₦airaland Forum

drt:
Please I need sincere advice. I'm currently a house officer @ Usmanu Dan Fodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto State. I'm halfway into my 2nd posting but just last week, I got another internship offer in LASUTH, ikeja, this has always been my dream place of doing internship. I am primarily based in Lagos, graduated from UNILORIN last year october & the only reason i'm in the north now is because I didn't get internship placement down south. Here i'm missing out a lot because of language barrier( I don't speak hausa & sometimes in emergency, when patients come we'll just be looking @ each other until an interpreter comes cos most people here are illiterates and can't speak or understand English @ all). Now i'm so confused, if I say I should take the offer in LASUTH, i'll miss july 2012 NYSC + LASUTH pays less, but I think i'll have a better experience there. Please i need the opinion of those that are ahead of me. Thanks.

I think the issue is really about what ‘better experience’ you are really talking about here, Dr T . . . 

If it’s clinical experiences, then the fact is that different places offer different sets of useful clinical exposures and experiences. So, I would embrace – rather than alienate myself from – the new set of experiences offered by the different culture wherein I find myself. To be honest you can never know when that exposure will come in really handy!

The language barrier thing can almost be dismissed as an excuse for something else, to be honest . . .

The ‘illiteracy’ thing is also something that you will not be able to really run away from in your career, no matter where you find yourself in Nigeria, so unless you are after some other ‘experience(s)’, I would complete the Internship up there, learn some Hausa in the process and then go for the NYSC in 2012, if i were you. Chikena! 

All the best.

PS: During my NYSC ‘up North’, most of us non-Hausa speaking Doctors learnt passable Hausa within 3 months, (and in emergency situations were able to take reasonable history from the locals without having to be ‘looking at each other until an interpreter comes’); so Dr T, it’s really do-able, if you really wanted to. . .

igbo-boy:
Hello, I'm a 500l med student. I have been considering going to the US for a residency program in Internal Medicine when I graduate. I've done a little research and an exam called USMLE seems to be pretty important. Other stuff like US Clinical electives seem to be necessary. My questions are
1. How exactly do I transform from Naija med student to US resident?
2. Can I finish the American residency and still work in Nigeria as a consultant?
3. Is it possible to work in the UK after my NYSC while preparing for the USMLE? How?
Thank you for responses

There is no other route of getting into the US health system other than the USMLE route. USMLE stands for the United States Medical Licensing Exams. Google USMLE and it will take you straight to their official site for detailed information.

US Clinical electives are helpful as they offer you a US letter of recommendation, which would boost your application for the residency, but they are not indispensable; however seeing that the Residency is very very competitive, anything that will boost your application should be considered. If you can get a few weeks of clinical electives in the US, especially when you go for the Step 2 CS exams (see below) then it would be advisable to do it. . .

1. How exactly do I transform from Naija med student to US resident?

To become a US resident as an International Medical Graduate, you will need to complete the following:

i) Do the various steps of the USMLE - there is a total of 3 steps: step 1, step 2 (which is divided into Clinical Knowledge - CK and Clinical skills - CS) and step 3. 
ii) To start residency you need only complete Steps 1 and 2 (i.e. 3 exams).
iii) The 4th exam (step 3) is necessary if you will be applying for a H1 Visa (which leads to a Green card). Without it, you can only apply for a J1 visa (which does not lead to a Green card).
iv) For the Step 2 CS, you will need to travel to the US for the exams.
v) Most people will recommend the usmleworld website as a major resource for the exam preparation. It has a very good question bank for all the steps and an active discussion forum.
vi) Once you are done with the exams (steps 1, 2CK & 2CS), you can then proceed to match for the residency programme of your choice. 

2. Can I finish the American residency and still work in Nigeria as a consultant?

Yes, but you will still be required to register your qualification with the Nigerian Dental and Medical Council. They will assess whether you can start work immediately as a Consultant. On their site there is a list of registrable post graduate qualifications. Google Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. You will find the relevant information under MDCN recognized Additional qualifications on the ‘Quick Links’ section. 

3. Is it possible to work in the UK after my NYSC while preparing for the USMLE? How?

Yes it is possible; however to work in the UK you will still need to pass the Professional and Linguistic Board (PLAB) exams.

The energy and resources to prepare for it might as well be expended in preparing for the USMLE.  Having said that, quite a lot of people travel to the US from the UK after having worked in the UK for some time.

All the best!

gmyguy:
whats your take on migrating to greener ventures, America vs Australia>>>seeking Residency training?

It depends on what you want to do your residency in and your definition of ‘greener pastures’. . .

Of the two places you’ve mentioned America, still stands out as the best place for an International Medical Graduate (IMG) to migrate to for residency. Some say you may achieve a reasonable quality of life, in Australia, but the reality is, it’s not been known to be exactly IMG friendly. That’s what i am told.

I am more familiar with America and their needs. Over the next 10 – 30 years their demand for Psychiatrists and Primary Care Physicians will not be met by the local supply, so they will be relying on IMG’s . . .

