One of the best graduating students of the University of Lagos, Mansur
Ismaila, in this interview with Punch's Folashade Adebayo and Sodiq
Oyeleke, shares his pains and gains of dropping out of medical school
after 10 years at the University of Ilorin, two weeks to his final
examination.
Kindly tell us about yourselfI am Mansur Akolade Ismaila. I just
graduated with a Bachelors degree from the Department of Mass
Communication, University of Lagos.
What is the Cumulative Grade Point you graduated with?
I graduated with a CGPA of 4.59.
How do you feel graduating as a first class student?I feel happy and I feel relieved, too.
What are the factors responsible for your feat?The God factor;
mentorship and guidance; focus and doggedness; broad-based teaching and
support from my lecturers; my academic and cognitive maturity, harnessed
from my years in medical school.
You were a medical student?I was in the University of Ilorin, where
I studied Medicine and Surgery for a total of 10 years, precisely between 2001 and 2011.
Can you share some of your experiences at UNILORIN?UNILORIN was
hellish for me. I never wanted to become a medical doctor in the first
place. While I was at the institution, the course was made unbearable,
and I think unnecessarily difficult then. Tens of us were failing and
repeating serially, and several colleagues were withdrawn in shocking
circumstances; some at 500 level and even final year! But I was
different, in that, despite the fact that I repeated 200, 300, 500 and
600 levels and spent a total 10 years instead of six years at the
UNILORIN Medical School, I really never wanted to become a doctor. Deep
down in me, I really was never a doctor. My heart was always somewhere
else; in journalism or law. I chose journalism after I voluntarily
withdrew from medical school in my 10th year, that was two weeks to my
second attempt at the final MBBS exams. The rest is history.
Why did you drop out of medical school?I was originally pressured
into studying Medicine by my father. But he made an innocuous, and I
must say, a well-intentioned error. Like many Nigerian parents, he
wanted me to be in science class in secondary school and proceed to
study the “best course in the world”. For several other personal, and
seemingly justified reasons, he pushed me into medical school and kept
me there, paying lots of money year after year to sustain me, for 10
years. Unfortunately, I was quite brilliant in secondary school and I
didn’t fail badly enough to send warning signals then. Trouble only
started in the second year of MBBS. Unfortunately again, I had zero
interest in medicine, and very strong feelings for the news, the media,
reading and public speaking. Then and now, I remain a voracious consumer
of the news, and the common complaint of my friends has always been
that I talk too much. Today, I talk for money (laughs). I dropped out of
medicine because I could not take it no more. It was killing me. It
destroyed my cognitive acumen, and turned me into a sad, depressed man; a
perpetual failure. Essentially, I spent the 10 years studying medicine
and discovering myself. The experience subconsciously prepared me for a
new life of success in Mass Communication.
What are the lessons you learnt from your ordeal?Many lessons.
And I’ve decided to spend the rest of my life teaching those lessons to
parents and their children. Firstly, parents need to listen to their
kids concerning their ambitions. Parents should not foist their own
aspirations on their children, no matter the economic and social
pressure. You really can’t make tons of money from a profession you hate
because you had probably not do well in it in the first instance.
Second, children should go the extra mile to convince their parents as
to their education and career choices. If you’ve got no clear focus and
ambition, you’d have no choice but to act another person’s script.
What are the challenges you encountered before and after taking the decision to drop out of medical school?Challenges?
Yes, many. I had lots of antagonists, including close family and
friends. Eventually, I had to stop listening to the naysayers. They all
promptly ‘converted’ after my first semester exams in UNILAG, which
ended with a First Class GPA; 4.67. I also had funding issues,
especially at those times when my dad had not converted yet. I had to
pay for crucial crossover exams like WASSCE, GCE, UTME and Post-UTME
exams. I had to engage in petty business; bulk SMS to be precise, and my
mum paid for the rest. For that, I’m eternally grateful to my mum. She
is a huge reason I climbed into a First Class and stayed there till the
end. Adjusting to life in the Social Sciences/Arts was also a challenge.
I had to buy all the necessary books and read them back to back.
Eventually, I spent two months studying for the usual three-year arts
class, and the results shocked even me! I had distinctions in all the
subjects I offered at WASSCE and GCE, a high score in UTME for that
period and a smooth ride into UNILAG, on the merit list.
When you see some of your course mates in UNILORIN, how do you feel?I feel great now. They’re great doctors. I’m an aspiring journalist, and a proud medical school dropout (laughs).
Is your experience part of why you strive for first class?Yes,
definitely. I needed to do well in my new course of study. But also for
hundreds, probably thousands of youths who are going through the hell I
went through. I wanted to use my story to tell them, and their parents,
that it pays to follow their passion and not succumb to forced and
foisted ambitions.
Do you have any regret for dropping out?Absolutely no regrets. Absolutely none.
How do your parents feel with your feat?My parents are my
greatest supporters now, especially my dad. He put me under so much
pressure during my project writing and I was elated. My mum is at the
very top of the list of my fans. Usually, when I called her then that
I’ve secured yet another First Class semester GPA, my darling mum would
start dancing. I had to keep her dancing. So I had to remain on the
First Class till the very end.
What is your greatest regret as an undergraduate?Greatest regret?
I’d have loved to be more involved in politics. But my course adviser
and father-figure, Pastor Tayo Popoola asked me to choose between
student politics and a First Class. I chose the First Class. In my
department, you hardly can have both.
If you have opportunity to ask UNILAG management for something, what will it be?I
would beg the UNILAG authorities to grant me a Graduate Assistantship.
My passions really lie in teaching and research, and I’d love to settle
into the university as soon as possible, especially because of my
relatively advanced age.
When was your saddest moment on campus?My saddest moment? None. I
only had challenging moments. And they made, not marred me. All the sad
days went away with medical school.
Did you occupy any position while on campus?Yes. I will be best
remembered as a two-term Editor-in-Chief of UNILAG Sun, the flagship
convocation newspaper of the University of Lagos.
What is next for you?I will remain in the media industry for a
while, after which I intend to return to my department as a Graduate
Assistant. I plan to also proceed for my postgraduate studies. I wish to
focus on teaching and research.
How were you able to manage your social life?
Social life? If you meant clubbing, partying and drinking? None. Till
date, my common nickname all over UNILAG is Alfa. I had fun though, tons
and tons of it, but within the limits of my religion.
Advice to youths that may be experiencing the kind of challenges you faced?Follow
your passion, and convince your parents and guardians to let you. There
are three ingredients to academic and career success: passion,
demonstrated ability and the God factor.
