. Even if I wasn’t one of those who represented, I would have been able to prepare others. As a team, we didn’t pick up the momentum after that first quiz. We were not having frequent meetings, and we dropped the momentum. It was when another quiz came up that we tried to draft another team because, as Adesola said, there was a bit of a change from the first team. I don’t have a lot of regrets with regard to personal preparation. Honestly, before clinical school became too cumbersome, we were really enthusiastic about the quiz. A lot of people joined the 2K21 quiz group, so we had to select a few and create another group. People used to send many questions to the group then. I also remember that many people turned up for our first meeting, so I think we improved in that aspect. The thing is that everything can be improved upon. We could have done better, as per going through all the questions we had. There was a question we missed once, and it ended up being one of the questions that were sent to the group. Also, many of the people who were not directly involved in the quizzes started withdrawing from participation. So I feel if we had as much support as we had then, and everybody was still as energetic as when we first started, we would have done much better.
Damola: My journey into quizzes started around 2021. I was around for the first quiz, and I was actually intrigued by how our class performed. I’ve been very interested in quizzes since secondary school, but in 100-level, I didn’t really know about the participation and everything. I came as a supporter for the first quiz, and after that, I was determined to be a part of it even if I wasn’t going to be participating. Fast forward to 2021, I joined the group then, and we used to brainstorm a lot. I was very involved then, and it came to be that when we were preparing for the 2022 edition [in early 400-level], I was nominated to be one of those who would represent the class. I was actually just trying to prepare those who would be participating, but I got to know that I would be participating. Initially, my strength was in General Science and Basic Medical Sciences (BMS) at the time, so I was just hoping that whatever I stumbled upon might be of help. In my early days, I was focusing more on what I knew while neglecting the other parts. Although there are indeed people who have more knowledge on other parts, I believe that as a quiz member, you should also try to level up on your weaknesses. For me, that was my regret. As a group, we don’t have so much regret. While we lost sometimes because of some things above or ahead of us, we have always tried to learn some things ahead of us. Also, we had a lot of support from our colleagues initially, but with time, this support waned. People had other things to attend to, which means the burden was more on us, the participants, to source questions. Overall, we don’t have much regret as a team.
Q: Now, looking back on your previous outings, there was a particular quiz which 2K19 won, and your class came second. At the time, there were talks about your class being cheated. What actually happened?
Franklin: The main bone of contention in that quiz was actually the Fastest and Best round, which carried ten marks per question. Our class got three questions, which gave thirty marks, and the 2K18 class got none of the questions, so they fell to third place. This caused some of us to argue that the Fastest and Best round should not carry that much weight, since it was so significant in that edition. Any class could have won using the fastest and best round only. While there’s always luck in quizzes, it’s important to limit that element of luck. For instance, some pots in the Blitz round contain simple questions, thereby overturning the whole quiz in favour of the class that picks such a pot. So, essentially, while the Blitz round is particularly entertaining, especially for the non-participants, it must not carry so much weight that it solely determines the outcome of the quiz. Otherwise, we’ll call it a Blitz quiz.
Ayomide: There was something inherently wrong with that edition of the quiz. 2K19 wasn’t originally in the picture from the start of the competition. However, the Fastest and Best round meant that any class that was able to answer the questions fast could win the competition. For instance, 2K18 performed very well in the classical quiz but ended up coming third because of this, and despite being experienced in quizzes both within and outside COMUI, they also protested. To cap it off, the problem was essentially from the organisers.
Adeniyi: To add more context to what Franklin and Ayomide have said, just imagine if the same thing happened in this year’s edition. 2K27 got about twelve questions right in the Blitz round. If the marks per question were large, they could have ended up winning the quiz or coming second simply because of that. So the whole idea is that the Blitz section of the quiz shouldn’t be so powerful that a class that has had a somewhat poor performance from the start of the quiz ends up winning simply because of the Blitz or Fastest and Best rounds. This was the case in the last two editions of the quiz.
Q: Considering your busy schedule with both classes and other extracurricular activities, how did you find time for quiz preparation?