The fact is, it’s become increasingly more difficult for International Medical Graduates to do Residency in fields other those for which they cannot meet the demands locally. The local interest in Psychiatry and Family Medicine is poor because of the pay disparity between them and the more fashionable Dermatology, Anesthesiology, plastic surgery etc. The remuneration for these less glamorous are usually at the bottom of the pile! The locals are usually in a hurry to offset their debts from medical school which iusually runs into the hundreds of thousands, so naturally they gravitate towards maximising their earnings as soon as possible. . . 

A surgeon would earn from about 220k. Dermataologists and Anesthesiologists earn even more. Psychiatrist earn from about 180k per annum, whilst Family Physicians earn a little less, on completing residency. But then, you are more likely to get a Green card a lot quicker with Psychiatry and Family Medicine than say, Surgery.

I hope that answers your questions.

imconfused:
i'm sorry sir.I love psychiatry already and it's what i had planned  to specialise in but my whole family and hubs are against it.They have named psych docs back home and truly truly,there's something a bit off about all of them.

The same ol’ stigma thing going on here, i see . . . But that’s ever so  last century.

Honestly, there’s nothing inherently ‘off’ about Psychiatrists. The perceptions held by some, have more to do with (their) ignorance . . .

imconfused:
Beneli has been mia,even mailed but no answer so i am seeking advice cos i am confuseddd.
Where are all the doctors on NL??

I didn’t get your mail. I would have taken time off to respond to it.

imconfused:
What options are open to me if i don't want clinical medicine and what do i do to start off??

Some of the options include;

1. Public Health
2. Academic Medicine
3. Health Management

Psychiatry, believe it or not,  is still clinical medicine. The bulk of the work is more 'integrative' or 'holistic', if you prefer, so encompasses the biological, psychological and social aspects of diseases and their manifestations. There are few Psychiatrists who are Psychotherapists so spend most of their time just ‘talking’. . .

imconfused:
Just a quick question,
  Finishing med school in a few months,i have started thinking that the clinical route may not be the best for me.I am truly confused.
What is the best option for me to take,i have zero skills except reading text books.Where and how do i start developing the skills?Let's say i have an interest in working with an NGO or something in health management,Do i have to study something new?Am i doomed to giving injection?
What do i do?Married so movement is limited.
  Final abode UK.Helllp!!!

Finishing med school in a few months, i have started thinking that the clinical route may not be the best for me. . .

The fatigue thing is setting in a lil’ bit too early in your career don’t you think!  Honestly a lot of doctors from all subspecialties have felt that way at some point in their careers, but your own get as ee be! 

I was trying to be humorous in case you missed it – so no offence meant . . . !

Now to the things that burden you . . . 

1. What is the best option for me to take; i have zero skills except reading text books.

I believe that you should be guided by what you perceive to be your strengths. Doing a SWOT analyses of your personality will, to some extent, help you decide what exactly you should consider pursuing as a career.

If, as you said, you like reading (and perhaps research), you can consider academic medicine in any speciality. I am sure in Medical school there would have been some specialities that you found a bit more interesting than the rest. Explore that specialty a bit further and see how you feel about it during the Foundation years (Housemanship in Naija). If you still fancy that specialty enough then consider getting a PhD etc in it and possibly engaging in research in that field.

Medicine is in need of Academicians at the moment. . .

2. Where and how do i start developing the skills?

Start by deciding what it is you are good at already, then follow-up on it by exploring the things that you hope to subsequently do. If you’re good at ‘reading’, then consider acquiring skills in critical appraisal of academic papers. You could get a Masters in Public Health with a lean towards epidemiology or any other such areas that will enable you to improve on research methodologies.

3. Let's say i have an interest in working with an NGO or something in health management, Do i have to study something new?

Yes, you’ll need to study more. Perhaps not exactly something new.

I have given a lot of information previously about how to go about getting a job with the International NGO’s. In summary you’d probably need to get yourself a Masters in Public Health at least. 

4. Am i doomed to giving injection?


Though I am still in clinical practice - despite what people may say about us Psychiatrists, and the whisperings that we are charlatans or quacks – i have not given injections for almost 10 years!

Here in the UK it’s usually the nurses who administer the injections. Our role is to prescribe the treatment, monitor the patients response to it and deal with any adverse effects from it. We don’t give the injections.

Even my friend who runs his own GP practice (so is a ‘genuine’ Doctor) get’s the nurses to give the injections!


5. What do i do?

The choice is ultimately yours, my dear. Whatever you do, follow the path of happiness . . .

@ ChinenyeN,

Very interesting stuff, i must say!

The bit about 'concerned Ngwa', lends it a bias towards any view that would be considered Ngwa-favourable!
So, leaving it there, given the content - and yes, i read it all - may erode a bit of its credibility, in my opinion!

But well done. . .

. . . beneli, chuckles to himself. . .

I was having a discussion with a colleague of mine today on the same topic. He asked me how old i was and when i told him my age (41), he said that he was about a year older than what i am now, when he decided to try to chart a new course for his own life, which would take him in direction different from where his life was otherwise headed. At the time of his own 'crises', he was already a director- level health practitioner in his countries ministry of health; you could say he wasn't doing badly at all, but something about the role and the prospects wasn't really satisfying for him.

