“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide the kind of difference you want to make” (Jane Goodall).
This quote has great significance for me. It reminds me of who and where I was before I participated in the Strategic Thinkers’ Incubator program, and the personal and professional changes I have undergone so far. It has been immense.
My journey in this program started in 2020, during the COVID period. Being a part of this program has caused a transition in me. I have transitioned from being the regular medical student who just wants to pass her exams whilst scouting for possible ways to make money as well, to the medical student who now understands the importance of having a professional life, while seeking to solve health-related problems of women and girls in my community, country, and the world at large.
The training has given me the opportunity to understand and evaluate myself on a professional level and insights about different aspects of medicine I would like to explore. I have become acquainted with terms like my ‘avatar’, ‘personal mission statement’, ‘professional statement’ and more. This started with our first assignment, describing who we are and what we stand for to the ‘Queen’ during a chance meeting in an elevator. I learned how important these terms are in my professional life, and the need to draft them out to better understand who I am as a professional and what I stand for professionally. I also learned why all of these should be articulated in a professional platform such as LinkedIn. In addition, I was able to explore two important issues that impact the health of women and girls and that I’ve always been passionate about: sexual and reproductive health and domestic violence. The sexual and reproductive health of women and girls is a critical aspect of their overall health.
These are important issues that affect the general health and wellbeing of many women and girls. However, especially in Nigeria, these issues are often neglected, particularly domestic violence, which has a huge impact on the psychological health of women and their children. In my research, I learned that domestic violence significantly impacts the health and wellbeing of not only the victims, but the children from homes with such abuse, and if these victims don’t receive counselling with a skilled therapist and sometimes psychiatric evaluation, there is a greater chance of the cycle repeating itself in their lives, hence making it difficult to curb and manage effectively.
My passion for these two aspects of the health of women and girls led me to volunteering and working with four others in the Incubator as the health of women and girls’ group. We prepared and presented a photo-essay on the topic. I had a great time working with my teammates, as it was a period of learning and networking with like-minded individuals. We were given the opportunity to present our photo-essay entitled “Reproductive Health, Family Planning, Key Challenges, and Opportunities for Women and Girls in Irua, Ekpoma, Nigeria” as part of the Poster Presentations at the European Public Health Week and orally at the University of Manchester’s Public Health Festival.
I learned valuable lessons from these assignments and projects. I learned the power of teamwork, how it makes things so much easier and consistent practice as well. All our pre-training sessions with my team members gave me an insight as to why self-composure is of utmost importance in every presentation. My participation in the Incubator program has been enlightening. Everything I learned has helped me set a path for my professional journey and has helped envisioned my professional roadmap and the tasks ahead of me. Dr Thomas was more than a mentor. I thank Dr. Oboh and the, Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA) for partnering with Strategic Transitions to make this program available to us.