obowunmi: Braces for her teeth pls....

nwando: So this fraud is just reaching nairaland

How I became a doctor at 21 -Ola Orekunrin
May 27, 2012 by Nkarenyi Ukonu





So much has happened in her life that you would not believe she is just 26 years old. Hers is synonymous with innovation, success and excellence.

It started with a resignation from a high-flying job in England, and relocation to Nigeria. So determined to make a difference in medical practice, Dr Ola Orekunrin decided to set up, The flying doctors, the first air ambulance service in West Africa.

Her journey to setting up such a capital intensive and delicate business was prompted by a death—her younger sister died of sickle cell anaemia.

"She was always in and out of hospitals but eventually died for lack of the availability of air ambulance. This more or less propelled my interest in medicine because I really wanted to make a difference in the same way doctors had done to her. Setting up the company was a direct result of my fascination for helicopters, trauma medicine, motor accident kinematics and pre-hospital medicine. I knew it was something that I had the skills and experience to do," she reminisces.

The flying doctors eventually came to fruition about two years ago and it basically provides critical care transportation solutions to both the private and public sector by selling yearly air ambulance cover plans to states, companies and individuals.

She says of the company, "The first time an air ambulance service was suggested for Nigeria was in 1960 and nothing was done about that idea. Having studied the models in Kenya, Libya, Uganda and India, coupled with my growing passion to help improve the health care system in Nigeria, which I believe is poor, I became even more determined to bring a similar service to Nigeria.

"We are completely physician-led and adhere to the highest standards of medical practice supported by the East Anglian Air Ambulance in the United Kingdom. Our mission is simple— to provide the best possible standard of health care to all."

Wondering if the low income earners would benefit from such high end service? She says, "What I do hope is that more states will take up cover as well as making it increasingly available to the common man. I know that as Nigeria starts to take health care reform more seriously, this will begin to happen."

But the road to achieving the appreciable level of success was anything but smooth. Ekiti State-born Orekunri recalls:

"[size=18pt]I quit my job, said goodbye to my political aspirations for the position of the president of the British Medical Association and minister for the conservative party, I sold my car and my house, and bought my one way ticket to Lagos. I was rejected more times than I can remember.
[/size]
"Sometimes I would spend hours waiting in an office only to be told to come back the next day and then be turned down.

"One time, on my way to Ondo State, I was robbed of all I had and was told by my companion, who was travelling with me, not to speak or else my accent would give me away and be the basis for my kidnap. Even in the face of difficultly, I was able to get some funding in addition to what I had saved up.

"In all of these, I was able to learn a great lesson— when you need something, people tend to avoid you but when you don't need anything and seem to be making profit, they tend to become your best friend. The attitude towards me has changed immensely."

She attributes her can-do and never-die-spirit to her love for her country.

She says, "I really do love Africa and Nigeria in particular because it is my identity. I have since realised that the earlier I re-integrate myself back to my roots, the better for me. I grew up in all-white environment and went to an all-white university. To be honest, until I moved back to Lagos, I never ever thought that Nigerians were capable of doing or achieving anything on their own."

Born and raised in England, Orekunrin recalls: "I grew up in a seaside town called Lowestoft in the east of rural England, a completely white community. I went to a primary school run by Catholic nuns and was raised by foster white parents. We didn't have much money even though it was a working class family and we sometimes struggled to make ends meet. Against all odds, I [size=18pt]passed my A-Levels with flying colours, started my degree at the University of York at 15. I supported myself all through, working. I wrote my final medical examinations at 21, thus emerging the youngest medical doctor in England."[/size]

She admits that her foster mother, Doreen, has significantly shaped her life.

"She's a great, spiritual wise woman, who taught me so many valuable skills. I still think over some of the things that she told me when I was a child. They are all finally beginning to make sense to me now."

She was one of the many recipients at the 2012 Thisday award. This is one of other numerous awards she has received for her work in research and clinical evidence.

"I used to think people who win these kinds of awards were politicians or people with the right pedigree so it came as a shock to me. I feel really humbled and overwhelmed and it will simply propel me to do more."