So he braced himself and embarked on a new journey - came to the uk, got a PhD, did a bit of research here and there in things that really interested him, and then explored the new challenges (adventures, perhaps) that life was waiting to throw at him. 15 years down the line, he doesn't regret making that move he made. He feels fulfilled and happy. His wife and kids are comfortable. . .

The lesson - the restlessness that overcomes some people as they hit 40, for some, may be more to do with the pusuit of 'happiness' and 'life satisfaction' than prosaic considerations such as 'money'. . .

@OP, do what it is that will make you feel fulfilled and 'happy'. . . 15 years from now. . .

If it helps - you are not alone!

I am feeling kinda lucky right now, even though I have recently let go of my erstwhile lucrative ‘hustling ways’, and embraced a more economically sobering, but much more stable post in a leading UK private Healthcare provider. . .

You see; the bubble is bursting – nay exploding – around 'hustling' Doctors here at the moment, as the government continues to cut costs and contemplates shedding up to 50,000 jobs in the National Health Service over the next couple of years.

Everybody is gripped by the anxieties of the moment. From the tea-drinking executives of the so called Primary care trusts, which will all soon cease to exist, through the hospital managers, who have to justify why they need to be retained by the various Health Trusts they work for (so they have to cut down on the money paid out of their confers to the ‘hustlers’ to ‘save money’), down to the support workers and the cleaners. Everybody has bills to pay and know that they are probably only two pay checks away from being homeless - the reality of living in the Western world!  

Honestly, it’s become like a war zone here. Everybody is fighting for his own survival and is being compelled to justify why they are indispensable in these troubling times . . . so the more dispensable ones are crapping their soiled pants, already! 

I am feeling kinda lucky. As I glance through the windows of my office, now awash with the hesitantly warm late afternoon sunshine that is heralding the imminence of spring, I watch the traffic, snaking along the road in the pre-rush hour traffic jam, and it dawns on me, that I am spared the anxieties of a lot of people out there at the moment. I am saved the embarrassment of having to crap myself!

And I ask myself, what else can I call this. . . since I can continue to pay my own ever increasing bills and afford still a bit of luxury . . .in this ever deepening ocean of despair that encroaches around me?

Is this not contentment . . .?

EzeUche_:
The question you should be asking is if Ufomba has the support of the populace. He is very popular amongst Abians and his success in the business arena, may help him in his battle against T.A. Orji.

However, it seems like the Ngwa vote is going to be split, that is why he has to focus on Umuahia and the Bende zone.

I am not sure how much support Reagan Ufomba has been able to garner in the state so far. The hope is that he will benefit from a protest vote against T.A. To answer asha80's question; the structures they have on ground, to the best of my knowledge, seems to be skeletal. . .

With regards to the votes of the Ukwa/Ngwa axis being split; I am not so sure about that. Prince Ikonne has insignificant following. You probably may know that his father is not (was not) held in high regard in Aba. But having said that, the young man seems to be very determined and has been playing the Ngwa card subtley.

Akomas has the dark clouds of OUK hanging over him. He, in the eyes of many, has been stained. Unfortunately, PPA does have structures on ground and will give PDP a run for their money.

ReachRich:
T A Orji is the worst governor Abia state has ever had in its history.I just hope this booing will translate to less votes for Orji.Vote Chris Akomas for Abia Governor & Orji Uzor Kalu for Abia North Senate.PPA, prosperity to the people.

Very interesting!

So OUK wants to be a senator does he?! I laugh in unadulterated Ngwa!! Clearly the dude has the structures on ground to give PDP a run for their money in Abia state and he may even cause an upset in the governorship elections, but if Abia really wants to oust T.A out of office they should vote strategically, and go with APGA.

PPA should be a NO NO . . .

Even in his own constituency . . . Aba . . . Prince Ikonne lacks significant following.

He is a young lad, quite alright, but he lacks both the intellectual muscle and the political wherewithal to arouse enough confidence in people around him.

He also lacks vision and a clear objective for the state. The only thing he can 'boast of' . . . if that is boast worthy . . . is that he is a 'prince' - in community that hardly recognises 'monarchy'. He did not perform while he was a commissioner in OUK's government. He hopes that 'the Ngwa factor' will swing the political pendulum in his favour, but unfortunately for him there are two other Ngwa gubernatorial candidates - Chris Akomas, PPA and Reagan Ufomba, APGA - both of whom are better educated and possibly more politically connected than he is.  At least Mr Akomas is.

But unfortunately, the PDP will most likely win again in Abia state, whether thief T.A. Orji is unseated by Chief Emenike as the party flag bearer or not. This is simply because the PDP has the political structures on ground. That is the harsh reality in Abia state.

It is also the scenario that will repeat itself at the federal level come May 29 - it's the party that has the structures on ground that will carry the day. It's not down to the whims of the internet warriors or the huffing and puffing of those that have perfected the art of rhetoric without action!

