Meet Dr.Jane Nnamdi, The Best Graduating Student of ABSU Medical School - 2016

Dr. Nnamdi Jane, the best graduating student of ABSU Medical School - 2016 set

Dr. Nnamdi Jane, the best graduating student of ABSU Medical School in the 2016 set of graduating doctors. Wondering how she could excel in med school, she gave herself wholly to God and His service. God first, then she gave herself to Medicine. She initially set a goal of having 7 distinctions in med sch, but eventually achieved a marvelous record of 6 distinctions (Anatomy, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Pathology, Com.med, and Surgery). Excellence is what she strongly believes in and she always push myself the extra mile, with the help of God's Holy Spirit. She hope to be NOT JUST ANOTHER Doctor, but to leave a lasting impact in the lives of patients and the community she serves. To reach to the peak of her career, she would like to further her studies to specialize in Surgery, even though she is yet to finally decide on any particular specialty. Interestingly, she is highly interested in academics and  would like to be a Professor of Pharmacology at a young age. She hope to travel abroad to study for her Masters in Pharmacology. At her leisure time, she likes to play games a lot, like Monopoly, Chess, Scrabble and football. She is happily engaged and hoping to settle this year. She is very glad and privileged to be part of the great Alumni family. Please Join us to give a very warm welcome to Dr.Jane Nnamdi.

A First-Hand Testimony From an Alumni Beneficiary - a N1 Million Gift.

"I am Mrs Amanze, I saw the text late in the night
[7/24, 11:46 PM] ‪‬: Sir, thank you very much for the money, l lack words to express my joy, lnfact is difficult to believe that people like ur group still exist to put smiles on people faces, I don't have anything to pay back to you people, is only prayers, for God to replenish u people's pocket, in millions fold, look at me to loose my lovely husband at dis age, u people shall not loose any of ur love ones, sudden death shall not be u people's portion, am writing dis text with tears bc l don't know dt dis ll happen to me, but bc u remembered me nd my children to make us smile again, heavens shall swallow all ur enemies, u people shall not lack, as u sow in secret, God shall bless you people openly, bc u people have done to me and my children God shall satisfied u people nd ur families with long life, open doors, and protection in Jesus name Amen. Tank u sir l can't stop thanking u people, am very very grateful it can only be God, bc l don't know some of u, nd many don't know me either but God touched ur hearts, God will also touch somebody to help all of u one by one, ur pocket shall never dry with money, psalm 23,shall be u people's portion, I will be remembering u people in my daily prayers. I am very very grateful to all of u. Tanx Mrs Susan Amanze"

Chile Ogugwa Foundation, UK

Provost of UNN College of Medicine presents 2016 Award of Chile Ogugwa Foundation, UK. This very inspiring, commendable, great and caring scholarly award is coming from one of our very own Alumni Dr. Chile Ogugwa, based in the UK.

The NPMCN is getting into messier waters on account of her last release.

The NPMCN is getting into messier waters on account of her last release. After the letter from the NUC I expected the NPMCN will beat an informed retreat and re evaluate her strategies.
1. The NPMCN can award degrees : Correct. Why have you not activated this since NUC started her PhD obsessions and later a Greek gift to clinical lecturers. My rating? 1 out of 5. Implications? No interest in those being trained and mentoring
2. Rating of MBBS: Can the NPMCN declare to us what rating she gives to an MD of the US extraction but not of the British which is an academic qualification only.
3. What is the difference in the course content between an MBBS and MD(American). Am aware MD is postgraduate but undergraduate/first degree as a medical trainining/qualifications.
4, Since the NPMCN has the law on her side to award degrees, can she boldly come out to inform NUC in black and white that the fellowship is equivalent to D.Phil. That is what I could glean from this write up.
5. I am deeply taken aback that NPMCN exhibited inadequate knowledge of academic scheme of service. She placed MBBS as assistant lecturer. With due respect Mr Registrar, MBBS, in the scheme of service is Lecturer II. I hope someone out there is not working hard to devalue MBBS's academic and market value. I am a living witness. I entered the university as a lecturer II with MBBS and not assistant lecturer. Where did NPMCN get that information from? Even the NUC has not made that offensive declaration. I challenge NPMCN to produce the scheme of service that placed MBBS as an assistant lecturer. These structures were done when there was sanity in Nigerian system. Insanity wants to becloud the little that was given to the physician through her own....the NPMCN! It is not too later to embark on damage control.
6. MBBS +Masters/PhD in basic medical sciences is Lecturer I and not lecturer II
7. Reminder sir. PhD is lecturer II, the same as MBBS! It is an international practice. It was not done out of favour. It was lecturer II even when you started your academic carrier sir. Those who have applied for post doctoral programs can attest to this. The criteria is clear. MBBS/BDS and MDs are fully eligible.
8. Can NPMCN remind her trainers and trainees why she awards fellowships rather than a degree as professional qualification. There is nothing like masters or PhD in medicine as an entity but only in her branches.....anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, surgery, geriatrics etc.  Why were post MBBS qualifications regarded as diplomas? There is a reason.....MBBS = MD= PhD! That is the internal rating.
9. Now let me pretend to agree with the NPMCN that MBBS is a special masters degree. What is the equivalence of primary? How come the NPMCN cant fix PhD at part I and award both Membership and PhD at that level. Why part II? I thought after Masters the next qualifications is PhD and PhD is 3 years after masters degree. But NPMCN wants to increase her own to a minimum of 6 years.
10. He journey NPMCN has embarked on is not for the respect if the only degree in medicine...MBBS
11. I wish to advice NPMCN to liase with MDCN and NMA on this matter to have a holistic approach. Please don't take away the little that has since be given to the physician from him. I beg you.
12. I wish to use this medium to commend NMA on her press release on the matter. No man is God!
Thank you
Dr Nosa Lancy Orhue MBBS, FWACP.       Copied.

