Life as a Foreign-Trained Medical Graduate in Lagos (Part 3)

Hey y’all! Hope you’re having a fantastic day! Well, i promised that part 3 would be up soon. So, here you go!! If you’ve not read Part 1 and 2, then you probably should read them here –>PART 1, PART 2.

Postings went by quickly and we started the secondary lectures (Psychiatry, Ophthalmology, Radiology, Microbiology, Haematology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Community medicine and Anaesthesiology). They were actually more interesting than the primary lectures to me anyway.

My social life was pretty much still the same and I was feeling some type of way because I felt like I wasn’t taking it seriously when I see some people reading like their lives depended on it. If there is one thing I learnt. Don’t compare your progress to others. Don’t feel like others are way ahead. Do it at your own pace. Of course try to cover the materials given but when you meet with others, try not to feel bad because someone answered a question that you couldn’t answer. I compared myself to my sister a lot. When she did hers in Enugu, we barely talked because she was so busy.

I had a lot to study but it didn’t hit me till like September. That was when I said to myself ‘ This girl, do you not understand that this is your life?? You better not fail! Everyone will say shey your sister has two heads abi the people that passed once had bigger brains’. I started reading a lot more. I had most of the lectures on my phone so any chance I got, i’d open them and start reading or staring at it.

Lectures were supposed to end in September but of course they didn’t stick to the schedule and we had lectures even two weeks before the exam. We had a lot of reviews!! Please if you’re planning to write this exam in Lagos. NEVER MISS THE REVIEWS!!! Basically all they focused on in the reviews came out in the exam. They went over the exam format so we could get familiar with how things would go. Tension was building up as the exam date got closer. Friendships were tested (Because everyone felt like everyone was hiding stuff from them). People planned sessions with Snr. Registrars (Basically like Snr. Residents) and didn’t tell others about it even people that were supposed to be friends. It was tough. I may or may not have lost a friend or two to the process. RIP to those friendships. LOL. I was sha saying to myself. We will all pass, if you people like organize lectures in the middle of the night when no one would be able to attend.

Days to the exam and the freaking out sessions became more regular. I had a lot of things planned for the week before the exam so that was making me so nervous. My sister’s introduction was the week before the exam. I was there posting pictures on Instagram and tweeting like I didn’t have exams the week after. I had a study group with four other girls but suddenly I wasn’t being included in the plans and the study sessions but I didn’t let that get to me because I had a right hand man. Lmao Shout out to T! I was able to attend a few study sessions and felt so out of place that I didn’t bother joining them anymore.

Word of advice: Do what works for you! Don’t feel pressured to join a large group but if that works for you, then go for it!

Part 4 should be up tomorrow. I’m doing this everyday because why prolong it? Ya know? Feel free to ask me questions in the comments section. 🙂

• TOSIN