It is about the structures you have and not about your ideology, good intentions or ethnicity . . .

lelouchan:
Hi not to sound ignorant here, but I want to know once and for all. When do you say Igbo and when do you say Ibo??

So is someone 'Igbo' or 'Ibo'? Is the language 'Igbo or Ibo' and lastly is the place 'Igbo or Ibo'?

Also if I want to say for example, 'this statue is not of yoruba origin, it is of 'Ibo' origin, is that correct?

Thank you!!

This is an interesting question that you ask!

While Abagworo has posted information that can be debated, I honestly think that the majority of informed Igbo people would be most inclined towards using ‘Igbo’ to describe the name of the people, the language spoken and the land inhabited . . . irrespective of what some of the 'erroneous' information out there say!

So in answer to your question the politically correct terms would be:
Igbo person
Igbo language
Igbo land

'This statue is not of Yoruba origin, it is of 'Igbo' origin’ . . .

The use of ‘Ibo’ to describe ‘Igbo’ people or language is increasingly considered irreverent. Some educated Nigerians . . . Igbo speaking or not . . .  even find the term very insulting since they are aware that its one of those patronising relics, spilling over from the centuries when the colonialists had gone about telling their subjects how they should call themselves!

But as we gradually shed ourselves of the 'odious' mentality of those years, most of us have come to agree that we are Igbo are not 'Ibo' -it doesn’t matter whether the Igbo person is from the Igbo-speaking areas of Rivers or Delta states, or the Igbo speaking states of Abia, Anambara, Ebonyi, Enugu or Imo . . . it is still Igbo!  And that is how we wish to be called . . .

The few people that persist in using 'Ibo' are either being deliberately mischievous – as you may have observed, perusing the politics section of NL - or are just innocently, or in a few cases. . . i dare say, even. . .  irredeemably, ignorant!

oyinda.:
bring a grandparent or illiterate relative to live with you and babysit your kids from early childhood.

God forbid bad ting - you wan damage the kids for life!

And yes, I'm sure he meant '2nd generation'. . .

alj harem:
but u do not see me making thrends about how the biafra army killed my relations because[b] it was about 50 years agos a distant past that everyone in nigeria has forgotten that it even existed[/b]

No, Alhaji, the war did not happen in 'a distant past that everyone in Nigeria has forgotten'.

The war was from 6th July 1967 to 15th January 1970. It was not 'about 50 years ago' - today is 41 years since it ended. And it may interest you to know that even here on NL you have a few people who actually fought . . . and were scarred. . . in that war.

If, like you hinted, you prefer 'to forget' such a tragedy that happened in your nation - and even in your own family, as according to you, your own relatives were also victims - you may want to know that a lot of people have not forgotten. They may have moved on, but they still carry the memories and the scars with them. . .    

Perhaps these pictures tell only the Biafran side of the story, as some are quick to mention. That's fine, but like I mentioned in my other post on this thread, these pictures tell part of our collective story. . . they are part of Nigeria's history, just like the other pictures the poster has been kindly posting in the politics and the culture sections of NL. And as a nation we should not - infact we cannot afford to - forget this part of our history, lest we allow it to occur again.

People who feel uncomfortable that only half of the story is being told, should endeavour to post their own pictures so that we can see our 'complete' history of the war in all its glory . . . and gory. That's what they should do. And not to continue to berate a hurting people.

The truth is that very few nations - infact hardly any nation - can heal if they do not talk about their pains. When they try to suppress it, it finds outlets, which ultimately force them to come back to deal with their issues. Personally I think that if Nigeria really wants to heal then it should confront the ghosts of its past and try to resolve the underlying problems.

Trying to sweep the problems under the carpet is not a good strategy at all.  

@ MzD@rkSkin, your observation is the reality - to some people it was - and always will be - about the oil. Human lives lost or destroyed means nothing . . .

These pictures speak volumes . . .

In all honesty, it is difficult to know how to respond to them. Clearly people born on different sides of the warring factions will have a tendency towards being defensive in their interpretations of the events that lead up to that tragic war  - that's human nature.

But when some argue that the pictures tell just one side of the story, the question that begs to be answered is; does that fact diminish from the tragedy revealed in them? Must we, like the people shown in the picture on page 1 (06:34;53) . . . apparently concerned more about the oil . . . shut our eyes to the fact that what happened between 1967 - 1970 was a Nigerian tragedy and not just a comeuppance for the 'arrogant and greedy Ibos (sic)'?.

As I look through the pictures . . . through the eyes of a person who was born in the last months of that war and who suffered Kwashiokor, but was among the few that survived. . . . I cannot help reflecting that January 15th - the anniversary of the day the sounds of that ugly war ended - is just 4 days away, yet we as a people refuse to deal with the things that lead to it. We allow the the same mistrust and the hating; the dirty power politics and yes, the bigotry, to fester. And I cannot help reflecting that Nigeria still boils. . .

