EMMANUEL OJO writes about graduates, who unable to secure admissions to study medicine, found relief in related courses but now earn a living in non-medical professions
The big picture for Adeyemi Olaosebikan was to become a medical doctor. But after being unable to secure an admission to study Medicine and Surgery after attempting the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination thrice, he settled for anatomy which his UTME score eventually met.
He reasoned that he was not far from realising his medical dream when he got admitted to study anatomy at the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State.
Olaosebikan noted that he partook in all the paramedical courses such as anatomy, physiology and biochemistry where he learnt about the structure, function, developmental processes of the body as well as the biochemical reactions that take place in the body.
But after studying hard and graduating, Olaosebikan’s interest to practise anatomy waned considerably as there appeared to be no favourable atmosphere for anatomists to thrive.
He told Sunday PUNCH, “I hoped to find succour in Anatomy when Medicine and Surgery eluded me. I searched for that perfect place to practise even as a forensic expert. But when I got tired, I switched to being a German language instructor because of my understanding of the language. I did that for three years post-graduation before I became a content provider for a big publishing firm as writing has always been my unexplored passion.’’
In another vein, another graduate of biological sciences, Adeyemi Ilori, wanted medicine but ended up as an anatomy graduate.
He noted that he tried all he could to get medicine but when it eluded him, he focused on anatomy which gave him a shoulder to lean on.
Ilori said, “After graduation, I searched for a job for many months until my application to a bank job was successful. Today, I work in one of the leading commercial banks in the country. I have put the disappointment of being unable to study medicine behind me including inability to practise anatomy.’’
Trauma of losing out on Medicine
Aladejare said he faced the challenge which other graduates of biological sciences encountered.
He noted that anatomy and physiology including other biological courses were seen as areas to dump applicants unable to get admitted to Medicine.
He noted, “Anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, botany, zoology and other courses in biological sciences are seen as lesser to Medicine. I told myself that if I am not in Medicine, I am not fit for medicine.
“The thought of an anatomy course not being good enough or having lots of prospects really affected many people and the effect is seen reflected in their Cumulative Grade Point Average. They felt there was not much motivation to study. Some try to take the UTME again while others got emotionally tortured and experienced psychological imbalances by the dichotomy between them and medical students. Anatomy departments have a lot to put together to make it relevant in our society. Doing this will reduce the burden of individuals who think the course is insignificant. There is more the framers of the curriculum can do to motivate those studying anatomy. It’s the closest to medicine. Considering how medicine is a second degree in the US, most people who chose medicine would prefer to study either anatomy or physiology as their first degree because it’s the closest to it.’’
He described anatomists as one of the best researchers because they always explored the lowest level of its impact on tissues.
Aladejare added, “When a biochemist or microbiologist undergoes a research, they always bring them to the anatomy department for tissue processing, to see its effect at the tissue level. There are some sorts of potential in Anatomy.’’
Unlike Aladejare, Tolani Ajao had a differing experience as an anatomist. Ajao, who graduated from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, said she was not excited when she found herself in the department after admission.
Ajao said, “One can become a lecturer (that is after postgraduate studies) or a mortician; which I don’t find interesting.
“I didn’t bother to think about the limited options as I found succour in cloth designing after graduation. I must say that I find it more exciting than struggling with the limited options anatomy offers.’’
The experience of a graduate of biochemistry identified only as Nneoma seemed similar to Ajao’s as she’s also into sewing. The fashion entrepreneur who graduated from the University of Madonna, Rivers State, told Sunday PUNCH that she initially desired to study medicine. She added that her interest in medicine was borne out of her interest in biology during her secondary school days.
Nneoma said, “I wanted to study medicine because of the passion I had for it. I developed interest in it while in secondary school because I did well in biology and my father wanted me to study medicine to make him proud.’’
She added that due to her post-UTME score, she was unable to get admission for medicine and had to settle for biochemistry.
The cloth designer explained that upon graduation, she went job hunting without success.
“The fact that biochemistry doesn’t have a clear cut position in the nation’s labour market, the search was merely rigorous without anything to show for it. Later, I resorted to learning a vocation to earn a living.
“I applied to many places for job but couldn’t find one. The unemployment situation in the country then dawned on me. It pushed me to learn a cloth designing and that’s what I do at the moment.’’
Blessing Philip, a graduate of physiology from a private university in the South-South region, told our correspondent that her father was the one who encouraged her to consider studying Medicine.
She stated, “It started from childhood. As a child, one really doesn’t know what one wants but to look up to one’s parents. I remember when I was young, my father addressed me as the ‘doctor of the house.’ It formed an opinion in my mind when I grew up.’’
Philip said the idea informed her choice of subjects which eventually placed her in science class in secondary school.
