For centuries, the medical doctor has been one of the most respected members of society. Traditional healers of indigenous tribes were revered for their knowledge of the healing arts. In Nigeria, the doctor is called upon not only treat patients, but is also called upon for advice and guidance as well. This is one of the reasons why year in, and year out, Medicine has been one of the most sought after courses in UTME
examinations. But what does it mean to be a medical doctor?
The Joy of Being a Medical Doctor, I am a surgeon,
an orthopeadic surgeon. Orthopaedic surgeons treat
diseases and injuries to bones, ligaments and
tendons. Yes, I love being a surgeon. Each day
when I wake up and look in the mirror, I know that
my goal is to help my patients, either directly or by
teaching students and resident doctors – hopefully
making them better doctors.
Medicine satisfies my yearning for knowledge.
Patients are often like mysteries in a detective
story. They come with problems which the doctor
has to decipher. Doctors collect clues in form of
what the patient tells them (this is called history),
physical examinations and appropriate diagnostic
investigations. Using those clues, doctors strive to
develop a management strategy which takes into
consideration the patient's desires and our best
knowledge of the evidence.
The doctor patient interaction is special, very
special indeed. When I introduce myself to a patient,
I almost always sense the patient trusting me,
giving me that encouragement that we are working
together towards the common goal of getting them
over their diseases. It is a very special feeling. You
feel very fortunate that patients trust you with their
information.
I remembered the first time I watched a caesarian
section. The surgeon brought the baby boy out of
the uterus. I went with the nurse to examine the
baby and check his weight and height, count his
heart rate, and check his breathing. That day, I
couldn't help but marveled at the mystery of
creation. I also couldn't help but think how
wonderful it would be to be a doctor who can take
care of women at the moments of their worst fears
and their greatest joy.
Some years ago, I managed an eleven year old boy
with club foot. The parents were very poor. It took
them almost three months to raise the less than
thirty thousand Naira needed for the final phase of
the treatment. The boy had been walking with a limp
all his life. When I took off the POP on his foot, and
he saw how close to normal his foot was, he moved
to me and held me tightly to himself, saying over
and over again "Thank you, thank you….." When I
looked at his mother, she had a huge smile on her
face and tears were trickling down her face.
Those were the kinds of memories that makes being a
doctor worth the toils and the tears and the grit that
goes into making you one. The challenges of patient
care and the non-monetary rewards will continue to
make medicine a wonderful field.
Yes, many doctors are not making a lot of money,
but they are making enough for themselves and
their families to be comfortable. Most derive their
greatest compensation from the personal satisfaction of caring for all those who came to see them.
Sometimes, I wake up wondering why I'm a medical
doctor, knowing I could be whatever I had wanted
to be. However, with the same line of thought
comes the realization that there's nothing else I'd
rather be.
Do You Have What It Takes to Become a Medical
Doctor?
Becoming a doctor takes time. After secondary
education, you will spend six years in the medical
school, one year as an intern and another year as a
Youth Corper. That's eight years from starting
university to practicing medicine.
If you decide to become a specialist, then you are looking at another 4-9 years of residency training in a teaching hospital. This means that to become a specialist doctor, you need between 12 and 17 years of
training, counting from your first year in the
university.
It takes a certain amount of intelligence to become
a medical doctor. However, organization and good
study habits can make the difference between a
mediocre student who gets through medical school
and a brilliant student who fails to make it. There are three cornerstones of a successful (this success is not defined by money!) career in medicine:
A love for learning in general.
A true intellectual curiosity about medicine in
particular.
A strong desire to help others.
Being smart and doing well in the sciences are obviously important components of being a successful physician. But these are not the only requirement, you must also be able to relate well with people. As a physician you have an opportunity to help others. Wanting to help others and enjoying helping others are necessary attributes of a good physician. This is something that cannot be taught.
In medicine, you have many choices. In what other
career can you choose between delivering babies
(Obstetricians), taking care of children
(Paediatricians), treating women (Gynaecologists),
handling emergencies (Traumatologists), removing
a hernia or appendix (Surgeons), helping those with
behavioural problems (Psychiatrists), or preventing
diseases (Community Medicine)? Better yet, as a
specialist, you can teach others your medical
specialty, while still practicing your profession.
Alternately, you can do research in whatever
specialty you choose, with the potential to make a
real breakthrough in preventing or treating illness.
There is even a Nobel Prize for Medicine. You can
become the Wole Soyinka of Medicine! In addition,
being a physician is honourable and is held in high
esteem. It allows you to live just about anywhere,
and provides job security.
However, all of this comes at a price. The many
years of preparation, the discipline, the awesome
responsibility and the long call duty hours can take
their toll. Medicine is a unique field and it demands
a unique person.
What Subjects Should You Take in Your Senior
Secondary School to Qualify for Admission to Read
Medicine?
According to the MDCN Website (the Red Book), the
following secondary school subjects are required
for medical education in Nigeria:
1. Biology
2. Physics
3. Chemistry
4. Mathematics
5. English .
Prospective medical students must pass the West
African School Certificate or the Senior Secondary
School Certificate Examination or any equivalent
examination, Such as National Examination Council
(NECO), with at least Credit level passes in the
above five subjects.
They must then either:
1. Pass the JAME Joint Admission and Matriculation
Examination) for admission into the University
preliminary (premedical) year or
2. Secure exemption from the JAME and the
University Preliminary year by passing the
Advanced Level General Certificate (GCE'A' Level).
Higher School Certificate (HSC) or its equivalent
examination in: Biology: Chemistry and Physics.
Subject to the co-ordinating regulations of the
JAME, it shall be the right of the Medical School to
select candidates for final admission to their
institutions from among eligible candidates who
possess these minimum requirements. You need to
score a high mark in your UTME examination.
In theory, you are advised to score at least 200 in
UTME examinations to be considered for admission
into most universities, in practice, to be considered
for medicine, you may need to score 250 and
above. After that, you will need to pass the Post
UTME Screening Examinations of the University of
your choice very well too.
What are Your Choice of Universities?
Depending on their ownerships, Nigerian
Universities can be divided into three: Federal
Universities, State Owned Universities, and Private
Universities. According to the Medical and Dental
Council of Nigeria (MDCN), there are 32 medical
schools in Nigeria (MDCN is a federal Government
parastatal which regulates the practice of Medicine,
Dentistry and Alternative Medicine in Nigeria).
Twenty five are fully accredited to train medical
students while 7 has partial accreditation.
