Date: 2013-05-20

The University of Ilorin weekend graduated one hundred and four medical students from the College of Health Science of the university.
Speaking at the induction ceremony of the 29th Medical Graduates, the Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Professor Dapo Sotiloye, who is also from the  Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, congratulated the newly inducted medical doctors on "having kept their heads where others have lost theirs."Sotiloye, who was the guest speaker at the event, advised the new medics to be focused and determined so as to attain their ambitions in life.
"You are now in the dawn of your medical career with a distinct possibility of a glorious career depending largely on what you make out of it! As the Yoruba adage says, it is the description of your calabash that determines/dictates its deployment."He said.
He charged them to be upright diligent and hard working in their undertakings at all times.
Sotiloye also enjoined them to indulge in continuous training, saying that learning is a continuous process and that no knowledge is wasted.
"Lay a good foundation of diligence for yourself. If you are the type who dodges work of responsibility, I admonish you to turn a new leaf from today.
"A lot can be achieved in the next one year that is still regarded as part of your professional training before full registration to practise. It has been established that there is a correlation between knowledge, skills and attitude.
"Skill is very important in practice. Any deficiency in this regards must be perfected. Whatever skills you ought to have acquired that is lacking must be sought diligently within the next one year. I want to stress again that continuous learning is the fulcrum that supports and lubricates your professional career. You have to engage in self-directed leaning for the rest of your life. It is therefore time to learn good habits and unlearn bad ones.
"As we all know, knowledge establishes the framework for skill acquisition, and a trainee's abilities will be sustained by his or her attitude which invariably determines his or her altitude in this profession and all other callings in life.
"I charge you to make up for any deficiency that might have existed. An average (even poor) student who decides to work hard can become an outstanding clinician/academic with full determination and commitment. Therefore, cultivate the habit of lifelong leaning."He stated.
He urged them to treat their prospective patients with utmost care and respect, saying "without the patients, doctors and other health workers will be irrelevant. Your patients are and should be treated as kings."He enjoined the medics to adhere strictly to the high standard of professional ethics and practices and decide early on their areas of specialisation, urging them not to do jack of all trades.
Also in his address, the Provost of the College of Health Sciences, Professor Abubakar Omotoso, enjoined them to be committed to serving the society towards living up to the oaths taken during the induction ceremony and the ethics of the profession.
He also advised them on continuous learning, disclosing that arrangements are on in the college to give the medics ample opportunity to have additional trainings.
"The college is passionate about making the medical education better. To that end, a clinical skills laboratory has been conceptualised and indeed is under construction nearing completion where medical students can learn firsthand, honing their clinical acumen for the first time in this centre by the use of mannequins and other learning tools."He disclosed.