She noted that when she couldn’t get medicine as a course after the selection process in the university she eventually chose, she was offered physiology as a second choice. She said, “I struggled through bachelor’s programme in physiology and after graduation, I took up a career in education as a teacher.’’
Another student, Halima Bitrus, who studied biochemistry in a federal university in the North, also narrated how she studied in biological sciences.
She said that she started her career pursuit early with the desire to save lives, adding that she realised at adulthood that she didn’t need to be a doctor to save lives.
“I actually had the dream of studying medicine at a young age with the focus that I want to save lives. But when I was of age, I came to realise that I don’t have to be a doctor to save lives because human lives are involved in nearly everything we do, either directly or indirectly”
Bitrus added that after ending up as a content producer, she realised that she could use her stories to change lives, and cause great changes through outstanding reports holding political office holders accountable to the people.
She added, “One could save lives by writing on matters that will provoke public concerns to help the masses. There are journalists who have saved lives by helping people get justice.’’
She noted that she studied biochemistry because she could not get a slot in medicine at the institution where she earned a bachelor’s degree. She told Sunday PUNCH that she later interned at a television station where she learnt about content writing and navigated hugely a new path in her life.
According to her, she has found a new passion with which she now earns a living.
Besides, another graduate, Maxwell Egheose, who obtained bachelor’s degree in microbiology from the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, noted that he couldn’t study medicine based on the limited slots in medical schools in the university he chose.
He noted, “I applied to the University of Benin and it was important for me to have a high score in the UTME. The target was so high that I was not able to get close to the required score. I got other related courses like industrial chemistry and others but after two attempts and I couldn’t get it, someone advised that I apply to other biological sciences such as microbiology, biochemistry, anatomy and physiology.’’
He added that he decided to settle for microbiology after many attempts to get medicine failed. He told Sunday PUNCH that he took up a career as a sales representative and worked with a pharmaceutical firm.
Found a calling
For Philemon Shallie who earned first degree in anatomy from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, the decision gave him what he termed headway.
He said that it was medicine he applied for but ended up in anatomy. Shallie who teaches the course in medical schools expressed satisfaction that he’s able to lead a more impactful life with it.
Shallie said, “After graduation, I discovered more that it’s something I love doing. During my service year, students in the school where I served were happy with the way I taught them. I knew then that I would make more impact with anatomy than returning to school to study medicine. I have no regrets. For me, it’s not just a profession; it’s more like a ‘calling’ through which one imparts knowledge into others. I have many doctors and consultants who have passed through me, so, I feel satisfied to an extent that I have impacted lives positively.’’
He added that anatomy was not his dream course but he later developed love for it and vowed to make a difference.
It was same story for Ademola Aladejare. He also desired Medicine and Surgery but eventually settled for anatomy when time and age were counting. Aladejare, who obtained his first degree in Anatomy from the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, told our correspondent the battles he fought in the course of applying to study Medicine.
He said, “For me, I wanted medicine and in UNILORIN then, the first 20 in Anatomy and Physiology were to convert to Medicine at the end of the first year. But I was unable to make the cut so I focused on Anatomy.’’
Aladejare stated that he then wanted to study Medicine because of its high regard in society and contributions to humanity.
He stated, “My love for Medicine at the time was akin to my interest in pounded yam. Before I tasted it, I used to tell anyone who asked that it was my favourite food. It was when I tasted it that I became heavy. I then asked myself if it really was my best food or it’s because everyone around me liked it. In same vein, I discovered that Medicine got my attention because of its popularity.’’
He admitted that though he could initially be scared facing the rigours of medical practices but would adjust at the end of the day.
Aladejare noted that when he got anatomy, he was however faced with the big question of “What’s next after anatomy?”
He said, “Along the line after I earned Bachelor’s of Science degree in Anatomy, before the one-year mandatory National Youth Service Corps scheme, I considered applying for Medicine. This is because there was nothing for me to do as an anatomist. I considered going for master’s after NYSC or return to school to study Medicine.
“What changed the latter choice was that I asked myself if I sincerely wanted to face the rigours of practising and studying Medicine. I knew I couldn’t and told myself that I would rather go into business.’’
He added that he knew only two basic job prospects associated with anatomy; lecturing and working as a mortician (handling mortuary techniques and embalming services).
Aladejare said it was someone who mentioned embryology; study of the formation and development of an embryo and foetus, to him, noting that he thus decided to explore the path.
He however added that it was hard at the time to get a placement for embryology and one would have to travel abroad for training.
He said, “I decided to stay and believe in my dream. Three years later, I thought of doing a master’s in anatomy but since I wanted embryology as a major, it was hard because no school in Nigeria then was doing that.
“But something happened that changed the narrative. The World Health Organisation had a conference at the University of Lagos on infertility. I spoke to one of the people at the event who turned out to be a prominent embryologist. I told him I wanted to do a voluntary service in embryology. He told me he had a job for me. Eventually, I was able to get a slot for an embryologist before my convocation. Embryology is more about passion than liking the course. It was not an easy one but I thank God at the end of it all.
