SHOW US TO THE WORLD
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it” - Mary Engelbreit
On 11th June,
2019, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan held her 49th
Oath Taking and Induction Ceremony of the 2017/2018 graduates. With over 90% of
all students in the class passing for the induction, it is glaring that
2017/2018 set is an excellent one. However, the induction ceremony was only
graced by staffs of the faculty, dignitaries from the university, graduates’
family members/well-wishers and, of course, the graduates.
While profound accolades are given to the faculty for
intimating students to different fields and establishments of importance to the
profession through various visits, compulsory field practices and provision of
lecturers with respectable knowledge about the profession, more can still be
done. All professions, health-based or not, comprise of both the public and
private sectors and their interrelation is key to developing that profession –
veterinary medicine should not be the odd one out. In Nigeria, it is obvious
that the public sector has failed us, or is failing us; and the private sector
is blooming in terms of job opportunities and workers’ welfarism, there is an
imminent need of bringing the private sector closer to students.
I was perplexed when I attended the induction of a
certain faculty in this same university. I was surprised because the step taken
during the induction by that faculty was a bold, worthy and applaudable one.
The faculty invited many dignitaries from the private sector and they were
dishing job opportunities out to some of the inductees. Apart from beautifying
the profession, such steps appreciate the young graduates for their excellence
and will motivate them to get better. Many attendees of the induction ceremony
were visiting the university for the first time, seeing private firms
displaying their products & services and abating the employment problem of
the country will go a long way in refining their perception about the
profession and university. If this kind of process is mimicked by our faculty,
the veterinary profession will gain more social relevance and people will
realize that veterinary medicine goes beyond jabbing goats.
From a subjective perspective, the induction ceremony
of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is a ceremony of three main players – staffs eager to dump the inductees back to their families. Owing to the excellent
products produced by the faculty annually, any good and optimistic organization
will be willing to employ these brilliant inductees. But the question is, do
these firms really know an induction is going on? With many lecturers of the
faculty having good connections with colleagues in the private sector both
nationally and internationally, it will be a great attempt if they invite
people with resources that can benefit the graduates and veterinary profession
at large.
Apart from the inductees, even students of the faculty
are not adequately exposed to the opportunities lurking around the globe. Being
students of the father faculty of veterinary profession in Nigeria, veterinary
students of the University of Ibadan unarguably have more chance of enjoying
many national and international opportunities, if these are adequately pursued
by them. But most of these opportunities are not known to the students.
Although, many students have lackadaisical behavior to these opportunities and
some selfish students keep opportunities to themselves, the faculty may also be
involved. The faculty can use her influence and affluence to improve the
international relevance of students.
Though, it is really erroneous and unfair to poke
fingers of incompetence to the management of the veterinary faculty, there is
need for more efforts from them. Our induction ceremonies should be occasions
of graduates happily leaving the faculty for more promising future. Parents
should appreciate the program they have been spending on and people should
realize the versatility of the profession. In addition, students need to be
exposed to scholarship opportunities and practical experiences. With all these
done, we hope the brilliant products of our dear faculty are shown to the
world.
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