As I reflect, I ask myself; how can a people full of so much potential become so phucked up and even seem to relish in it?! Our penchant for self-denigration in our ignorant attempts to appear better than our cousins from other ethnic groups within the Nigerian union is very very puzzling to me . . .

It puzzles me that people who lay claims to being educated do not understand that tribally motivated braggadocio only potrays one as being very ignorant! And I wonder why we can't be a little bit more circumspect in our utterances, especially when it concerns issues that the different sides consider sensitive.

In my opinion as a Nigerian - and not because I am a child of Biafra - a national monument should be set up on which should be inscribed in marble the words: Never again. . .

Honestly, this is wrong on so many levels.

Correct me if I am wrong but are you saying that this Tosin was legally married to your Uncle, she then elopes with another guy, who probably doesn’t know that she is a married woman, gets pregnant for this new guy and now wants to live happily ever after . . .? I don’t think so! Life does not work that way. Sorry!

If this was my call, Tosin would certainly not be allowed to get away with this. Bigamy is illegal. Deciet is morally reprehensible. She is committing bigamy and living in deceit with another man, who probably doesn’t know that his marriage to Tosin is invalid. . . and has already started having babies with this decieved man! 

I honestly wouldn't be advising Ms Whiteroses to become complicit in this despicable conspiracy of deceit that Tosin has set in motion. That too would be totally wrong. 

So Ms Whiteroses, the burden would be to do the right thing. I would.

The right thing is that you should ensure that your Uncle knows where his supposedly long lost wife is. And the best way to go about doing it, is to let Tosin tell him herself. For this to happen, Tosin should be made aware that you have ‘found her’ and that she should now come clean with her real husband. She should let him know what the situation is, so that he can divorce her properly. . . and then move on - if he is so disposed, that is.

If she doesn’t let her real husband - your uncle - to know that the marriage to him is over, then it becomes your responsibility to let him know. And if he prefers to make an issue of this, it’s his prerogative. After all he is still married to Tosin!  If Tosin decides not to come clean with her current partner, well that’s really her business. It’s not your call. But the way life works, is that he will certainly find out sooner than later!

When the right thing is done, then people can talk about moving on.  Deceit should not be allowed to flourish . . . that would be wrong.

Phew. . . .just had the conversation!

Fortunately the Children's Encyclopaedia and another book 'what's happening to my body' - which he had been reading had very good illustrations of the human body. That made it a lot easier!

Me: I understand you wanted to know some things about how the eggs and the sp*erm meet. Is that correct?  
Son: No not really . . .
Me: then what was it you were asking you mum earlier on then?
Son: nothing! He says and pretends to be playing with his DS .
Mother interrupts us. 'Son, put that DS down. You don't have to be shy. And your dad is not angry with you. . .'
Me: You know what, why don't you go and get those books you've been reading so that we can have a look at what's in there. . .
He gets both books and then starts looking for the pages he was interested in. 'It's after the bit about animals. . .' he mutters, leafing through the pages and then hands over the books to me.
Me: okay. Very interesting illustrations. So tell me what you already know about how babies are made.
Son: The sp*erm and the eggs meet, I think and that's how babies are made.
Me: Very good. Do you know where the sp*erm and the eggs are produced, and how they eventually meet?
Son: No. . .

I then explain about how the body changes at puberty and how the organs meant for pissing transform into s*ex organs. And then how adults lie together in order for the p*enis to meet the v*agina etc etc. I ended up by letting him know that though at puberty his body changes and teenagers can become parents if they were to lie together and engage in the sex act that it's very important for people to wait until they have had a good education, gotten a good job and then fallen in love before they think about making babies.

Thank God that he agreed with me!

My 6 year old son has started asking the dreaded 'birds and the bees' question. . .

His mum was taken aback this morning when he came to her with his little Encyclopaedia of Everything and started asking how the spem from the man manages to get to the eggs inside the woman! Embarrased, she took the book from him to see for herself what kind of information he had already gleaned from it. To her relief - and disappointment, i must add - the book had been miserly and very subtle with the information, possibly meant to arouse enough curiosity in the child for it to then go and have that unavoidable conversation with its parents.

Now I am stuck with having to have that conversation - after his mum washed her hands off it and told him that I would be explaining it to him when i get back from work!
On the phone she said; 'the time has come for you to start having the man to man talk with your son!'

To help me out in this rather difficult situation, I have had to do a bit of googling to find the best way to go about explaining sex to a 6 year old precocious kid!
The advise I am getting is that I should use appropriate words like 'p*enis' and 'v*agina' and then be as honest as possible . . yeah right - honest, indeed!

I don't know whether I should be looking forward or be dreading having that conversation this evening. . .

No, actually I am dreading the conversation!

ChinenyeN:
This sort of thing cannot happen unless: 1) A group of people highjack the situation and create such a position for themselves; becoming self-proclaimed representatives (i.e. that 'eze igbo' nonsense that was going on some time ago in Yoruba territory) or 2) A process by which people who have actually made serious efforts for the better gradually have such positions thrust upon them; making up a legitimate representative council, and that one will take serious time.

My money is on #1. It seems most likely to occur, in my opinion.