Inioluwa: Preparation for quizzes is not a one-day thing, and since the majority of us are members of the RQC, there’s a level of consciousness when you’re reading that puts you on a constant lookout for important facts, figures and other extra details that make you stand out eventually. When the quiz is finally approaching, we carve out more time to revise those things, since quizzes are not just about the abundance of knowledge but the speed with which you can recall the knowledge.
Damola: Like Ini has said, there’s a way you read as a quiz participant that keeps you on the constant lookout for new information and key points that are likely to be asked in these quizzes. Essentially, you think like the people setting the questions and prepare as appropriate by noting some likely points while studying. Another point is to treat the quizzes like extracurriculars by picking up new information every day. Then, when the quizzes approach, you study the already compiled facts and information in your notes. Therefore, you’re ready to go for the quiz in just a few days.
Q: That’s some strategy! How do you stay motivated after a disappointing campaign?
Adeniyi: The secret lies in knowing that we’re the best class even when we ended up without the gold as desired. For this last edition, we were resolved to win, knowing fully well that this was our last dance, and this served as a sort of motivation while preparing.
Tobi: We’ve always had a winning mentality, irrespective of the outcome, and thus it wasn’t a surprise when we eventually won. For instance, I remember Ini beating himself up over missing a single question during one of the past editions. That tells you about the type of winning mentality we have always had.
Q: What is the most interesting part about preparing for a quiz?
Ayomide: I’ve always loved to learn random facts since I was young, and preparing for quizzes allows me to exercise that. So, preparing for quizzes is really fun for me. For instance, I have some encyclopedias I have bought over the years and preparing for quizzes provides an opportunity to read them and learn new, random and intriguing facts.
Franklin: There are some pieces of information you don’t really need to learn to pass school exams, but are required in quizzes. So quizzes are a motivation to go beyond the normal school framework for passing exams. Quizzes help you to read beyond the so-called high-yield materials and topics as is common among many medical students. I also enjoy being in the company of my classmates since we are like-minded people, and their company makes you better in many ways, particularly academically.
Q: Which quiz team have you found the toughest to beat, and which one do you draw inspiration from?
Franklin: I think most of us would echo the same class, which is 2K18. The class had a very uncommon completeness. For instance, they had Laz [Olamide Egbeyemi] for General Knowledge and Efosa for Clinical Sciences. So for me, they were a source of inspiration as far as quizzes were concerned.
Inioluwa: Undoubtedly, it is the 2k18 class, like Franklin has said. I have had both the opportunity of competing alongside them in the RQC and against them, and I can say that they are some of the brightest people I have ever interacted with. Also, the team had an uncommon type of completeness about them. For instance, they had Babalola Oluwasayo for General Science and Fisayomi (OG Fizz) for General Science, BMS and Clinical Science. So they were a class to look out for, and they were also a class to beat. They were also a class to be a part of because some of my best experiences in the RQC were when I was learning the ropes with them in the RQC. There was also Dr Aremu Matthew of the 2k17 class.
Ayomide: I could also say 2K18. They had a very deep squad with almost no weakness in any area. For instance, seeing Laz compete for the first time and seeing his solid grasp of almost every area of general knowledge inspired me and made me decide to want to be like him, since GK is the area I am most interested in. In every quiz, 2k18 is a class you always want to be for you and not against you.
Q: From your observations, what do you think most classes do wrong when preparing for quizzes?
Ayomide: I think all the junior classes are amazing, and they have a lot of potential. However, I have noticed some sort of apathy in some classes. Some do not have many people interested in the quizzes, so they should work on that. I also think the 2k24 class has a lot of potential to do well. They are a very interesting class, and I have a soft spot for them.
Q: If there were a segment of the quiz you could remove, which one would it be?
Ayomide: I would definitely say Maths and Logic, since that is my weakest point. I have also noticed that most people are not really into Maths and Logic. Most teams usually have a specific person for the segment, except in the case of Logic, where everyone can make an attempt.
Franklin: Definitely. Blitz, and Fastest and Best rounds. Even though they are very interesting, the adrenaline rush they bring is something else. I remember a case where I stood up to answer a question in the Fastest and Best round, and my brain initially froze. It took me a while before I was eventually able to answer the question that day.
Q: One of the complaints usually made by preclinical participants in the quiz is that the Basic Medical Sciences part of the quiz contains Pathology and Pharmacology questions. What’s your opinion about this?
