He is a member of the 2k16 set who just concluded their final MBBS exams and was a member of the Clinical Press.

I.A: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Dr B.O: My name is Odigwe Chukky Bryan. I’m a final year medic who just concluded my final exams. I’m passionate about making a positive change in society.

I’m also bilingual and an identical twin.

I.A: What was your best experience in medical school?

Dr B.O: Its hard to choose but I’ll say winning an all-expense-paid trip to Sheraton Hotel to meet the Minister of Health, our ex-VC, Prof. Adewole; for an essay I finished top Ten in, and then getting my French DALF C2 certificate during COVID-19. They were both unforgettable moments.

I.A: What about an experience that wasn’t too good?

Dr B.O: So in 2019, 3 days to my third MB, I was diagnosed with Chicken Pox and my whole body was covered with rashes including my face. It was embarrassing, because I still had to walk around UCH to write my exams and people were staring at me as if I was one of those lepers from the bible. Let’s just say I almost wanted the ground the ground to swallow me that day. Thanks to my friend Temzy, and with the help of the departments I was able to write my exams in isolation and recovered in time, to be able to write the clinicals.

I.A: So, what are your plans post-Medical School?

Dr B.O: Well, I’ve learned during my stay in this school that we can be more than Medical people. First of all, I want to practice. I’m considering Orthopedic Surgery.

However, I would also like to have a career outside medicine, maybe in IT or Finance and since I’m a pretty decent writer, I’m also considering writing novels.

I.A: Has COVID impacted your plans, either personal or towards furthering your education?

Dr B.O: It made me realise that one skill or one profession is really not enough. You need a backup plan. I also realised that I needed to start living for myself and start doing the things I actually want to do.

I.A: Your class is known as Maxximus, what does that mean to you?

Dr B.O: I think it describes our class perfectly because despite our numerous struggles, we always manage to come out stronger and better. When I hear Maxximus, it reminds me of ‘The gladiator” movie and I think of resilience.

I.A: That’s interesting. What are your hobbies?

Dr B.O: My hobbies include swimming, watching lawn Tennis, watching TV, listening to music, and hanging out in new places.

I.A: How do you feel about not getting to have your final dinner?

Dr B.O: I felt really bad about it, not just the dinner but cancelling the entire ‘health week’. Even though I had attended a few dinners before then, It was disappointing to realise that we wouldn’t have a last dinner as finalists. But that’s life for you, shit happens.S

I.A: How do you relieve stress after exams?

Dr B.O: Normally I hang out with my friends, maybe watch a movie or go swimming.

I.A: What’s a fun fact that people don’t really know about you?

Dr B.O: The first is that  I have an identical twin who also medicine in Uniben.

Another one is that I was born left-handed but because my mother wanted I and my twin to be indistinguishable, she retrained me to write and eat with my right hand.  So today, I can only use my right hand to write, while I can do everything else with my left hand.

I.A: What was your favourite posting in UCH?

Dr B.O: If I had to choose, I’d go with Path and Pharm. Family Medicine also gave me a lot of peace.

I.A: Who is your favourite lecturer?

Dr B.O: It’s a tough question but I would go with Dr. C.A.Okolo of Histopath. He’s funny, tells  stories, teaches well and gives us good advice. I always found myself looking forward to his classes.

I .A: Why French?

Dr B.O: Well, I’ve always been attracted to the language because of how classy the French are portrayed on tv and my favourite player (Thierry henry) was French. When I crossed over to UCH, I realised I didn’t want to be spending all my weekends in UCH. Luckily for me, a friend had earlier introduced me to a French school nearby (Alliance Francaise) so I seized the opportunity to go there on weekends.

I.A: How was your experience with the Clinical Press?

Dr B.O: It was a beautiful experience. It was both demanding and rewarding at different times. I’m glad I joined because it made me a much better writer by learning from those around me; and taught me a thing or two about leadership. The bonus was that I wasn’t obliged to campaign for anyone politically since I had the excuse of “I’m a pressman, so I have to be politically neutral.”

I.A: Have you considered a career in journalism when you finish?

Dr B.O: Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s possible. The closest thing would be what I talked about earlier, being a novelist.

I.A: What kind of writer would you like to be?

Dr B.O: I would want to write about societal issues, about the things people are afraid to say and put it in the form of a story.

I.A: Thank you very much for taking out the time to participate in this interview.

Dr B.O: You’re welcome. It’s been my pleasure.