In the 28 years old history of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Medical School, a 28-year-old student, Aarinola Olaiya, is set to break a new academic record. Olaiya is expected to graduate with Distinction and emerge the 2017 overall best student from the medical school, the first to be recorded in the annals of the institution. With this outstanding performance, she will become the first student to graduate with Distinction in Surgery from Obafemi Awolowo University since the establishment of the Medical School in 1989.
This superlative academic feat and brilliance of Olaiya was disclosed by the Ife University Medical Students Association (IFUMSA) yesterday via Twitter. “Aarinola Olaiya becomes the first student in 28 years to have a Distinction in Surgery at the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, OAU, Ife. Congrats,” tweeted by OAU Medical Students Association via its handle @ IfumsaOau. According to the students’ final MBChB results, released by OAU College of Health Sciences, Olaiya obtained Distinctions in 12 courses to earn the overall distinction and best graduating student in her set and history of the college.
In her Part Three First MBChB Examination, Olaiya, who is expected to win no fewer than 17 prizes at the university’s convocation, billed for December, obtained Distinction in Medical Biochemistry and Medical Physiological Sciences. For her Part Four Second MBChB Examination, she also scored Distinction in Pathology, Pharmacology and CLI, while in Part Five Third MBChB Examinations, Olaiya was said to have Distinction in Dermatology and Venereology, Mental Health, Obestrics and Gynaecology. She repeated the same feat in her Part Six Final MBChB Examination results, in which she obtained Distinction in Surgery, Medicine and Community Health.
While reacting to her performance, the Public Relations Officer for the university, Mr. Abiodun Olarewaju, described Olaiya as a fantastic advertisement of academic excellence of OAU particularly that of the College of Medicine of the institution. On the student’s academic feat, he said: “The Nigerian surgeon known as Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye, who won the praises of people worldwide following the operation he performed on a baby in Huston, Texas, United States, is a product of this university. Indeed, we have many other products of this university across the globe doing wonderful academic exploits. “The university is proud of Olaiya’s new academic feat and we will continue as a university to strive as a centre of academic and research excellence.”
One of her colleagues, Anthony Ifedigbo, said Olaiya had set the pace for others and made them and the university proud. “She did very well because it takes grace to achieve such feat in College of Health Sciences. We are proud of her,” said Ifedigbo. Another student added: “I know Aarinola very well. Although, the going was tough, she became tougher to get going. I am happy for her.
Whoever knows what this record means will definitely know that this beautiful young lady must have read her eyes out! It takes hard work to achieve great success in Great Ife, as the university is fondly called.” Speaking on her of her outstanding performance, Olaiya said: “It is about determination, dedication and grace of God. I am happy.”
