Dr. Okafor Chidom Emmanuella recently inducted at the Benjamin Carson College of Health Sciences (BCCHMS), Babcock University (BU), Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, has broken the medical school academic record with 10 distinctions. Despite this feat, she said “I am not a bookworm.”
She spoke in an interview.
Excerpts:
Who is Chisom Okafor?
My name is Dr Okafor Chisom, I am from Anambra State, Awka to be precise. I grew up in the city of Abuja where I got my primary and secondary education. My dad Mr. Okafor is an Accountant by profession and my mum Mrs. Okafor is a marketer and entrepreneur by profession. I am the second child of four children.
How was your secondary education like?
I obtained my secondary education from Faith Academy Goshen. My secondary education I would say served as bedrock for me, it was a boarding school so I Learnt how to survive somewhat independently from my younger years and it helped me hone my study techniques.
When did becoming a medical doctor start for you?
For as long as I have known myself I had wanted to be a doctor, I have always wanted to be an influential part in people’s lives and what better way than through health care. I struggled with my health as a child and I know how instrumental my doctor was in my journey, and I wanted to do the same for someone else.
Tell us your journey to Babcock University
Babcock University interestingly was not my first choice of school, my dad had always wanted me to be a lioness, hence he wanted me to go to the University of Nigeria Nsukka, I did go to write the post UTME examination and I got admission to study Medicine and Surgery at UNN but at the time the list for UNN came out I was already rounding up my first semester exams at Babcock University.
I discovered Babcock University from a senior In my secondary school who was enrolled in the medical school at the time and she said it was nice, so I put it as a second choice in my JAMB form because in my secondary school at the time, our principal advised that all students put one public and one private school on the JAMB form and I did. My parents then decided to go see Babcock University for themselves after one of their visits to the Redemption camp in Lagos and they loved the scenery and they said I could go there if I wanted. When the admission to Babcock University came through and the One for UNN hadn’t my father said I should go ahead in Babcock till UNN responded and from 1 semester it became 6 years.
Six years of becoming a medical doctor, what was it like?
Six years in medical school did not initially seem like a lot, until my mates in other courses started graduating and finishing NYSC and getting jobs and I was still in. School, it was not easy but it was worth it. It was what I wanted to do and I did not get discouraged by the years, I took each day one day at a time, enjoyed it with friends and God helped me through it.
Your toughest course and how did you overcome it?
Every course can be challenging one way or another but I chose not to see the difficulty in the course, rather I looked for something to like in the course, I focused on that and it helped me get by Those difficulties, medicine is very broad and interesting, there is so much to love in it so it was not hard to overcome the little difficulties.
You set a new record with 10 distinctions, how did you achieve this?
I achieved distinctions by not really thinking into the distinctions. Let me explain, the most important thing for me in medical school was to gain the knowledge so I can be the best and safest doctor for myself and for my patients because no patient is going to ask me if I got distinctions or not, so that meant I had to read properly, I answered the questions like I was the doctor and the patient was right in front of me and God rewarded me with distinctions.
How did you prepare for your exams?
I prepared for my examinations from the first day the course was being taught honestly, it started by having an open mind about it and listening attentively, most teachers when they teach will tell you areas to focus on for the examinations or for dealing with patients so by just listening attentively you are preparing for the exams, before exams become too close I make my notes from the class materials to textbooks to online resources and then when the exams are closer I do more of revision and study review questions, for clinical examinations, practice makes perfect so I practiced and practiced.
Are you a bookworm?
I don’t consider myself a bookworm. I study when I need to and I bury myself if I have to. I did other things asides books; I did a bit of politics. I served as general secretary in the medical students association. I served as a class senator and the deputy senate president for the department. I also did a little bit of sports, I play badminton and I hung out at social events too.
Did your parents influence the choice of course for you?
My parents are not the kind of parents to influence your choice of course, so they did not influence mine neither did they for any of my siblings, they just supported our dreams.
Did you set out to break Dr. Treasure record?
Dr Treasure did something remarkable by getting a record breaking 9 distinctions, however I did not use her as a yardstick for myself because my aim has always been self-development, breaking her record by getting 10 distinctions is a product of determination, discipline and God’s Grace.
Japa or stay?
I intend to Japa in order to learn, because you never really stop learning. But I won’t leave the country that raised me behind. I hope to use the knowledge I get to change the dynamics of health care in Nigeria the best and most possible way I can.
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