You're probably right. Obviously #1 is the most likely scenario that would unfold if the idea were to take root in the next year or two, given the present crop of power brokers in the land and how impoverished our youth have become, which makes them vulnerable to being bought over by the person with the deepest pockets. . .but then you never can tell what would happen to an idea whose time has come in a society where people are fed up with the status quo. . . 

Andre Uweh:
@Beneli, thanks for your post. There is a lot to learn from that wonderful piece. Especially to target the Igbo kids in the U.K. At the moment, an arrangement has reached an advanced level with BEN TV on how to air some of our programmes.
Am so glad your wife and kids are making progress in learning Igbo.

Learning Igbo is one of our priorities for the next year or two. They felt out of place not being able to communicate with some of the old people in the village when we went home recently!

I think that the challenges for Ndi Igbo in the Diaspora and the ones at home are slightly different. They may complement each other, but they are still fundamentally different.

'Diaspora' here includes those within Nigeria, but living outside of ala Igbo.

In the Diaspora one of the greatest challenges is that the next generation is losing - or have lost - the use of the Igbo language and have also become increasingly alienated from their Igbo heritage and culture . . . they find themselves, gradually slipping into the cracks between the culture of their new ‘homes’ and the home of their fathers. Many factors are responsible for this, including the nature of a lot of Ndi Igbo abroad to keep to themselves, while trying to build their lives; and also the penchant of some for acculturation i.e. the process of diluting one’s culture in order to fit in with the new environment in which they find themselves. The longer term effect of this effect is that the next generation, growing up abroad, loses its identity . . .or end up locked in the 'marginal man' syndrome. . .  

The things Andre and co are doing with the Igbo youth Cultural centre in London are very commendable. I know that with time they will gradually take it to the next level and would soon introduce well researched activities and programmes that target the minds of the children and the younger population. Perhaps they would soon also start producing books for children and that sort of thing. My wife currently gets books from America for our kids. The language thing is also very commendable. God willing, my wife and kids will soon enrol in the classes!   

Within the Nigerian context we don’t need any more ‘socio-cultural’ groups.

Our problem is our lack of political sophistication. Our nature of claiming to be ‘independent minded’, while eschewing the collectivist approach to crafting an Igbo destiny within the Nigerian union . . . because of a so-called ‘Igbo enweghi Eze’ philosophy . . . is not helping us at all. We fail and fall because we are divided as a people, politically. Our individualistic efforts and achievements become meaningless if Ndi Igbo as a group cannot become a political force to be reckoned with, within Nigeria. . .

So we need a re-working of our political strategies within the Nigeria context. ‘Igbo kwesiri i nwe Eze’.

The nature of that Ezeship. . . that leadership, if you will. . . could be an ‘acculturated’ version that comprises a council of those whom we see as having our best interest at heart. If the older generation have become too corrupted by the politics of the times, then the younger generation can jump start the revolution. They can float an Igbo Think Tank that comprises informed and politically aware ‘youths’ both in the Diaspora and at home, who will focus on the political destiny and strategies of Ndi Igbo within Nigeria. How this would work – its leadership, structure etc - needs to be thought through very carefully but it must have a political agenda. And I emphasise that it would be focused on strategies of becoming relevant ‘within Nigeria’ because one of the problems that have plagued Ndi Igbo has been the distraction some have had of nursing the option of once again breaking away from the union - which has resulted in our lack of diplomacy when associating with other nations within the union - when in reality a much greater destiny awaits us within Nigeria if we can get our acts right.

I believe the latter strongly . . .

Interesting topic to reflect on. . . 

I suppose that to answer the question of how one gets recognition and respect from ‘the big guns at work’, one would really need to ask oneself yet another (extended) question:

- Is the person actually enjoying the work they are doing . . . is this work what they really want to be doing for the rest of their lives. . . are they enthusiastic about it all?

If the answer is ‘yes’ then all the person would need to do is to let that enthusiasm show.  In most cases that enthusiasm would push them into becoming comparatively more creative and innovative in their work. They would without any hesitation go all out to acquire all relevant skills that would make them better workers - in other words, for want of a better way to summarise it, one can say they'd be manifesting 'the wow factor!'. And their colleagues would most likely notice this enthusiasm and dedication. . . and if they are not overtly envious - or are not in open competition with them - would probably show them the respect, they'd be deserving of. Even their bosses may ‘recognise them’ - that is, in an ideal world where subordinates are appreciated!

If, on the other hand, the answer to the question is ‘no’ and for that individual it’s even a burden to get up in the mornings . . . and when they do, they spend the rest of the day fantasizing about 'better' jobs they could be doing, or they find themselves just wondering how on earth their lives ended up so fu*cked up. . . . and yet for some perverse reasons they still want ‘recognition’ in their work place . . . then such a person would have to hone up their skills of sucking up to people, because that’s the skill they'd need the most!   

So, the ‘wow’ factor, if there is anything like that, has to do with whether you really like your job and also what your current state of mind is in relation to that job. . .

