A graduating female medical student of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), School of Medical Sciences (SMS) and Nigerian, Dr. Lotachi Ugwunwa Onyemenam over the weekend set a record by sweeping 16 out of the 20 awards.
MyNewsGh.com’s Asana Gordon who was at the event, reports that out of a total of 56 graduands who successfully went through the six-year intensive programme comprising 35 males and 21 females, all the awards were won by women.
Another female graduate, Dr. Arkorfa Ama Wotordzor also swept the other four awards.
Some of the awards received by Dr. Ugwunwa Onyemenam are the Vice-Chancellor of UCC prize for the overall best performance with a cash prize of GH¢1,000.00 and a laptop computer, Ghana Medical Association for best student, Cape Coast teaching hospital prize for the best student among others.
At the 1st session of the 51st congregation and Kath swearing ceremony in a colourful celebration, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof Joseph Ghartey Ampiah revealed that so far the school of Medical Sciences has churned out 299 doctors since its inception in 2007 hence the school continue to receive good reports about the performance and conduct of its products.
According to the Chancellor, the Modular System of delivering the curriculum is one of the keys and unique features of their medical school.
Prof Ghartey Ampiah added that the adoption of the Community-Based Experience and Service (COBES) mode in the curriculum provides the students with their necessary exposure that helps them to sharpen their research skills.
This mode, he added also builds in them the virtue of empathy as they offer services to rural communities within their service catchment area.
Prof Ghartey Ampiah said his outfit continues to gain more recognition and visibility as it continues to make strides to collaborate with top notch universities around the world in the areas of Medical education and research, and its faculty carries out extension services with Ghanaian and International Institutions.
He said the School also signed and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Anhui University, China and continue with activities and programmes under various MOU’s signed in previous years with various institutions
He observed that despite all their marvelous performance, the school still struggles with the challenge of inadequate infrastructure and appealed to the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to release funds to help complete the structures.
Prof Ghartey Ampiah urged the new doctors to go out and touch lives as well as to put smiles on the faces of patients and make an impact on society.
“Do not get annoyed with patients when they ask you questions about your diagnoses of their illness or the treatment you are giving to them since it is their right to know” he urged.
Prof Ghartey Ampiah again appealed to the inducted doctors not only treat their patients but also spend the time to explain the cause of their sickness to them and how they can prevent the various ailments.
On his part, the Director General of Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr.Anthony Nsiah Asare urged the doctors not to feel shy to learn from nurses to teach them how to give proper injection.