Press Release: Clarification on Fellowship versus Ph.D for Clinical Teachers

Press Release: Clarification on Fellowship versus Ph.D for Clinical Teachers

The attention of the Management of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria has been drawn to unnecessary altercations that have recently evolved with regard to the issue of the relativity of Postgraduate Fellowships in Medicine and Dentistry vis-à-vis Ph.D in the Nigerian University System.  It has therefore become imperative for the College to make some clarifications as the organ of the Federal Government of Nigeria that awards the Fellowships in Clinical Medicine and Dentistry in line with international best practices.
The National Postgraduate Medical College was established by Law, (Decree 67 of 1979), now Cap. N59 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, as a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal. The Law gave the College the responsibility to conduct postgraduate examinations of “candidates in the various specialized branches of medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology and dental surgery and making awards in relation thereto accordingly”.  Section 7 of the Law gave the Senate of the College the responsibility for running the academic affairs of the College including “(b) the Award of degrees, diplomas and such other qualifications as may be prescribed in connection with examinations held as aforesaid”
Based on this Law, as the body at the Apex of Medical Education in Nigeria, the College has been functioning over the last 36 years to produce specialists in all branches of Medicine and Dentistry. This has been done through the organization of the curricula for professional postgraduate education in the various specialized branches of medicine and dentistry; and the conduct of professional postgraduate examination of candidates leading to the Award of the FELLOWSHIP as the terminal Academic and Professional qualification.
It is a trite knowledge that Medicine is as much of Science as an Art.  Medicine is the discipline of using science-based skills to solve human health problems. All over the world, Medical schools are divided into at least 2 components: basic medical sciences and clinical sciences.    In Nigeria, as in other parts of the world, the topmost postgraduate qualification recognised for clinical sciences is the Fellowship while for the Core Basic Medical Sciences (Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology), it is the Ph.D. that is recognized to get to the peak of their careers. The uniqueness of the Fellowship training of the College is the fact that it combines the full academic and research content as obtainable in any sound doctoral degree with structured clinical (professional) postgraduate training. This accounts for why it takes a long time to produce a single Fellow in any of the specialized branches of Medicine and Dentistry.  It is to be noted that the competency-based curriculum for the Fellowship Residency programme has been designed to train postgraduate specialists and clinical lecturers over a minimum of 6 years with definite competencies in the four areas of professional practice: clinical problem solving, research, teaching and Health Resources Management.
Towards the FELLOWSHIP certification, there are 3 layers of the evaluation process viz:  PRIMARY, PART I FELLOWSHIP and PART II (FINAL) FELLOWSHIP. The basic medical degree (MB, BS) and dental degree (BDS) after 600 Level courses in the University are equivalent to special Masters Degrees and holders are often appointed as Assistant lecturers in the basic medical sciences, such registered medical and dental practitioners are eligible to sit for the PRIMARY FELLOWSHIP which is the Postgraduate Examination after Internship.
Only those who have been successful can enroll in an accredited Tertiary Institution for the Residency Training Programme. The Junior Residency programme spans a period of a minimum of between 24 to 36 Months (depending on discipline) for rotations consisting of at least 100 Course credit Units of Lectures/Seminars and over 180 credit Units of practical/clinical skills acquisitions. Eligible candidates can then proceed to sit for the PART I FELLOWSHIP examinations. Those who are successful can enroll for the Senior Residency programme which is a full time endeavor for 30 to 48 Months after Part I.
The Senior Resident is expected to register the research topic for his Dissertation and submit a detailed proposal on the justification for the research topic and the methodology to be used. Formative assessment is carried out and if successful he would continue with the research. Concurrently, he will continue with academic programmes consisting of Lectures/Seminars of over 120 Course Credit Units and 200 Credit Units of Clinical/Practical skills acquisition for which Log-books must be signed per event. After a minimum of 36 months, eligible candidate can now apply for the PART II (FELLOWSHIP) examinations which are divided into TWO components. The successful defence of dissertation as adjudged by external examiners (in the absence of the supervisors) earns the candidate a PASS in this part which is equivalent to a successful defence of Ph.D Theses. Thereafter the candidate will be examined through written, clinical and oral evaluation to be adjudged by at least TWO External Examiners (who are not his trainers) as being fit to be a Specialist. The Fellowship is thereafter awarded to successful candidates. The evaluation process is carried out objectively, mostly by Professors in the Universities, and devoid of interference by the supervisors/trainers. It follows therefore that the FELLOWSHIP is like a post-doctoral degree as it has satisfied more than all essential requirements for the award of a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in any discipline apart from the accompanying professional training.
It must be on this basis that the National Universities Commission (NUC) itself had, since 1989 when it issued its first Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) for Medicine and Dentistry, been stipulating that persons with Fellowships are appointable as Lecturer I in Clinical Sciences while those with Ph.D are appointable only as Lecturer II in the Basic Sciences. Holders of Ph.D can only become Lecturer I after 3 Years Teaching experience in a University or similar Institution. Any Clinician that has only a Ph.D as his only postgraduate attainment is not appointable as a Consultant and cannot have patients under his care.  The possession of a Fellowship is thus a sine qua non for the appointment of anyone as a Consultant and Clinical Lecturer.  The National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria is therefore the only Federal Government Agency that has the capacity and the capability to certify specialists that will train other medical and dental doctors to Professorial level.
It is hoped that those who have been perpetuating the unnecessary controversy will be better educated by these clarifications according to the Law and international best practices.

Signed 
Professor O. A. Atoyebi, FMCS
College Registrar