. . . as the velvet curtains start to draw on the stage of 2010. . . as the nostalgic tunes of Auld Lang Syne starts to rent the air . . . let me go and start honning those skills I mentioned. . .  

Meanwhile Happy New Year to everybody and may 2011 be all that we wish for and more!

'There's something about education that lends it to unshackle the cold chains of depravity . . setting the soul of the brute free. . . '
                                                                                                                                                                                  - E.Beneli!
But make I leave that turenchi. . . this is about 'university degrees', right? . . . and not necessarily about 'education'. . . or is it?

I know that in some societies, getting a university degree almost equates to becoming educated - 'almost', I say, because at the end of the day, it still depends on the one getting the 'degree'. . . and of course - if not more importantly - on the environment.

Once upon a time, I am told, it was almost the norm that when you passed through the four walls of a university, the metaphorical 'four walls of the university' also passed through you. I think these must have been the times when people who graduated from university came out refined, cultivated. . . and yes, educated - having given themselves to the cultivating influences of the 'four walls' wherein they got their degrees.

It appears that something then happened. Something that provoked us into qualifying the graduates of these four-walled institutions, as 'educated illiterates'. . . it happened insiduously; because we woke up one day and it started to dawn on us that our universities have become glorified local secondary schools!

. . .perhaps it had something to do with the walls. . . perhaps they started crumbling down . . .as we slept. . .as we sleep. . .  

Or perhaps this has always been the case and the degree acquisition exercise in Nigeria is just another charade, where we make believe that we are catching up with the rest of the world in our 'human development indices', while not recognising that in actual fact we are deluding ourselves . . . and like ostriches stick our heads in the ground, refusing to admit that we have not remotely started the process of nation building. And everybody,except us, seems to know this.

And If this is the case . . . that indeed this whole charade is all make believe . . . then one can understand the OP's arguement that it's really all about the bragging rights and that a 'university degree' - in Nigeria - has very little to do with becoming 'educated'.

But since the OP was not talking just about Nigera . . . or similar 'third world' societies that all seem to have lost their way . . .one can only be tempted to disagree with the assertion that he makes. Methinks that the process of getting a degree, should be an 'educating' process. It should give the one who enrols in it more freedom.

. . . it should create in the one striving for the degree an attitude of excellence that allows for better life choices to be made. It should empower him. . .

Yes, methinks that in an ideal case scenario, the 'educating process' - an integral part of getting a degree - should be able to thaw the baser instincts of the brute and allow the one it embraces to acquire that gentility of spirit that comes with refinement . . . and in the process transforms him into a true 'homo sapien' - a sapient being who is wise, thoughtful and insightful. . . a soul that has been set free to live a fulfilling life, bereft of the dark oppressive clouds of ignorance!

But alas! Not all degree holders are educated. . . and not all educated people have 'degrees', hence the problem, identified by the poster.

^

The vagaries . . . hmm . . . now that you ask me about them, I start to grope!

Perhaps I can go on a rant about the uncertainties in both the private and public sector services and the difficulty in building a fulfilling career in a society where you are pledged to try to achieve the right balance between the quality and affordability of the service you provide on the one hand, and not letting your conscience to get scorched. . . and lose its luminescence. . . .on the other hand; a society where it’s more preferable to yield to the seductive grips of mediocrity, as it is in some perverse way, better rewarded; a society, my sister, where our lunatics are not locked up in asylums, but are the ones that have been empowered to make our decisions for us. . .

But let me not go on that idle rant, less I be accused of prejudice. . . .and be advised to go and sort out my issues! Perhaps my view has been darkly clouded by what I read in the media and may not reflect the exact reality on ground but . . . . vagaries?. . . they are certainly there waiting to embrace you as you take the plunge. . .   

I hope it makes sense - If not, I am sorry . . .

Ochi_Agha:
I am still not surprised about this. Someone on NL predicted she was going to do this. And what did she do? She actually did it. I actually support APGA. I hope this party sweeps the entire South-East. Does anyone know who is running on the APGA ticket for governor of Abia State?

-Omenani

The two candidates for APGA are Dr Max Ndukwe Adindu and Reagan Ufomba. They're yet to go through the primaries though. They're not political heavy weights in the real sense but seem to have potentials - especially Dr Adindu who has been a commissioner in the T.A. government but from the news available to me, fell out with that notorious cabal on grounds of incompatible principles. He seems a decent chap. Reagan Ufomba doesn't sound bad either but there's questions about who his political godfathers maybe.

Either of them would be a better option for Abia. . .

Ladyrsky46:
Is there any prospect for a Diagnostic Radiographer in Nigeria/Africa in general?

It really depends on how you want to define the 'prospect' thing.

But as oga Ajanlekoko said, there is a need for Radiographers in Nigeria. . . and Africa in general!

Radiological and Imaging diagnostic services can also be big business if you can afford the equipments and go into private practice.
In the government sector a few of the teaching hospitals offer residency in that field, meaning that there should be a demand for it . . . albeit one that is subject to the usual vagaries that plague most clinical and other specialties in Nigeria!.

