The College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, has so far churned out a total of 4,461 medical doctors since its establishment in 1977. 

This was disclosed by the Provost, Prof. W. B. R. Johnson, in his address at the induction of 20 members of the Batch ‘B’ 2018 medical graduands of the College last Wednesday at the University Auditorium.

Prof. Johnson said that 3,446 of the Unilorin medics are male while 1,015 are female have been inducted since the inaugural event in 1983. He stated further that under his Provotship since August 2014, the College had produced a total of 541 graduands, comprising 369 male and 172 female.

The Provost urged the new medical inductees to “always render accolade-worthy qualitative services and care for the quality of the College medical training programmes”.

The Provost noted that the superlative performance of the Batch B, 2016/2017 set was the first by any final year class of undergraduate medical trainees in his 31 years as a medical educator in the University of Ilorin.

Commenting on the recent trend of increasing proportion of female medical graduands, the Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health said, “Indeed, this time honoured profession which was considered to be the exclusive preserve of men, is gradually being “relinquished” to our more studious, hardworking and indeed, more caring female counterparts”. 

Prof. Johnson added that the Unilorin College of Health Sciences has the first female neurosurgeon in West Africa while an alumnus of the College was recently appointed Doping Control Officer by world soccer governing body, FIFA.

The Provost expressed his appreciation to the current and immediate past University administration for their gestures to the College of Health Sciences. He disclosed that the University administration had supported the College on full accreditation and re-accreditation of nearly all the existing College-related professional and B.Scprogrammes, and sustaining the functionality of the College’s Clinical Skills and Simulation Laboratory (CSSL), among other supports.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Sulyman Age Abdulkareem, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Management Services), Prof. B. F. Sule, congratulated the graduands and their parents and guardians.

Pledging the continuing support of the University administration toward developing the College, the Vice-Chancellor disclosed the plan to provide asphalt surfacing on the link road between the main campus to the College, among other developmental drives towards ensuring better education and good learning environment for the students.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kwara State Branch, Dr. A. Olawepo, who is also an alumnus of the College, tasked the new inductees to be focused and aim for excellence.

The Registrar, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Dr. J. O. Oyeniyi, in his remarks before the oath session, tasked the new inductees on their responsibility to provide medical services, responsibility to patients and consultation of experts among others.

Dr. Oyeniyi, who urged the graduands to respect elders in the field, also cautioned them against advertising themselves.

In his remark, the National Coordinator, Unilorin Medical Graduands Association, Prof. A. Fawole, represented by the National Secretary, Dr. A. A. Popoola, congratulated the graduands, parents and other family members. He disclosed that Ilorin Medical School has come a long way having produced thousands of medical doctors who are well situated all over the world.