The University of Ibadan Medical Students’ Association (UIMSA) organised a talk ahead of MB II for the 2k23 class on Saturday, 6th July at Famewo Common Room (FCR), Alexander Brown Hall. The talk themed: “Secrets to Pathology and Pharmacology” was organised by the office of the Special Duties Officer (SDO) Clinicals, with the aim of equipping the 500 level students with important information they needed to succeed in the exams.
The event which began a few minutes after 4pm was hosted by Folashade Olajuwon and Ayomide Oyekan. The first session saw Dr Eze (Head of Forensic Pathology Unit) speaking on “The Winning Mindset for Pathology and Pharmacology Exam”. He emphasised the importance of approaching every paper with the best effort saying, “Answer every question like it carries 100% of the score”. He also emphasised the importance of understanding questions before answering them and being as specific as possible. He urged the students to ensure they eat and sleep well before each paper as the exam was a tedious one.
The second speaker Franklin Obiekwe spoke on “Approach to acing Pathology and Pharmacology“. He began by reminding the attendees that they still had three chances; blocks II and III end of posting tests, and their MB exams. He charged them to perform some introspection on how far they have gone with their preparations and advised them to focus more on slides and lecture notes, as there was too little time left to pore over textbooks. Adapting Williams Osler’s quote (“He who studies medicine without books sails an uncharted sea…”), he said to attendees; “He who goes to the exam without solving past questions, sails without a compass”. He also gave other tips such as time management, eating and sleeping well, joining study groups, avoiding caffeine and energy drink misuse amongst others.
In the final session, Tobi Olajide captivated the audience with a presentation on “Myths and Truths about MBII”. Having collected data from members of his class and other more senior colleagues, he disproved some myths about MBII such as it being the hardest exam in medical school. He however confirmed that it was the most bulky exam. He ended by encouraging the class and advising them to seek methods that work for them in their study.
Rhoda, an attendee stated: “The talk was nice. I especially enjoyed Dr Eze’s part. It would help a lot with my preparation because now I know some things I need to do and focus on. I really appreciate the organisers.”
Speaking with UIMSA Press, the SDO Clinicals, Theophilus Olayiwola said, “We had one of our beloved lecturers and a couple of excellent final year students speak. I believe the aim of the talk was met, and I’m sure everyone learnt one or two things from it”.
In his closing remarks, the General Secretary, Folusho Olu-Adegbola thanked Dr Eze for sharing his knowledge and experience despite his busy schedule. He also thanked the other speakers, noting that he was impressed by the creative approach each speaker employed. He appreciated the class for coming for the talk and wished them success in the exams which is to begin in 7 weeks.
Aisha Ibrahim
