Here's with us, Adeyemo Abraham Adedayo, the record breaker in the history of Veterinary medicine for the session 2018/2019 in the premier University of Ibadan with 11 Distinctions.
In this interview below, he revealed an outright display of pure excellence, as he has diligently paid his dues to the academic world.
Can I meet you, sir?
I am Dr. Abraham Adeyemo Adedayo, DVM. I'm single, Christian, a native of Igboho, Oyo state, and I reside here in Ibadan
You graduated from a noble profession, how did your journey start?
The journey started in 2012 when I applied for admission into UI for MBBS, but I didn't meet up with the cutoff requirement. I then was offered admission to veterinary medicine, by a miraculous turn of event. I took interest in vet medicine and accepted the offer of admission.
The offer for admission to Vet medicine came 2 weeks before we resumed. Even my name was second to the last on the matriculation list that year.
Highlight your academic feats since the days of preclinical, paraclinical and clinical year?
100Level: 6.8CGPA (First class)
300Level (Preclinical): Distinction in Veterinary Anatomy, Distinction in Veterinary Physiology.
400Level (Paraclinical): Distinction in Veterinary Parasitology, Distinction in Veterinary Pathology, Distinction in Veterinary Microbiology,
600Level (Clinical): Distinction in Aquatic Animal and Wildlife Ecology Management and Diseases, Distinction in Clinical Anatomy, Distinction in Clinical Pathology, Distinction in Veterinary Theriogenology, Distinction in Veterinary Surgery, and Distinction in Veterinary Public Health..hlight your academic feats since the days of preclinical, paraclinical and clinical year?
Why did you not switch to Human medicine when you had the opportunity?
I guess the reason why I didn't bother to even change over to Human medicine was initially when I was offered Veterinary medicine. In fact, before my admission to UI, I was actually at Ekiti State University (EKSU) at the time, studying microbiology. But when I was offered Veterinary medicine, I had a decision to make whether to stay at EKSU and keep doing microbiology there or to come to UI and do Veterinary medicine. So, I actually fell in love with the course "Veterinary medicine" because I have a passion for animals, so when I got the offer of admission to Veterinary medicine, I was very excited to do the course, so I left my previous. When I opted for Veterinary medicine UI, I had already decided that I wouldn't bother to change to Human medicine again. I really loved Veterinary medicine that's the reason why I stayed with the course.
How did you study with the almost inexhaustible lecture notes during your Doctor of Veterinary Medicine exams (DVM Part 1, 2, and 3 i.e 300, 400 and 600 levels) which run through three semesters?
I start studying very early in the semester such that from the first week of every semester, I begin my study plan, my study schedule. I read everything during the first week. I will read everything I've read during the first week in the weekend of that first week, then the second week, I read everything that we were taught during that second week, then I read everything from the previous weeks as well. So the third week, I covered everything from the first week and second week including the ones we were just taught during the third week, then the weekend of the third week, I cover everything all over again. So that's the scheme or the style I used for reading every semester. Then for DVM exams, usually since I also keep jottings of the salient points from each topic/ lecture note. I keep a jotting of the important points and I also go through past questions to see the way exams are set and questions are asked then I read with that in mind so that i would be able to read. This makes me know the important things in the lecture notes. Then, as for the DVM exams, it's only for our DVM part 3 exams which we did in our final year (600L) where we did an aggregate of about 4 semesters at once. The other part 1 and part 2 exams were just three semesters, so the final semester before the DVM exam, I had started reading the previous two or three semesters. I had started reading them, getting familiar with them all over again during that last semester before the DVM exam. However, I also keep in touch reading the work for that semester with the style I mentioned earlier. Although sometimes, I may not finish reading, it may spill over to the next week, but because I keep jottings, I may not have to go through all the past semester work to keep familiar with them, I may just have to read the jottings alone, and when the exam comes I usually try to cover everything, but the jottings are the important backup for me, such that even if i couldn't cover up the notes, definitely, would be able to cover all the jottings