She is afraid to experiment with colours and considers her style to be, "very casual, fresh and classy. I wear things that I think are reasonably stylish. I am not one to experiment with colours," she says.
SOURCE: www.punchng.com

nwando: This was her interview last year with punch.
The lies highlighted
The girl did not graduate at 21
She was just out of med school,and could not smell a post with British medical association and certainly did not leave any lucrative career




Pay attention to the highlighted part

Dr Ola Orekunrin

Dr Ola Orekunrin is the Managing Director of Flying Doctors Nigeria Ltd, West Africa’s first Air Ambulance Service. She graduated from the University Of York, one of the youngest doctor’s in the UK and has worked in the NHS for nearly ten years . She has a specialist interest in trauma and pre-hospital care, buttressed by her private work at motor-racing circuits across the country. She has published her own book along with several articles in high-profile medical journals and has sat on various influential boards at the British Medical Association. In 2008, she was awarded the prestigious MEXT Japanese Government Scholarship and produced ground-breaking research in the field of regenerative medicine through her work with induced pluripotent stem cells. She also is a member of the American Academy of Aesthetic Surgeons and holds their board certification.

nwando: This is from her website



Now she has gone from youngest doctor to one of the youngest doctors to graduate?
How did a 26 yr old in 2012 who claims to be a graduate at 21 have a 10 year working experience in the NHS?
http://www.flyingdoctorsnigeria.com/team.htm
Keep following me,there is more

Dr. Ola: I have worked through both the London underground explsions and several earthquakes in Asia. Our team are very experienced in managing major incidents. We are already talking to our partners in the Northern states regarding the sort of major incident cover we can provide.

At the time of the London bombings I was a medical student on holiday working in GUM at the Royal London . I went to Univeristy in York, but my parents always lived in London where I went for my holidays.

I worked in the NHS for nearly 10 years. I got my first job at 14. This is quite normal in England. Some people do a paper round or work in a shop. I worked for the NHS, firstly as a volunteer, then a physio assistant, then as a healthcare assistant, then as a medical student before becoming a doctor. Over time in different healthcare providing positions, I got the opportunity to see healthcare from a number of different perspectives.

I made that point to highlight the fact that all the experiences that I've had in my life, even looking after patients as a lowly volunteer just sitting with patients, helping with personal hygeine and feeding shaped me into a better doctor. I think everything counts.

I have no idea where anyone got the idea that I started univeristy at 15, I have never said that. I started at 17 and did a five year course without a Bsc. Journalists will write what they like I guess and its difficult to control especially when most of the time I dont even get an interview, I just find myself featured in a newspaper with a grossly inaccurate article mixing dates/times/circumstances.

I have the British number on my website because when I am travelling it has better connectivity when I'm roaming and people want to speak to me.

Then all the comments about 'bad weave', 'clothes' 'accent' are probably not worth addressing.

When I look at my life so far, I'm proud of the little I have achieved. But I want to do so much more to improve healthcare in Nigeria. I really feel I haven't started yet and comments like this make me want to continue pushing forward. There is so much more to do. So many ways that I can improve myself, my weave......apparently and the way people perceive me.

As for me not being a doctor, LOL, thats just plain hating. :-)

This lady is simply a product of this system exploiting the weaknesses in the system.
I became aware of this lady about 2 years ago, when some colleagues concerned about the claims she made on her website contacted me for advice. They knew this lady and knew these claims to be false and broke the GMC guidance on probity. The issue was whether to report or not to report. When the final decision to report was taken, it was discovered she was not on the GMC register and did not have a licence to practice in the UK.

lagcity: it is possible to do disaster relief work while in med school. it is not extraordinary. it is also possible to have 10 yrs experience just 5 or 6 yrs after med school if you do not throw away med school experience, and yes med school counts as experience in medicine!

haters, fvck off and go troll elsewhere. at 27, nwando was still writing JAMB

LWKMD
This is really a 'superstory'. Oga Nwando, u too much.
The worst thing is that her pics are now in a public forum; she has
truly met her Waterloo.

Currently in its third year, the Lagos-based company has so far
airlifted about 500 patients, using a fleet of planes and helicopters to
rapidly move injured workers and critically ill people from remote
areas to hospitals.

Legit1: In the words of Fela " doctor wey dey do like lawyer na suwegbe eeee, na suwegbeee oooo"

CFCfan: What a positive story! Kudos to Ola for her efforts.

babsomotde: Whether she is 21 or 28, my happiness for her is that she is a medical doctor with new innovation. Though, the lie has to be corrected but this is an encouragement for the kids and youths coming behind her to think out of the box. Thank God.
Dr. BABS OF www.edubabs.com