The clock struck two pm. Tension crackled along the digital space as the combatants huddled up in their fours, each team set to battle for glory and bragging rights.
The 10th biennial GSK –Emeritus Professor O. O. Akinkugbe Inter-Medical School Quiz Competition organized by the Dokita Editorial board had kicked off at 9 am on the morning of the 28th of January, 2023 via a Zoom platform that interconnected six schools in two groups of three for the quarter-finals of the competition.
After the conclusion of the morning session between Olabisi Onabanjo, Ife and Ilorin and a short break, Bingham University, the University of Nigeria and the University of Ibadan were on for the second segment. The teams fired up their laptops in Ibadan, Nsukka and Karu, four warrior faces present on each video feed as the quiz coordinators read out the rules and regulations of the game:
Once these formalities were covered the game began. For each section of the quiz, each team was expected to choose three questions out of a set of 12-15, in no particular order, one after the other.
- The contestants are all to be in view at all times during the quiz.
- Any suspicion of cheating will result in forfeiting of the question.
- The players are to remain muted until unmuted by the coordinator.
- An answer given after the allotted time has elapsed will be considered forfeit.
- Two chances are available to answer each question correctly unless otherwise stated.
- The quiz master has the final say, etc.
For the first section on Internal Medicine, BhUMSA was given the honour of first pick, followed by UNMSA. UIMSA, bringing up the rear chose the 7th question. Luck, as the number is famous for, was on UIMSA’s side as they answered the question with little more effort than the breath it took to speak the words. Their next picks were questions 4 and 14, the latter of which was answered correctly, earning them 10 points and a tie with UNMSA, while BhUMSA came after with 5 points.
The next round focused on Surgery, in which they chose questions 7, 4 and 5. The fourth proved not to be particularly lucky, but this didn’t stop UIMSA from winning the section with a lead of 5 points on the other MSAs, who both scored five points.
For the third round on General Knowledge, UIMSA scored ten points, the same in General Science, and a complete fifteen in Paediatrics, placing their half-time total score at 55 points, which was 12.5 points ahead of UNMSA and a whopping 27.5 ahead of BhUMSA.
Over the course of the quiz, it became evident that UIMSA either had a preplanned strategy or a spontaneous unshakable faith in the numbers 7 and 4, as they continued to choose them for every section unless they were already taken. In retrospect, it’s fair to say this strategy paid off as for most of the sections UIMSA maintained her lead on the other MSAs.
It was only when they progressed to O and G that their luck took a frightful nosedive. Of the three questions chosen only one was answered correctly, giving UNMSA, who scored all 15 points a dangerous ten-point advantage. At this curveball, the Ibadan combatants buckled up, quiet determination in their faces as they forged through the round on Psychiatry, Family Medicine and Community Medicine. Here they managed to gain 1.66 points on their rival, with BhUMSA dropping irreparably behind the race with a total score of 0 in the section.
With the stakes up to the ceiling, UIMSA and UNMSA thundered through the BMS section, eventually tying at maximum points of 15. As it turned out, BhUMSA also scored 15 in this section.
One final section till the finish line.
The Special Posting segment came up, and UIMSA picked her poisons: questions 7, 14 and 11, of which she scored 10 out of fifteen points. UNMSA chose hers and answered two correctly, also earning 10 points. BhUMSA did not score any points for the section.
The quiz came to an end. The audience and contestants waited with bated breath as scores were tallied up. To pass the time the audience was engaged with its own brief quiz with a prize of airtime won by two Ibadan medicos, but this was besides the point of the day. Victory was imminent, either for the Ibadan Einsteins or their eastern rivals. It permeated the digital air. We could all smell it.
At last, the scores were finally announced.
Third place: BhUMSA with a total of 47.5 points…
UNMSA with a total of 90.8 points and UIMSA with a total of 95 points!
And so history was made once again across the great and far reaches of the Nigerian medical space. What was rumoured had been confirmed by those who were yet to witness, and to those who thought to overturn, victory was painfully denied. UIMSA once more defended her title as the best MSA in sub-Saharan Africa!
Victoria nostra est!
The Team:
Iyawe Efosa
Olawumi Oluwafisayo
Egbeyemi Olamide
Joshua John Inioluwa
Adegoke Iretomiwa (Coach)
Obiekwe Franklin (Coach)
P.S. For the knowledge junkies out there, here are some of the quiz questions if you’re interested:
General Knowledge
Nike was the Greek goddess of?
Ranikhet disease is associated with?
General Science
What is the gestation period of a rabbit?
Paediatrics
A foetus was found to have a box-shaped heart. What drug did the mother likely take during pregnancy?
What is the expected occipitofrontal circumference of a 12 month old infant?
The Bell’s criteria is used to stage what disease?
Psychiatry, Family Medicine and Community Medicine
What stage of prevention is vitamin a supplementation?
BMS
What early structure gives rise to the phallus/clitoris?
What is the concave depression on the scapula called?
What special structure in the kidney is responsible for maintaining arterial bp?
O & G
The breech scoring system used to decide if a delivery will be by Caesarian section or vaginal breech delivery is called?
Call exener bodies are seen in what type of ovarian tumours?
Special Posting
The American dental association recommends that toothbrushes be changed every……….?
When does the eruption of the upper first premolar occur?
It takes 11 muscles to frown but only …… to smile.
by Opeolu Oreoluwa