*Aisha Muhammad wins Vice-Chancellor’s prize for ‘Overall Best Graduating MBBS Student’
By; SANI ALIYU, Zaria
The highpoint of yesterday’s 2024 Sponsio Academica of 71 MBBS students of Ahmadu Bello University was the administering of the Physician’s Hippocratic Oath on the new qualified medical doctors by the Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Dr. Fatima Kyari.
This was contained in a statement from the Public Affairs Directorate, Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, dated Thursday, April 18, 2024.
The Physician Pledge serves as a foundational ethical code for medical professionals; and it is based on the ancient Hippocratic principles that emphasize on duties, such as patient confidentiality, beneficence, and non-maleficence.
Another significant thing at the occasion was a lecture oganised by the College of Medical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University in preparation for the students’ exist, which they would ultimately find useful in navigating the multi-disciplinary team nature of healthcare.
The lecture, entitled “Conflict Resolution in Healthcare: Building Bridges for Better Patient Care”, was delivered by Prof. Abdullahi Alkali Abba, who is the Provost, College of Medicine, Kaduna State University.
Equally, the former Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Lokoja and a one-time Chief Medical Director of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Prof. Abdulmumini Hassan Rafindadi, gave words of advice as a ‘Medical Elder’ at the occasion.
A number of prizes were presented to academically outstanding graduating MBBS students for 2024 in pre-clinical and clinical courses, with Aisha Muhammad winning the Vice-Chancellor’s Prize for ‘Overall Best Graduating MBBS Student’.
This is beside the other prizes she won as the ‘Best’ in courses such as Anatomy, Medicine, Medical Microbiology, Paediatrics, as well as Anatomy and Surgery.
She also won the NMA Kaduna State Prize for ‘Overall Best Graduating MBBS Student’.
Speaking at the occasion, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kabiru Bala, congratulated the students on attaining the medical feat and urged them to strictly obey the rules and regulations of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and all other laws for the control of medical and dental professions in Nigeria.
The Vice-Chancellor also expressed appreciation to the College of Medical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria for the successful organisation of the 2024 MBBS students oath-taking event.
Earlier in his address of welcome, the Provost of the College of Medical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Mohammed Sani Shehu, congratulated the graduating students, parents, friends and well-wishers on the successful completion of the medical studies.
Prof. Shehu explained that the event marked a significant milestone in their journey towards becoming compassionate healers, dedicated caregivers and future leaders in the field of medicine.
While wishing all of them a successful and rewarding career in medicine, the Provost also urged the graduating students to read the code of medical ethics and professional conduct, as well as to always reflect on the content of the oath throughout their medical practice.
He expressed the College’s immense appreciation for the invaluable contributions of the University Management, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, and all other individuals and organisations for making the occasion a huge success.
The event took place at the 1000-Seater Capacity Conference Centre, Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru Main Campus, Zaria on Wednesday, 17th April, 2024; and it was well attended by several guests, including parents, guardians, friends, and other well-wishers.
