in Education
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When the tripartite partnership agreement among Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Little-by-Little Foundation and Johns Hopkins Hospital, USA, was signed for the elective clinical posting of selected ABUAD medical students at an elaborate ceremony on the serene campus of the 13-year-old university in the heartland of Ado-Ekiti, South-West, Nigeria on January 10, 2023, it was crystal clear that a new chapter in the clinical training of medical students has been opened.
The first of its kind in this clime, the elective clinical training will expose beneficiaries to world-class training in one of the best Teaching Hospitals in the world, John Hopkins Hospital, USA.
Ninety-four days after the agreement was signed, the trio of Boluwatife Akinoso, Odafe Angela Okparanyote and Moyinoluwa Omoyajowo, all 600 Level MBBS ABUAD students travelled to the US on April 14, 2023 for a clinical posting under the tripartite agreement.
The three pioneer beneficiaries of the clinical posting chronicle their experiences on personnel and equipment at the world-class Johns Hopkins Hospital as follows:
Okparanyote,Odafe Angello a final year ABUAD medical student has this to say:“My colleagues and I were well received at the airport by the Little-by-Little Foundation and we were helped to settle in comfortably in our extended stay apartment.
“The rotation experience has been stunning and educative. I began my rotation in Endocrinology for my first week and the level of attention to details, the synchrony amongst everyone in the system and the quality of treatment given has been incredible. The environment is welcoming and friendly. Supervisors/Consultants are willing and ready to give as much knowledge as they can. The various patients I’ve personally interacted with have been quite kind and open, willing to give information when asked and comfortable to be examined.
“The care given is universal, but treatment is based on insurance coverage and on some occasions, patients may have to pay out of pocket if they aren’t covered by insurance. One of the healthcare devices that attracted my interest was the Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM), which enables diabetics to check their blood glucose at any time without having to have multiple needle pricks. It is a tiny sensor inserted under the skin on the arm. It can be used to monitor blood glucose levels throughout the day, reveal hidden glucose patterns and show how activities affect blood glucose.
“My first week was really exciting and insightful and I am hoping the following weeks in the other rotations will be of further great impact.”
On her part, MoyinOluwa Omoyajowo relates her experiences between thus: “We arrived in Baltimore on April 14, 2023 for the programme and were warmly received at the airport by the representatives of Little-by-Little Foundation who thereafter took us to the hotel to settle into our accommodation. They also provided us with foods and drinks.
“In ensuring that we fully settle down and get acquainted with the environment, they took us out during the weekend on sightseeing to downtown Columbia, where we visited a lot of important/historic buildings.
They also took us to Howard County General Hospital, Baltimore, MD (the hospital for our elective posting) to get us acquainted with the hospital environment before our first day at the hospital.
