My Portfolio: Leadership, Networking, Career Plans In The Medical Field

Leadership and influence

Leadership involves having a vision, setting out the pathway to achieve the vision and influencing my team to achieve the vision, while building the next generation of leaders. I believe that I am part of this generation’s leaders. Prior to my graduation from the university, I served as the Missions and project leader for the Christian Medical and Dental association. This position involved mobilization of resources for medical services as well as advocacy in health promotion as well as disease prevention in rural areas, in partnership with other Non-governmental organizations which share similar visions.

This role provided the training and the foundations for leadership for me. During my community service year, I increased the total number of pregnant women utilizing antenatal care, through community mobilization, and persistent advocacy, this required tact, as I had to appeal against traditional beliefs that were the root cause of rising maternal mortality rate in the community.

This was in addition to the fact that I was the only doctor serving a population of about 15000 persons, so I had to train my support staff, to increase efficiency and minimize any waste of time. In my facility, I initiated the practice of routine retroviral screening for pregnant women, as part of routine antenatal care. In addition, I facilitated the formation of a mobile medical unit to reach remote communities I advocated for the purchase of an ultrasound machine and was the pioneer of the use of ultrasound technology for pregnant women as well as other patients, who may benefit from its use. In addition, I mobilized funds and led other corps members and community in the construction of a youth development center, with a library, as well as an office for the National Youth service Agency. In recognition of my service to this Local Government Area, in particular and the state, in general, I was given The State Honor Award in 2013 by The Current Governor of Kwara state, Alhaji Abdulfatai Ahmed.

Currently, I still serve this Local Government Area as a voluntary focal clinician for the routine immunization program.

Networking

My profession is a vocation built on the foundations of apprenticeship and mentorship. In view of this fact, I have built and maintained relationships in a professional capacity with senior colleagues, who serve as mentors as well as with junior colleagues.

A clear example, in anticipation of my desire to serve in rural and suburban areas, during my community service year, I identified and requested to become an apprentice to an excellent senior colleague. He is Dr J.K. Agbede, who shares the same vision and has been practicing in the rural areas for 30 years, in spite of the fact that the graduated on top of his class in the80’s at Nigeria’s foremost medical School, the University College Hospital Ibadan. He accepted my request to become my mentor and asked me to join him in practice after my community service year. This I did and the time spent with him formed the foundation for my practice today. Currently I still volunteer with him when I have opportunity to do so. I am also involved in teaching junior colleagues and allied health staff who may be interested in rural and suburban practice. I hope to utilize the skills gained from postgraduate study to motivate and influence a generation of doctors and allied health staff who would serve the rural communities, as we hope to achieve universal health coverage. I look forward to be the pioneer in the formation of an Association of rural doctors, which is currently in place in India, and getting into partnerships with governmental and nongovernmental organizations with similar interests.

Studying in the UKI selected The Masters in Public Health program as it further enhances my skills in health promotion and disease prevention, this is of great importance to rural practice in the tropics with the prevalence of infectious diseases. Some of these diseases can be prevented. It offers me the opportunity of gaining knowledge and skills in health statistics, as we currently have a challenge of inadequate health statistics in Sub Saharan Africa. This would be of great importance to me as I prepare to teach younger colleagues in rural practice on the vital role of health statistics. In this program, there is an integration of skills in epidemiology, statistics, health economics, critical appraisal, health protection, sociology, health promotion, and applied public health techniques such as health needs assessment.

Comparatively, I also selected The Masters in Public Health (Global Health), because it equips me with further skills in disease epidemiology while offering a work based assessment that seeks to translate classroom theories into practical scenarios in resource limited areas. It relates my Tropical medicine practice to international health policies and programs, and offers opportunities for beneficial partnerships, as I seek to improve health outcomes among the rural communities.

In addition, one health challenge in the rural areas where I practice is the rising rate of infertility among the married couples. There is attendant sociocultural stigmatization associated with this condition. Infertility is an increasing problem globally.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that as many as 1 in 4 couples are affected by infertility in developing countries (particularly in Nigeria).Most of these couples, who go through a lot of emotional and psychological trauma as a result of infertility, could be helped by Assisted Reproduction technology. (ART).This fact was the motivation for my selection of a Master’s Degree program in the rapidly evolving field of Assisted Reproduction Technology.

In Conclusion, I believe that any of the above programs would enhance my knowledge and skills in serving the rural, remote and resource limited communities.

Career Plan

Currently I am passionately involved with a nongovernmental organization involved in provision of affordable primary care to complement the efforts of the National Primary healthcare development Agency in my country.

Upon my return, I am looking forward to initiate the establishment of mobile clinics to serve more remote communities, who live far from the Ward headquarters where the primary health centers are situated. In addition I would pioneer the creation of the association of rural doctors, which would form the bedrock of stimulating interests in rural practice among young doctors and other allied health professionals.

After two years, I look forward to completing a residency program in Community Medicine, to further enhance my skills and knowledge while passing on what I have learnt to younger colleagues.

In conclusion, I have a lifelong passion for volunteer service. I would love to continue to volunteer with the Christian Medical Dental Association, mobilizing and inspiring the next generation of doctors to consider a career in rural medical practice.