Inioluwa: I believe it’s fair, considering the fact that the junior classes have more advantage in the General Knowledge, General Science and Maths rounds due to their firmer grasp of these subjects. Also, BMS [Basic Medical Sciences] doesn’t contain only Pathology and Pharmacology, it also contains Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, so having Pathology and Pharmacology is not necessarily a disadvantage. Another thing our class has done over the years is to ensure that the shortfall of General Science, General Knowledge and Maths and Logic doesn’t affect us, so that we wouldn’t give too much sway to the junior classes and then rely on Clinical Sciences to boost our score. So yes, I think it’s very fair.
Q: Which loss has been the most painful, and which win has been the most exciting?
Franklin: The most painful loss is the last one in which we lost to 2K24, and I wouldn’t blame us because we picked a hard set of Blitz questions. My classmates really dug deep to answer those blitz questions. For instance there was a question on the Hunchback of Notre Dame and various other difficult questions. So it was painful in two respects. One is that I think we were the best team on that quiz, but we lost because of Blitz. The questions did not have the same standard. Any team that got the set of questions that the eventual winners got would have also won the quiz. Still, it’s not an excuse. Secondly, there was a certain Blitz question which I knew the answer to but couldn’t recall at the time of the quiz. After that quiz, I had to sleep for about 8 hours straight before I could get myself. The most exciting win is this last IMSG. It has been a long time coming. We have had silver for three years in a row, so it was exciting to finally win after all these years. I was really happy. There are other honourable mentions, like the NiMSA [Nigerian Medical Students’ Association] Quiz. I can remember one of the finals—I think 2022—where we had a crazy comeback. After the first 2 categories, the quiz master asked what was wrong because our score was really low. But at the end of the quiz, we beat the second by a lot, like from here to Mokola.
Damola: For me, the most painful experience was the year in which 2K19 won the quiz. They won the quiz by 1.5 marks, so we were so close that a single correct answer or even a bonus would have made all the difference. I also remember that we were asked a question on Wagner’s triad which we got but were not given because it wasn’t arranged the way it was arranged in the answer. We were asked to pick another question and we ended up picking a question in O and G [Obstetrics and Gynaecology] which we had not done at the time, so we couldn’t answer it. Anytime I remember that particular quiz, I always feel pained because we could have won right from the traditional section if it were a fair quiz. Then, another thing that stood out about the 2023 IMSG Quiz was that they framed a question differently. I rotated through GI [Gastrointestinal medicine] in Medicine II. There was a question they asked about an exception to Courvoisier‘s law, but that was not how they painted it. I couldn’t remember because of the way they framed the question, but when they displayed the answer, it was Mirizzi Syndrome. I was mad at myself because the SR [Senior Registrar] had actually mentioned that condition. So there were instances when we could have won that competition based on one or two questions. Also—I know Ini would remember this—during the Fastest and Best segment, the last question was Mathematics. Ini had already solved it, but he wasn’t sure. While he was still deliberating, someone from 2K19 stood up to answer the question, and that was what made the difference. There were so many things that could have made us win that competition, so for me, it was the 2023 competition.
Ayomide: The most painful loss was the competition 2K19 won. I remember the Fastest and Best round like yesterday. So you have to answer correctly and get 10 marks, or 5 marks will be deducted from your score if you answer incorrectly or you don’t give any answer at all. We had 15 questions displayed, and I remember Ini was sitting next to me. There was one Maths question he had actually solved, but because of the tension and everything, we waited. When we got to the last question, we thought we were going to win because it was as if nobody knew that question. I remember how it felt like I was dreaming when I saw someone from 2K19 stand up and answer the question. That was really painful because the gap was just 1.5 marks. That was the most painful quiz for me. The most joyful one was the last NiMSA [Nigerian Medical Students’ Association] quiz. It was very interesting. I was extremely happy. I think they planned to cheat us in that competition. I felt like the quiz master was against us, so when we came out on top, I was really happy.
