They Ruined our Team – The Lamentations of a Medical Doctor

When we were admitted into the university, some of us were in Nursing Sciences, Medical Laboratory Science, Medicine and Surgery, Medical Rehab (Physiotherapy), Dentistry and Dental Surgery, Pharmacy, Radiology etc.

We were Much Together….

We were subjected to general studies (GSS).

And we were taught by mathematicians, Education teachers, physicists and philosophers.

Since they knew little or nothing about the slight differences in our course of study, they addressed us by a general name: Medical and Health Sciences students.

We made friends amongst one another.

“What’s your department?” I’d asked.

“Nursing sciences.”

“Wow! I’m in Medicine and Surgery. Meet my friend, she’s in Pharmacy and that other one in Dentistry”

That way, we became bound by the cords of friendship, and we read at the Faculty of biological Sciences and at Abuja building and even at pharmacy building.

We would trek and enjoy the soft green environment and the absolute tranquillity.

A Common Goal…

We had one common goal: to pass our exams.

We put our heads together in solving the past questions for that semester.

Bunmi my Pharmacist friend, was good at Mathematics.

Ekene the Nursing guy, was a wizard in Chemistry.

I loved Biology, and Ahmed my Optometry friend taught us Physics.

Together, we solved the past questions, taught and complimented each other.

Now They Ruined Our Team

Now towards our third Year in school, things started to go sour, and South. It all started when we crossed over to the college of Medicine in our 2nd year. Bunmi would pass and just wave. Ekene barely would talk to me. And whenever Ahmed picked my calls, I’d feel like I owed God a testimony.

Each of us had the key to our respective classes and we locked them against every other student that wasn’t in our department. The center could no longer hold – things fell apart.

” They should have considered it a privilege to be associated with me.”

“Oh, I didn’t tell you? ”

Our Third and Fourth Years…

Towards our third and fourth years in school, we had new lecturers with entirely different mindsets, behaviors and speech. They were our seniors in the profession. They’d availed themselves so we could be taught.

Pharmacists taught the Pharmacy students at the main Campus.

Doctors taught the student Doctors (medical and Dental students) in their Clinicals.

Scientists taught the student Scientists.

Matrons taught the student Nurses.

A strange Course…

Everything went fine, until we were introduced to a strange course; a course not found in the curriculum. But we learnt it. It was injected into us, and it went straight into our heads and our minds absorbed them.
They were injections of words.

We were told to uphold our disciplines with great esteem and never to accept any humiliation from anybody.

They told us that we were superior to other departments. Student laboratory scientists were told that without the laboratory, the hospital is handicapped. The Nursing students were told that they were indispensable. The student Doctors were told that they were general overseers. The Pharmacists assumed the appellation; Bedrock of Medical Practice.

But did they lie to us?

These may not be entirely false, but the next words injected in us triggered the hatred, ego rise and envy.

We were told of how other departments in the same medical field hated us; of the need to stand up and uphold the fight because other departments are jealous of ours and wants to humiliate us.

We were told that medical doctors were arrogant and hence we’d give them no room for such display.

They told us that nurses were insulting, hence, all relationships with them should be kept at a highly official level and with great consciousness of our ego.

That the medical laboratory scientists were poke-nosing into our territory, so we must annihilate them as possibly as we can.

We were taught to esteem our ego and defend our profession against our ‘foes’ in the same field.

No wonder we now feel insecure amongst ourselves – the injection really worked.

Sadly, as I bleed in my heart writing this, I recalled our first years, when our minds were like virgins. We were together and we all had one mind and one goal – The Exam.

Now we are faced with a bigger goal – The patient.

But, we aren’t together.

So,

How can we Pass?

They’ve ruined our team.

Written by Isaiah Ugochukwu Obialor *(Student Medlab Scientist)*
Reviewed by Iruke Kingsley Chukwuebuka *(Student Optometrist)*
Annotated by Okereke Wisdom *(preclinicals)*
Edited by Wisdom Ngumoha *(Student Doctor)*
Fore worded by Ogechi Blessing Godwin *(Student Nurse)*
And Arugo Wisdom *(Student Pharmacist)*

Nigerian Medical Sector
*There’s no “I” in a TEAM*

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