You can check out the website of the National Hospital in Abuja. They seem to have a reasonably functional Radiology department there. . . I would have posted their link, but I don't want the spambot to catch me again!

tensor777:
Again what has kidnapping of innocent people for money got to do with campaigning for political office? Yes some desperate politicians are prepared to visit satanic doctors in the course of a political campaign but what exactly is the link between that and filthy kidnapping for ransom business

Put it this way. If a person is 'desperate' enough to 'visit satanic doctors' then nothing is beyond such a person. Besides T.A himself has been implicating Mr Akomas, his former deputy, as one of the sponsors of the kidnappers, while some people in the opposing camp implicate T.A, saying that he has been funding them through some of his relatives. Now if they are all accusing each other of being the sponsors of these kidnappers, it would follow that there is something to be gained from all this, which is beyond the comprehension of those of us who have not been initiated into their strange ''political strategies'. Would you not agree?

tensor777:
I don't know what you're going on about there? What has kidnapping of school kids got to do with political campaigning. Confusing pure criminality with campaigning. SMH

No one is saying that this is not pure criminality. It certainly is.

What one is saying is that it is not beyond those politicians to invoke it as some sort of warped 'political strategy'. . . possibly gone - or going - wrong.
This is nothing new in Nigerian politics. And it's certainly part of the words on the streets, which you'd probably hear if you talked to some people there.

Why does this surprise you?

tensor777:
Away with these baseless conspiracy theories. I mean the very idea that a professional politician would get involved in something as dirty and implicating as kidnapping of all things is just too ludicrous to even talk about.

Perhaps, you didn't see the picture floating on NL of one of these same 'professional politicians', in his underwear at a witchdoctors shrine, involved in some sort of ritual of allegiance to his then godfather, who he has since fallen out with.
My broda, 'dirty and implicating' - and yes, even 'kidnapping of all things', assassinations, involvement in witchcraft/occult practices etc - is how most of these 'professional politicians' roll. It's their stock in trade.

Saying it out loud has nothing to do with idle 'conspiracy theories'.

@ omonija1

Okay, I am not a female Doctor so can’t offer any thoughts about balancing career and motherhood! But I will give my thoughts on the rest of the very profound things you’ve raised about career choices and what cards life eventually deals to us. . . 

First there are crossroads in our lives when one feels most saddled by such existential questions as ‘what’s the purpose of life’ or even the mundane ones such as ‘whether our career pathways are taking us in the right direction etc. At such moments it helps to take a few steps backwards to review where we’re at; why we chose the paths we chose in the first place; and then ask ourselves whether the current burden we carry is rooted in some other things going on in our lives . . . some other things that for whatever reason we hesitate to confront. But which we must to be able to make better decisions about the subsequent steps we take. . .

I am not ranting here – i myself was at those same existential crossroads several weeks ago, so when i talk about stepping backwards and taking stock of ones life, i was really ‘standing and talking in front of the mirror’ and hoping that there is somebody eavesdropping who may benefit from my soliloquy - you, perhaps . . .

. . . is this really the path of my happiness. . . ?

But back to the issues you raised. Why did you choose Biology and why the reluctance for further education, knowing that without it, ‘a degree in biology is useless’? Is it really useless? One wonders what has changed since the time, almost 4 years ago, when you enrolled for the course in Biology? One also wonders what enthused you then. . .

You speak of a lack of enthusiasm in spending another 4 years in medical school, though as you stated, you had previously ‘always wanted to be a Doctor’. Why the change of mind?  I am hazarding a guess that part of the ‘so much’ you went through, while trying to get your bachelors degree has to do with your other question about career and motherhood.   

In America, if you were to finish medical school and want a career pathway that allows you more time with the family then you could think about Family Medicine . . . and other subspecialties that don’t require you to be available 24/7. Of course other career pathways, like ‘Accountancy’, which you suggested, are still there. And one wonders whether they would be less ‘gruesome’ or, in the longer term, be more able to offer you a better balance in the career – motherhood equation.

But what would make you most happy . . . ?

I think that the question of happiness is the most important to confront. It always should be what guides us. What is it that would offer one the greatest satisfaction and feeling of relevance in life, say 5 – 10 – 20 years down the line?  Of course there is no easy answer to the question of happiness, so you don’t really have to even attempt one. It's for reflection really and more for the benefit of the 'man standing in front of the mirror and thinking out loud. . .'

emmatok:
THE SOLDERS DOING THE KILLING ARE LOOKING SAD, BUT GOVERNOR ORJI SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY MAN SMILING.

THAT CRIMINALS DEATH, IS A NICE COVER UP FOR HIM.

Spot on. But it's still a good thing that the rogue is dead . . .

The only way to achieve closure in this whole 'debacle' will be if Abians on ground ensure that T.A. - any of his stooges or any of the 'incarnations' of thief Kalu - do not come back to power in 2011.
We all know that it's a difficult task given how the power equations are unfolding in the state, but it is a task which must be done if we want any progress.

Osisikankwwu was a pawn who just happened to be 'demon possessed' - i suspect that most Abians knew this anyway.