At some point in time, you were known to be coming from home to receive lectures, how did you maintain the consistency in your grades?
Yes, I started coming from home 300L first semester, and from there, up to 600L, I came from home for lectures. Actually, I don't really see anything about it [smiles]. Even when I was in secondary school, I was going from Apete to Agbowo express to my secondary school then. Therefore, it wasn't really difficult for me because it was something I was used to before, and when I get home, I don't really feel tired or anything. Immediately I get home I just eat and then start reading. It takes me about an hour to get from school to home which is at Apete and when I get home let's say around 6pm, l use about 30minutes to eat and freshen up, then I start reading up to around 9 or thereabout. Then I have dinner, after family prayers I get back to reading again and I read up to about 11pm to sometimes 12am, so that's just how I go about it. I wake up very early in the morning, around 05:30am, and I get to school most of the time before 8am. I almost always make it to school in time except on some rare occasions where the rain delayed me during the rainy season. That's basically how I just go about it and I guess maybe because my parents don't put too much workload on me. Although, I do house chores like fetching water and helping my mum in cooking things and stuffs like that. They don't really take too much time like that. That's just how I go about it
Purported rumors had it that your matric number is always the benchmark your classmates used in adjudging their results whenever result is out. How true is this and why?
[Chuckles] I don't know about that, but maybe because I usually have the highest mark, but I don't know if they use it as a benchmark or not, but I guess some do make jokes about it that they don't even bother to look at my own 'cos they know that, whenever they see an high score on the score sheets somewhere, they automatically know that it's me and things like that. So I guess, well, I don't know how true it is as a benchmark, maybe just maybe, I don't know [lol]
You were the cartoonist for a local press organization on campus. Why this position? Was that the only extracurricular activity you were involved in... If no, tell us more...
Yes, I was the cartoonist for the Vet News Organization (VNO) and it was because I was asked by the then Editor-In-Chief, Ige Abdullah. So I was approached by him if I could help make cartoons, so I agreed and filled the form for VNO. I did the interview, and was accepted. So I started making cartoons for VNO. That was the only extracurricular activity I did, besides going to fellowship and church. I think that was it, and maybe when I was in 100L and preclinical, I sometimes did drawings or portraits for people and I get paid for it, but I stopped doing that for paraclinical upwards.
What is the highest achievement you've attained as a cartoonist/artiste?
Well, my highest achievement I guess was in 2015. Although then, I was a member of the Red cross society UI chapter. Then I think we were in 200Level,, so a call came from the international committee of Red cross & Red crescent. They called for volunteers or members of the Red cross who were talented in Visual arts. They called for submission of art works for a particular competition called the "Safer access Arts competition"/which was the first of it's kind actually for that year. So, we were asked to depicts what safer access means to us in our localities. So then i sent an art piece for the competition. The Arts competition was to be held at the Geneva convention that year. So participants at the Geneva convention were going to view the artworks and passed their judgements, so votes were to be held, so i sent an art piece to them which was online; i did the artwork then i took a good picture of it and sent to them. It was a drawing. I depicted what was happening at the time with the Boko haram insurgent in the North Eastern Nigeria then. I depicted what safer access meant in our own localities which was the best way I could describe it was the Boko Haram insurgency then. So during the Geneva convention that year, participants voted on the artworks that were presented. I think about 150 artworks were displayed during the convention, so the votes were cast and so I came out as the participants/applicants with the highest votes then. So I won the competition for that year. the reason why it is my highest achievement is that people sent in artworks from different parts of the world, I guess that's my highest achievement as an artiste.
You're the quiet type and most lecturers seem not to recognize you in class, who did you take this trait after?
My mum
Did your overall results catch you unaware or it was something you expected?
To be honest, it was kind of not expected 'cos I wasn't sure of our final year exams like that. I was sure I was going to pass. I wasn't sure I would have distinctions in all the courses like that. When the results came out and I had distinctions in 3 of the 4 courses we did in our final exam, It was really not unexpected, it caught me unaware actually. I guess that was it. It kinda caught me unawares actually in a way. It did.
What award or cash prizes have you received from the Faculty and University of Ibadan at large?
Alumni award(cash prize), 100level
I was on the Dean's roll of honor From 100level to final year.
Then during the induction: Pathfinder award(cash), Silas Onwuka prize for best in veterinary anatomy(cash), and Prof. Bello Mohammed Agaie's prize for best graduating student (cash)
