INTERVIEW

“I SPENT FORTY-EIGHT HOURS ON THE PLANE FROM NIGERIA TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” – DAMILOLA GBORE

Gbore Damilola of DVM III, who was accepted this year into the Kansas State University, Veterinary Research Scholars Program in the United States of America, talks to VNO about his journey to USA and his experiences. 

VNO: What made you apply for this program? 

Gbore: I was always interested in research. However, I wasn’t aware of these kinds of programs until a senior colleague in veterinary school got into one of these programs. And so this motivated me to apply\. I applied for two consecutive years before I eventually got in. 

VNO: How easy was it getting a visa to travel out of the country? 

Gbore: It was a grueling process. Getting a VISA was not easy, primarily because I had some financial challenges. Even though the program issued a cheque of seven thousand dollars to all the applicants for the duration of the program, I had to pay for my VISA myself at first. Eventually, though, I got the VISA. 

VNO: Tell us a little about the airport and the flight. 

Gbore: It was my first time at the airport and on a plane, and so it was quite singular. The airport had very regular items at almost three times their normal price, and while on the plane, everything on the food menu was quite strange. I spent about forty-eight hours on the flight, excluding the various layovers that happened. Finally, when I got to the country, I was quarantined for a week. 

VNO: What differences struck you at first sight? 

Gbore: The people were not quite as uninviting as I feared. They were very accommodating and friendly. There was also a lot of diversity. I didn’t feel out of place until once, when I attended a Fourth of July parade in Manhattan and was one of the only two black people there. There were lots of apparatus in the laboratories and the hospital was a proper one, with state-of-the-art equipment. It was really great. 

VNO: Tell us about the research. 

Gbore: Each student was linked up with a mentor. I was paired with a mentor from the department of Anatomy and Physiology. I investigated on the effect of water extracts of Euglena gracilis on the granulocytic differentiation and activation of promyeloblasts. The project was a follow up on another finding, and provides more understanding on how water extracts causes lung carcinoma in rats. 

VNO: Outside the laboratories, how were you able to manage culture shocks? 

Gbore: The greatest culture shock was food. I could not tolerate most of their meals, because they mostly ate raw foods. The local Nigerian meals were also very expensive. Mostly, I survived on bread and omelette. Every other thing was adjustable, especially since the racism was not quite as bad as I imagined. 

VNO: I suppose it must have been difficult to return back to Nigeria. 

Gbore: Surprisingly, I did not have issues returning back to Nigerian whimsical electricity, even though I was used to uninterrupted power supply in America. The internet, on the other hand, was a large problem, because of how slow it was. But the worst part about returning is catching up on all the schoolwork I missed. 

VNO: Do you have any advice to prospective scholars on what to do to get this opportunity? 

Gbore: I would say determination and perseverance is important. Also, you should improve your CV and get more knowledge. You should have a lot of research experience in the field you asre interested in. It’s also advisable to take your studies seriously. Finally, voluntary and leadership abilities are not out of place. 

VNO: What are your future plans now? 

Gbore: I intend to go for postgraduate studies, perhaps in America. I know I want to research in immunology, but none of these are set in stone. I’m still young and exploring.