Inioluwa: The 2023 IMSG quiz was really the worst, to be honest. I remember the Maths question I had solved. It was in the Fastest and Best section, and I didn’t want to drag my team down. There was another question about the Kalahari Desert. I stood up, but the quiz master said that another person had stood up before me. I also remember that in that quiz, I took some risks in the sense that I dug into very far places in my memory to answer the two questions that we got in that Fastest and Best section. There’s this very iconic picture that came from that quiz because it was like I had to unleash a beast in me. I gave my all. The final question looked very weird; it was about the author of a book, and I remember that I was holding Ayomide, that we had won. I was like, if I stood up at that time and we had 5 marks deducted, we would have still won the quiz, so we were really that close to victory. And then, everything just scattered. I can’t even remember seeing anybody stand up. I just heard 2K19 people shouting, so it was very destabilising (sighs). For my best experience, winning this year was good, but I don’t think it was my best experience. My best experience has to be the 2022 ABUAD Quiz. Man, that was a quiz! That was my first time representing UIMSA, and it was a very wonderful experience. Also, the one Franklin mentioned comes close in second.
Tobi: My best experience was winning this year’s and that’s because it was my first time representing my class. It felt like I was the missing piece because we won (laughs).
Q: Interesting! Here comes the final question. Since you are leaving school soon, what is your final advice to other students participating in quizzes?
Franklin: My advice to students coming after us is that the benefit of quizzes is not for the monetary value or prestige. Also, do not let your losses define you. There is a lot to quizzes, really. You can meet many people through quizzes. I’ve met people from UNILAG, LASU and UNILORIN. Quiz is fun and at the same time, it is serious business. The fact that it’s fun doesn’t mean that you don’t have to put in the effort. In the RQC, we are really particular about gathering stuff and making ourselves better so that whenever we go for quizzes, we have good knowledge. So chase knowledge just for the thrill of it, not for prestige. Those things will come when you do whatever you are supposed to do. One of the best things I will remember in UI is being a member of the 2K21 quiz team and the RQC. Also, I can’t forget the good times and the not-so-good times I shared with quiz members. So go for it and you will enjoy it.
Inioluwa: Franklin has encapsulated a lot of the things I want to say. Some of the best experiences I’ve had as a student of this campus are from my participation in quizzes with 2K21 and the RQC. I cannot lie, I have a soft spot for the members of this team. We’ve been through a lot together, and we’ve gone to several places together. It’s really been a wonderful experience. Quizzes make you a better student. They help you to stand out from the crowd. To those who are coming behind, I think UIMSA has a lot of great potential. Pay attention to quizzes, pay attention to gathering knowledge and pay attention to keeping the flag flying. As an Association, we are very formidable when we go out there. This formidability does not come by chance. It’s a carefully wrought and carefully sought privilege. We definitely have to put in a lot to build a strong base of knowledge. I’ll miss the RQC. I’ll miss the 2K21 team. Deciding to be a part of this is one of the best decisions I’ve made.
Damola: To the juniors out there, quizzes are fun, especially when you have the heart for them. Participation in quizzes is not something that you do because you want to brag. The passion has to be there because there is so much information to learn. If you are really interested in them, learning those things will be fun. It may be very tedious, but the interest helps you acquire information. Sometimes, I go to Instagram or X to just learn those things in my free time. If you are someone like that, it’s just a matter of time before you realise that you know so much. It makes you shine out, and it becomes a part of you. Start wherever you are. In some months or years, you will get to the point you want to get to.
Ayomide: What I will say is that there will be highs and lows. Loss is part of the game. There are times you will feel like your team lost because you weren’t enough, you didn’t read a particular part of your book, or you didn’t stay up late enough at night. Just take losses as part of the game. Have a winning mentality so that you won’t quit the quiz team because of losses. I’ve seen people who are really smart shy away from quizzes because they are so scared of failing. Just have fun. Lose some, win some. It’s all part of the game.
Q: It’s been a great discussion so far and we have come to the end. Thank you for your contribution. We wish you good luck with your MB IV and future success outside UIMSA.
These exceptional individuals have truly set themselves apart as the crème la crème of UIMSA. While there are other students with great potential, as they have rightly mentioned, we cannot ignore the standard that they have upheld. Their departure will undoubtedly be felt, but their legacy will inspire UIMSAites for many years to come.
Emmanuel Ibitunde and Yusuf Akinyooye
