On 13 December, 2024, the 300L class, also known as 2k25 or Mavericks organised and held an event popularly known as Face of Preclinicals; with the theme this year being ‘Oasis: A Path to the Stars’. Face of Preclinicals, an annual affair signifying the end of their preclinical journey and the transition of the class into the clinical aspect of medical school. A milestone signifying event.
When I looked up the word ‘Oasis’ on the internet, the first definitions I saw were: ‘a fertile spot in a desert, where water is found,’ and ‘a pleasant or peaceful area or period in the midst of a difficult or hectic place or situation.’ This already gave me an idea of what the Mavericks were trying to illustrate.
The event was held at the NMA building, Total Garden with the hall well decorated in line with the theme. On getting to the hall, just before entering, one is greeted by a red carpet with a graceful Oasis banner just behind where pictures can be taken. Already standing there gives a glimpse of the main hall, adorned in greens and yellows with beautiful floral décor. At first glimpse, the event already looked promising.
The first disappointment came up before the event even began, According to one attendee, ‘They did not add transportation to the event and that was very disheartening. On top of the location being too far and the transport not included in the fee, I would have been stranded.’ They claimed that since the programme was a product of both Dentatics and UIMSA Press Organisations, which are, by extension, under both Dental and Medical Students’ Associations, therefore provisions should have been made.
The second let-down was barely into the first activity of the afternoon. Despite starting over two hours later than expected (which is understandable due to the ‘African time’ culture of a lot of the attendees), an additional 30+ minutes was used to stall, with questions like ‘How was your 100L?’ and ‘How was preclinicals like?’ asked countless times to various individuals in attendance. ‘The stalling was understandable but quite tiring,’ said one of those in attendance.
Repeating the same set of questions defeats the goal of stalling, which is to create a distraction from inconsistencies. Although the hosts did not explain the reason for the length of the segment, it was inferred to be to wait for the chairman of the FOP’24 planning committee, for him to give the opening speech. When he did arrive, it proved to be a clearly improvised speech.
The décor was one of the things that stood out for those interviewed by UIMSA Press. ‘It all looked classy and enchanting,’ said one respondent. ‘The decorations at FOP’24 definitely deserved an 8.5/10 rating,’ another chimed in. Jeffery of the 2k26 class had more to add. ‘‘I’d give it a 7. The decor was beautiful; there was yellow paint (I think) and a blue light. It wasn’t exactly screaming oasis, but overall it was nice.”
After the opening speech came the event proper. It seemed a different energy had taken over the hosts as they were better coordinated and composed.
As Nigerians, I’m sure that we would unanimously agree that ‘It is not a good event without good food.’The Mavericks took that personally and provided the most mouth-watering, flavoursome, and delectable food I have tasted in a while. Cake and Punch were served initially, within the first hour of the programme. The cake was excellent, not too moist and not too dry, also the punch tasted heavenly, with each sip sweeter than the last. According to Jeffery, ‘Whoever mixed the punch deserves an award.’ Another anonymous interviewee said, ‘The punch was so nice, although it didn’t reach half of my cup, but it was nice.’ The main dish, jollof rice, fried rice, dodo and chicken, was also scrumptious. ‘9/10. I don’t like jollof rice on a normal day but this one was really good. And the chicken too, I really enjoyed it’ said Jeffery. Another said, ‘The food was absolutely wonderful and the chicken was definitely cooked with love! A 10/10.’
The games and performances were entertaining and enjoyable with activities like dance freeze, competitive eating and the infamous wedding shoe game. And then there were three performances, all of which were from the 2k26 class. However, there was a technical issue with the third performance, a spoken word video played at the event because the poet couldn’t make it to the event that day. The video was projected with captions but the only notable sounds heard from her piece were buzzing sounds and glitched words one could barely decipher.
The award presentations took place too, with ‘Belle of Preclinicals’ being won by Ukaegbu Chinenye. Other noteworthy awards are Sportsman and -woman of Preclinicals, Adonis of Preclinicals, Most Impactful, Most Versatile, and many more. The Face of Preclinicals 2024 award male category was won by Ojile Moses while in the female category, Ayegboyin Elizabeth was victorious.
To get insight into the perspective of the organisers, Peter Adeyemo, the Head of the FOP’24 Planning Committee was interviewed by UIMSA Press.
How was the planning process like? Were there any major challenges during preparation?
The planning was very daring and challenging, having to deal with fatigue from attending to other commitments simultaneously and the fatigue from other members of your planning committee. For the challenges, ‘challenges’ might be a harsh term, but yeah, the search for money, making peace with the harsh economy, and bringing people together to work.
How was the responsiveness of your committee members? Did they actively help achieve the set target for the event?
The responsiveness was very commendable, there was no FOP ’24 without them, literally. Yes, they helped achieve the set target.
Were all objectives for the event met? If not, which ones fell short and why?
All objectives were met, nothing significant fell short.
What are you most proud of from FOP’24?
What I was most proud of? That FOP ’24 held, most importantly without any unnecessary budget cutting. And that we brought people out to have a good time, people who would not necessarily do that on a normal day.
How did the attendees of FOP’24 respond to the event? Any notable feedback?
They responded so well, and I got notable feedback, people walking up to me to give me hugs and handshakes, telling me well done. It felt fulfilling because that was the litmus test for me.
If you had to lead a similar event again, what would you do differently?
Maybe encourage concerned people to treat things like their babies.
What would you rate FOP’24 on a scale of 1-10?
When people were asked this question, some said 8, while others said 7. Peter responded with ‘hm, maybe a solid 8.5’.
FOP’24 ended at around 7:45 pm with pictures, music and dancing putting a close to the event.
Ayegboyin Loveth
