Dr. Ifechukwu Margaret Uzoigwe is from Izzi Ebonyi State. Ruth Oginyi reports that she was the overall Best Graduating Student of Ebonyi State University College of Medicine of the 19th Batch of the 2020/2021 academic session. The shining star who went home with 10 Awards in her valedictory remarks revealed that she wanted to become a Reverend Sister. Excerpts!
There is no doubt that Women are currently taking the lead in different sectors in society this is even as history was made on 12th July 2021 in Ebonyi State University(EBSU), Abakaliki as the University’s Medical College graduated 158 Medical Doctors and a woman emerged as the overall Best Graduating Student.
The EBSU College began in 1998 and graduated its first set of Medical Doctors in 2002 who have excelled in the field of Medicine and Surgery.
Rewards for hard work: BGS receives awards, gain automatic House jobs approval
Part of the highlights of the 2021 graduation/oath-taking was the presentation of awards to the 10 Best Graduating Medical Doctors in the Health institution who were also given automatic approval to carry out their house job at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki(AE-FUTHA) with, Miss Uzoigwe Ifechukwu Margaret among the 10 who emerged the overall Best Graduating Medical Doctor in the 19th batch of the Medical graduands.
Apart from being the best graduating Doctor, Dr. Uzoigwe also received other awards as the best student in some clinical areas.Her awards included; overall best graduating Doctor-Omaka Ajali Akpu Chukwu prize-N100,000(hundred thousand naira), NMA prize-N50,000(fifty thousand naira), Deputy Governor prize-N1,000,000(one million naira), best student in Paediatrics- Prof. Chigozie Ogbu prize-N500,000(five hundred thousand naira), Prof. Nebe Agumadu prize(instituted N100,000(hundred thousand naira), the best student in Internal Medicine -Prof.Anezi Okoro prize N100,000(hundred thousand nairas). the best student in Pathology-Prof. Mgbodile prize N100,000(hundred thousand nairas), among others.
Uzoigwe is a 2013 class in the College with registration number- EBSU/2013/67506. At the 3rd MBBS level, she made a distinction in Pharmacology and narrowly missed a distinction in Pathology.
Uzoigwe: From desiring Priesthood to Best Medical GraduandAt the 4th MBBS level, Margret Uzoigwe who narrowly missed a Distinction in Pediatrics got the highest score in Community Medicine and the 3rd highest score in Obstetrics and Gynecology in the 4th MBBS level. At the 5th MBBS level, she made a Distinction in Surgery and had the highest score in Internal Medicine, narrowly missing a Distinction. Margaret said in her Valedictory speech that she wanted to be a Reverend Sister but later diverted to study Medicine and Surgery.She spoke on the occasion of the Physician Oath-Taking ceremony of the new Medical Doctors which took place at the Permanent Site of the University and was witnessed by people from all walks of life.She expressed joy over the success recorded while in school saying that it is only the grace of God that found her worthy. She explained that earlier before she got admission to study Medicine and Surgery, she wanted to be a Reverend Sister but later gained admission into Medical school. She appealed to the institution to establish an E-Library to boost the research capacity of Medical students. She also called for a functional Teaching hospital in the state.
Our Medical Graduands have distinguished themselves- VC
The Vice-Chancellor of Ebonyi State University Prof. Chigozie Ogbu said the institution has been repositioned to produce world-class Medical Doctors. On his part, the provost of the College of Health Sciences, Prof. P.C Ibekwe said the graduation of the Medical Students call for celebration more especially now that the whole world is being challenged by strange ailments, pandemics, and unknown gunmen which demands more medical personnel to combat the menace.Ibekwe stated that 58 brand new medical doctors graduated and were inducted to add to the earlier produced , 672 medical doctors to make a total of 1730 qualified medical personnel who are gracefully solving human medical problems around the world.Said Ibekwe, “At the end of this ceremony, 58 brand new Medical Doctors shall have been added to the College’s earlier produced 1, 672 medical Doctors, to make a total of 1730 qualified medical personnel, who are gratefully solving human medical problems around the world.“It calls for special joyous celebration because, to me, any medical contribution towards quality medical education, especially now that the world is being challenged by strange ailments, pandemics, and unknown gunmen, is to be considered significant and worthy of commendation”, Ibekwe said. He noted that the challenges facing the school are non-functional buses to ease the movement of students and college officers which has seriously affected their services and called on the state government to assist the institution to overcome the challenges.
He urged the new Medical Doctors to be more committed and dedicated to discharging their duties to avoid casualties, adding that awards will be given to the Best Graduating Students to encourage others.
The Chief Medical Director of AE-FUTHA, Dr. Emeka Ogah described the Physician Oath-Taking Ceremony as the beginning of Medical practice and called on the new Doctors to give out their best in medical practice to excel in their field.On his part, the Registrar, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria in the hospital, T.A Sanusi applauded the efforts of Governor Dave Umahi for the overall infrastructural transformation across the state especially the newly built King David Umahi Medical University.He advised the governor to facilitate and equip the hospital first for medical students, before other courses and also to engage more Consultants as well as making the environment conducive for students as according to him, it is one of the major purposes of building the hospital. He admonished the graduands to show a high sense of discipline and commitment in discharging their duties as doctors. Responding, Governor Umahi who was represented on the occasion by his Deputy, Dr. Kelechi Igwe said the new Medical Doctors have a special place in the history of Nigeria. He emphasized the importance of their code of conduct as Medical Doctors while calling on the institution to make it form part of their school curriculum to avoid truancy and professional misconduct.He appealed to medical practitioners to always consider the fate of their patients before embarking on strike.He opined that said it was against the principles of morality for Doctors to proceed on strike at the detriment of patients who depend on them for survival.He said Doctors should at all times dialogue with Government to press home their demands instead of going on strike considering the essential nature of their services.He noted that professional ethics should be inculcated into the Medical school curriculum to enhance the moral standards of Medical graduands. He advised the graduands to see their induction into the medical profession as a call to serve humanity and should also strive to improve themselves in their line of duty.
