The Ibadan College of Medicine Alumni Association Worldwide Students’ Week 2023 tagged “Made In Ibadan 2.0” began on 7th November with day one – An evening with Alumni, at Osuntokun Hall, University College Hospital.
The event which was initially scheduled to start by 4:00 pm with a green carpet and photo booth eventually started by 5:00 pm as the hall gradually became filled up and lit with anticipating faces of students from across the five departments under the College of Medicine.
The host, Miss Angela Edhere, a 500 level student of UIMSA took charge and ordered the evening with her soft charisma and vibrance, ushering in the UCH Sinfonia Choir to lead the audience in reciting the national anthem and that of the College of Medicine. The choir went on to perform a rendition titled ‘My Lecturer’ during the later course of the evening and a lyrical poem titled ‘An ode to the alumni‘ was also performed by Mr Precious Idiaye.
Immediately after the anthems, the welcome address was taken by the President of ICOMAA, Prof. Emmanuel Oladipo Otolorin. Also present in the event were the Provost College of Medicine, Prof. Olayinka Omigbodun; Deputy Provost, Prof. Ade Adeniyi, Secretary General of ICOMAA, Dr Gbolahan Obajimi and Dr Taiwo Soyinka, former Deputy Chairman Medical Advisory Committee (DCMAC).
The program included a talent show consisting of seven distinct performances ranging from singing to beat boxing to playing musical instruments. The winner who eventually emerged from the judging process by the alumni was 400 level Dental student, Patrick Okelue whose talent was beat boxing. All the winners went home with cash prize of N10,000 each. Intermittent raffle draw sessions with scintillating prizes which included a rechargeable fan and a box of caprisone among others were also won.There was also a very entertaining and closely tied general knowledge quiz between the alumni and students in which the students eventually beat the alumni by 11 points.
Following this, there was a short presentation session by each of the presidents of the five departmental associations of the College – UIMSA, NIMELSSA, UADS, APS and NUNSA- together with presentations from top student organizations such as Hamstrings Club, Red Cross, Rotaract and Junior Chamber International on their activities and feats accomplished so far.
Finally, refreshments went round as the event came to a close with a brief speech from the Provost and a short ‘this or that’ segment starring the alumni.
All in all, the ICOMAA week kicked off with a huge bang today being day one. Day two continues tomorrow, Wednesday 8th November with a symposium on Cancer at the just renovated Paul Hendrickse Lecture Theatre by 11am.
Osaretin Vanessa Ehiorobo
