Name: Wumi Oworu
Country of study: United Kingdom
Elective Location: University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja, Nigeria
Elective Period: 04/04/16 to 27/05/16
Duration of Elective: 8 weeks
Speciality: Obstetrics & Gynaecology
My experience in Nigeria was a wonderful experience, although I have visited Nigeria several times before, this elective period was my first experience of living in Nigeria independently and working in a healthcare setting. Starting at the beginning, I arrived in Gwagwalada on Monday and met with my supervisor Professor Ekele, who briefly described what was to come while at AUTH. I was introduced to the head of the O&G department and the senior class representative from the University of Abuja Medical school, a young man called Etuk, who assisted me with settling in. Etuk showed me to my accommodation and was kind enough to take me to a few places to buy some food, utensils, etc. My accommodation, was a 2-bedroom flat in a block of flats containing only medical students, I had my own bathroom and I shared the kitchen and living room with my flatmate. The accommodation was a few minutes from the hospital, but still on the hospital grounds. The flat was clean and well kept, with good space and the basics. Later that day I met my flat mate Tolu, who was a lovely young woman in her penultimate year of medical school.
During my 8 week placement, I was allocated to one team for 4 weeks, where I joined them on their ward rounds, gynaecology clinics, antenatal and post-natal clinics, theatre sessions and on-call duties. Every week day morning began with a morning meeting, cases that were managed the day before were discussed and assessed. I spent 2 weeks in the labour ward, observing and assisting in the management of labour and Caesarean sections. I spent a total of 2 weeks in the gynaecological emergency unit and special care baby unit. During my elective I was taught how to perform vaginal examinations and perform a pelvic examination using a speculum. During antenatal clinics I had the opportunity to examine numerous women at various gestations. I attended to a few patients independently under the supervision of consultants in the gynaecology clinics. I performed investigations such as pap smears, endocervical swabs and high vaginal swabs. I observed cases that are uncommon in the UK, such as large uterine fibroids, primary presentation of metastatic endometrial cancer and the management of labour in a patient with sickle cell disease. I understand the Nigerian Healthcare system consists of both a private sector and national health service insurance scheme, both with their own advantages and disadvantages. The use of traditional medicine also had an impact on health, I often observed patients with advanced disease because they delayed their presentation to the hospital because they sought cheaper traditional alternatives. I had theopportunity to complete a cross-sectional study titled, ‘The Perception of pregnant women about Caesarean section at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada’. It consisted of 131 pregnant women presenting to ante-natal clinic. I was granted ethics approval for this study. I used interviewer-assisted structured questionnaire to collect data. The acceptance rate was 70%, other literature quoted acceptance rates of 7-30%. The study showed a higher acceptance rate amongst pregnancy women who were older, married, multiparous, educated and have had a previous Caesarean section. This developed my research skills; it also exposed me to the difficulties of international research such as language barrier and limited resourced such as electricity, internet and time constraints.
I enjoyed the food to the absolute maximum, I probably ate grilled catfish at least twice a week and utilised the hospital canteen and ate pounded yam with egusi (my favourite) often. I definitely ate well while in Nigeria. The heat Gwagwalada was a different experience entirely, one I have never experienced before, I learnt to avoid being outdoors between 9am-4pm, to be well stocked up on bottled water and bought a mini-fridge as soon as I arrived (to the manifold wisdom of my mother).
When not working at the hospital, I often enjoyed myself in Abuja with my cousin and the new friends I’d made. I appreciated the order and subtleness of Abuja, in comparison to the hustle of Lagos.
I also had the opportunity to visit Kaduna, which was just a 2 hour drive away from Abuja, or an hour flight from Lagos. I also visited an orphanage a couple of times and gave some assistance.
I wish I had taken the opportunity to visit Jos, a popular city known for their cool climate, internationally known for their medical education at the University of Jos, as well as other things. Once my elective was complete, I travelled to Lagos to spend some time with friends and family.
My elective has enriched my undergraduate education, I developed basic obstetric and gynaecological skills which will be useful throughout my career. I have improved my knowledge and skills in maternal and foetal medicine. It has also given me an appreciation for the healthcare system available to patients in the UK. I have experienced another element of medicine that I will always be grateful for.
My experience has made me more passionate about pursing a medical career in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. It has also exposed me to potential opportunities in the Nigeria, especially for someone like myself – young, ambitious and open-minded.
Dear Wumi Oworu. I’m currently considering/in the middle of organising an elective in Nigeria for 2020. I’m currently looking to do it in Lagos, Outreach Women and Children’s Hospital. I was wondering if you had any advice on funding/tips on electives and if doing an O&G related elective in Abuja would be better.
Thanks
Samuel Kalu, 5th Year Medical Student, Keele University, England
Hi Samuel, that sound exciting, send us an email if you need any support! Also sign up to our mailing list it be up to date with any Medics’ Inn news.
info@medicsinn.com