“I travelled abroad to do some training at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. I later did an online training from an institute in India. I now work with a fertility centre in Ibadan, Oyo State.’’
He added that his knowledge of anatomy had been helpful, saying it gave him the background to understand embryology.
The bottlenecks
Most students in biological sciences desired medicine. It’s a challenge of space for many of them as the number of those who want medicine outnumbers the spaces in medical schools.
The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria noted in 2021 that only 37 medical schools in Nigeria were fully accredited with a total quota of 3,730 and seven partially accredited medical schools with a total quota of 560. This forms a total of 4,290.
Registrar/Chief Executive of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, in a Tv interview uploaded online on August 26, 2021, estimated that over 400,000 candidates apply to study medicine. With these statistics, it can be deduced that only one-hundredth of the candidates who apply for medicine are admitted.
He explained that the UTME is a ranking test not an achievement exam, adding that it was used for the selection process because of the number of spaces available.
According to him, candidates who apply for competitive courses such as medicine have a reduced chance of admission.
He further said that there were no such records as failure in the UTME, explaining that it only helped in the selection process. Oloyede stated that even some candidates with good scores stood the chance of not being admitted if they applied for a course such as medicine which he described as sought after and with restriction for space.
This situation led many students into anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and others as their UTME scores were not good enough to secure them a place in medicine across schools.
Experts’ views on the issue
An anatomy professor in the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Enugu State University College of Medicine, Nsukka, Chike Anibeze, said that the problems with limited job options for anatomy graduates were traceable to moribund curriculum.
He said that the curriculum had been in existence since 1993, adding that it had not transformed into modern practices of anatomy.
Anibeze stated, “When that act was done, anatomy was not seen as a separate unit of discipline. Anatomy was seen as just a service course to the medical students to train them in their profession but these days, anatomy has gone beyond that. It has gone into several areas. So, there is a need to review that Anatomy Act. That is where to start first’, it is only when you do that that you begin to create the other special areas where the anatomists can practise and it will give the hint such that the labour industries will be able to understand critically what they have studied and where to plug them in.’’
He added that anatomy could be useful in many other areas in society if the act was amended and properly applied.
In his contribution, a professor of blood and body fluid physiology at the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Victor Dapper stated that to an extent, anatomy and physiology graduates don’t practice what they learnt in school.
He noted that this was the situation because the health system in the country was not properly developed to the extent where graduates of such courses could practice pure anatomy and physiology.
He stated that unfortunately there were limited spaces in government hospitals where physiologists could practice.
“The healthcare system in the country is not well developed to absorb them. For example, there are physiologists who practice in the National Health Service. They are employed as physiologists in the NHS. So what is happening here is because of the underdeveloped nature of the healthcare system in the country”, he said.
He, however, noted that it was not a barrier to anyone wishing to study courses in biological sciences, saying that any of such graduates could work in any sector of the economy.
Dapper explained that the situation also affected graduates of other courses who currently don’t earn a living with the courses they studied in school.
The lecturer said, “The thing to bear in mind is that a Nigerian graduate to a large extent is trained to fit into any aspect of the Nigerian economy. In other words, you see those who studied biology, chemistry working in a bank. Someone who reads anatomy or physiology can also work in these other areas in the Nigerian labour market. I see no restrictions between someone who studied physiology for example and someone who studied biochemistry, physics or geology.
“Of a truth, the healthcare system in Nigeria has not developed to the extent of allowing paramedics practice what they read in school but the way graduates are trained is that they are trained to be trainable. So, even people who read mass communication, not all of them ended up in media houses as journalists or broadcasters. But for them, they have opportunity as there are many media houses in the country.’’
Dapper, who has taught the subject for about 40 years, charged anatomy, physiology and other graduates of biological sciences to tap into the entrepreneurial knowledge they were equipped with in school to explore many other aspects of their courses of study.
He noted that studying any course was about being innovative, being able to think outside the box and come up with a design to enhance the health of the citizenry.
He said, “There are no limits to the abilities of the human mind if properly nurtured. The expectation of these graduates is to create opportunities for themselves. Once you go out there, what you have read does not matter, it’s about what you can bring on board in the modern economy of the 21st century. Yes, the economy is tough and we live in times of uncertainties but it is not impossible. Necessity is the mother of invention.’’
Also commenting, a Professor of Biochemistry in the Faculty of Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Femi Agboola, stated that there was no limit to what the graduates of biological sciences could achieve.
“They have been trained and all they need is just a little more training in any field they find themselves to sharpen up and get familiarised in that field”, he explained.
He added that there were people who read courses in biological sciences working in every sector of the economy.
Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]