Share with us your most joyous and embarrassing moment on campus
I guess my most joyous moment would have to be during our induction ceremony. My most embarrassing moment I guess there was this day when we were in 400L. I was coming from home so we had parasitology class first lecture in the morning during Dr. Ademola now professor was the one taking the class that morning. I came well before 8am in the morning but then I left the class before I had to use to use the toilet before he came into the class, so on my way back from the toilet, he was already in class. I came back into the class and asked me where I was coming from, and I said I had to ease myself. So he asked me what I ate that "did I take tea in the morning and I replied saying 'no" and reiterated further what I took and I said I took beans last night. He now said I cook beans I said no that it was my mum who cooked the beans, so he was like so your mom cooked the beans in front of the whole class. I guess he was kinda thinking why my mum was still cooking for me. I guess he didn't know I was coming from home. Being in front of the whole class, that was embarrassing for me that day. I guess that's it.
There is a popular misconception about the acceptability of this profession in the Nigeria space, what's your take on it?
I guess there's a misconception about it and as in fact as most Nigerians don't care about animals or spend money to treat them or take care of them and I guess it is a misconception. Depending on where you're in the country. People do care about their animals enough to spend their money to take care of them. Let's take pets for example, dogs and all these exotic breeds of dogs, those that keep them whether for security purposes or for breeding purposes, they do take good care of them. They don't really think anything about it when it comes to taking care of their dogs, pets. People actually do take care of their pets in Nigeria, but I guess maybe for the common animals on free range like our local dogs, maybe that's what people used to judge but people actually do care about their animals in the country. And even the potentials of our profession is quite wide in a way because maybe in recent times, there's been a increase i n people keeping exotic dogs, value those that breed dogs and things like that coupled with the security situation in the country. More home owners are opting to keep dogs i their houses. That has increased the customer base of the veterinarian and also, the farm animals aspect, there are a lot of opportunities for veterinarians like in farms, poultry farms and cattle farms, pig farms even fish farms Veterinarians have opportunities to work there. People don't mind to pay a good VET to take care of their animals whether for security reasons, social reasons as a pet or for economic reasons as a farmer.
What's your career prospect after graduation?
When it comes down to what I have a passion for, it's large animal practice, with particular interest in cattle reproduction and beef cattle production. To be practical, this is a longterm goal. But for now I'm exploring possible prospects in the area of Biomedical research.
What's your perspective of ONE HEALTH INITIATIVE?
I believe it is a very interesting and vital framework, because for us to solve the various health challenges of humankind in this present time we need all the various professionals in the field of medicine, vet medicine, pharmacy, engineering, computer engineering, ecologists, epidemiologists, among others, to come together to be able to prescribe a more efficient and effective solution to the various health related issues in our global community
Share with us one thing you would inculcate and remove in the Veterinary curriculum if given the chance?
If we could introduce a 1 year internship at a veterinary practice after graduation, and perhaps less lectures and more clinics in 600 level, but I can't think of anything to be removed in the curriculum.
Give your views about the implementation of virtual classes for all medical students?
I think it will be a disadvantage for those in their clinical years. It may be manageable for preclinicals and partly paraclinicals, but definitely not for clinicals for obvious reasons
We have this saying "Feed your focus and starve your distractions" What distracts you the most and how do you overcome them?
I guess social media, for most of my stay in vet school I was very inactive on social media. I didn't even use WhatsApp in 400level.
Your parting words to your younger colleagues?
You can't be anyone but yourself. Discover yourself and do your best in whatever you do. Your best is always enough
Lastly, mention the people you are grateful for?
I'm grateful to my Parents ( Pastor Gbadebo Adeyemo and Mrs. Janet Adeyemo) for being there for me through it all; my lecturers and my supervisor Dr. Folusho B. Bolaji-Alabi; and ALL my classmates.

Source: https://campusnewsng.com/2021/03/12/i-was-very-very-inactive-on-social-media-as-i-didnt-even-use-whatsapp-in-400level-ui-bgs-faculty-of-vet/

This is absolutely beautiful.

It paid off.


Start applying for visa now !

That's ur own business. All of it is still useless in our clime

vv

Your mates are making millions through social media and yet you are here celebrating,can't bother myself reading more than 5 sentences

Story too long

Bearded men are intelligent!

DontBullshitMe:
Bearded men are intelligent!

Hmmmmm werey

Buhari is a very useless man

He didn't have WhatsApp in 400L SK how did he get update,because I know class governors mostly use WhatsApp to pass info across