By Chuks Ehirim
Ten newly graduated dental surgeons of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka [UNN], have been enjoined to maintain the tradition of handwork and discipline and never to forget their creator without whom they could do nothing.
Speaking at the second induction ceremony and oath-taking of young dental surgeons of the university, inside the main hall of the faculty of Dentistry, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, UNTH, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State, on Tuesday, July 23,2013, the Dean, Faculty of Dentistry, Dr. Oge Okoye, said that in order to guarantee success in their medical practice, they must set their direction with a positive attitude and strong spirit.
She told them that since the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams, they should step out to meet the world with their minds prepared and their skills tuned, even as the university don encouraged them to specialize as soon as possible, as it pays in the long run.
According to her “those of you who have the intellectual capacity and can afford it, are advised to aspire to academic positions in the university and this will require further studies, it is during the times of success that people will know our name, and it is in the times of trouble that people will know our character”.
The dean recalled with nostalgia, that the faculty that started ten years ago, (2004), without any building of its own, no equipment and office spaces for lecturers and administrative staff, now boasts of accreditation of its programs and lavishly furnished buildings with laboratories and more lecturers, while 9 new modern dental simulators have been procured to enhance
teaching and learning.
As the only school training dental surgeons in the South-Eastern Nigeria, Dr. Okoye, said the faculty was yearning for expansion and appealed for assistance from corporate Nigeria, as the university alone could not solve all its problems. The 10 dental surgeons were inducted on the occasion.
The provost of the College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, UNN, Prof. Basden Onwubere, who performed the oath-taking on behalf of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria,[MDCN], warned the grad ands against unethical behaviors in the discharge of their duties as they strive to remain good ambassadors of their alma mater.
Prof. Onwubere, ranked by the university community as the all time best Provost of the UNN medical college, re-affirmed the commitment of the management of the ivory tower to continue to provide conducive environment to enable students to achieve their educational ambition, while also investing on human capital development of its workforce.
In a lecture, the Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Port-Harcourt, Prof. Chukwudi Onyeaso, called on the universities and teaching hospitals in the country to see manpower development as a collective responsibility, adding that only periodic retraining of the workforce would guarantee effective service delivery in the health sector.
He made it clear that anyone who wished to remain relevant in the modern dental world, research is the way to go.Prof Onyeaso, an alumnus of the University of Ibadan, also
stressed the urgent need for government to purge the system of corruption, because according to him “with corruption, Nigeria can not achieve a good level of success in health care.
While urging the young dental surgeons to shun greed, the lecturer, said that for any medical practitioner to achieve success in the profession, such person must handle patients with respect and decorum, and refer when necessary to maintain his integrity, as well as confide with them.
The University of Nigeria Nsukka[UNN], University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, University of Port Harcourt, University of Benin and University of Maiduguri are the only institutions training dental surgeons in the country.
The vice chancellor of the university, Prof. Bartho Okolo, represented on the occasion by the deputy Vice Chancellor UNEC, Prof. . Ifeoma Enemo, Enugu State Commissioner for Health, former chairman of PDP in Abia State, Chief Ndidi Okereke, the Chief Medical Director UNTH, Dr. Chris Amah, and principal officers of university of Nigeria were among personalities who graced the occasion
