Towards growing a viable animal healthcare sector, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, has inducted fresh graduates of veterinary medicine into the profession. The event which took place on Friday, July 28th, 2023, at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Auditorium, University of Ibadan, attracted dignitaries from far and wide.
Reacting to the induction event, the Vice-Chancellor of the prestigious University of Ibadan, Professor K. O. Adebowale, in his warm welcome address, expressed immense joy in the faculty's achievements and extended heartfelt congratulations to the doctors of the day; acknowledging the hurdles they overcame throughout their eight-year academic journey, which extended due to Covid-19 and strikes. He assured of the university's commitment to producing veterinarians dedicated to securing both animal health and human health.
While reminding the inductees of their noble roles in nation building, he urged them to embrace their roles as veterinary professionals, encouraging them to make a positive impact in their chosen field and maintain strong connections with the university through the office of Alumni relations. The Vice-Chancellor also used the occasion to pride the University Ibadan as not only the first but also the best as recognized in the Times Higher Education Ranking 2022, and it also holds the esteemed position of being the First in West Africa and 6th in the entire African continent.
In a momentous event filled with pride and patriotism, seventy-nine bright graduates were officially welcomed into the veterinary profession during the 52nd Oath-Taking and Induction ceremony. The ceremony, held to honour the 2021/2022 graduates, commenced with the resonating melodies of the National Anthem and the University Anthem, unifying the audience in a shared sense of purpose and national pride.
Gracing the occasion is Prof Olufunke Ola-Davies the esteemed First Female Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. In her remark, she commended the 79 distinguished graduates for their unwavering dedication and hard work throughout their extended academic journey. Prof Olufunke Ola-Davies expressed gratitude to the Alumni and sponsors for their generous donations and continuous support to the faculty.
The President of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN) who happens to be the First Female VCN President, highlighted the importance and remarkable growth of the veterinary profession in Nigeria, tracing its history from the first veterinary Surgeon in 1914 to the establishment of the first veterinary school in 1947, and now boasting over 11 veterinary schools with more than 10,000 registered veterinary doctors.
While commending the university and faculty for adequately grooming and preparing the young veterinarians for their future endeavours, the president also used the opportunity to emphasize the significance of the oath, charging the inductees with the responsibility of duly registering with the Veterinary Council of Nigeria.
The highlight of the ceremony was the solemn Veterinary Oath taken by the new veterinarians. The inductees gleamed with pride as they stepped into the podium for the epic moment. With their right hands raised, they pledged their unwavering commitment to the principles of the profession and the well-being of the animals under their care.
The moment of pride and accomplishment peaked when the VCN Registrar presented the graduates with their hard-earned certificates and licenses, officially recognizing them as registered veterinarians, authorized to practice their noble profession. The sense of fulfillment and joy among the new veterinarians was palpable as they held their certificates with reverence. To add further glamour to the event, other outstanding achievers among the inductees were honoured with prestigious awards, acknowledging their exceptional contributions and academic excellence.
The Induction Lecturer, Dr. Abib Olamitoye, a prominent figure in the field of veterinary medicine gave captivating narratives and valuable experiences to inspire the inductees to embrace challenges, pursue excellence, and strive to make a meaningful impact in their careers.
The President of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) also graced the ceremony with warm felicitations to the newly inducted veterinarians. He encouraged them to be ambassadors of integrity in their veterinary community to show to the world noble the profession is.
Amidst applause and admiration, esteemed guests and well-wishers offered heartfelt goodwill messages, expressing their unwavering support and belief in the potential of the new veterinarians to make a difference in the world.
The parents of the graduates were brimming with pride and joy, witnessing their children's achievements come to fruition. The mother of the Best Graduating student, on behalf of all parents, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the university and faculty for nurturing their children's potential and shaping their future as compassionate caregivers.
Speaking with CEOAFRICA Gbadebo Olukole, a Professor of Reproductive and Endocrine Biology, Department of Veterinary Anatomy; and Consultant Public Health, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Ibadan. A fellow of the College of Veterinary Surgeons Nigeria commended graduating students for making the university of Ibadan Veterinary medicine proud as the Faculty is taking the lead why others are following in Africa.
OLUKOLE futher spoke on who is an anatomist, a veterinary anatomist. He went on to as “ Anatomy is the study of structure in relation to function, that is, the form that the various cells, tissues, organs and systems of the body as it affects their different role in the body. Anatomy has a number of divisions: gross anatomy (this has to do with the study of tissues and organs of the systems of the body as can be assessed by the naked eye. The other division of anatomy that cannot be assessed with the naked eye, but with the aid of microscopes is known as microanatomy. Microanatomy is very broad, it could be light microscopy or electron microscopy. Electron microscopy can either be transmission electron microscopy or Scanning electron microscopy. I will spare you the details of these. Unlike gross anatomy, microanatomy takes care of the cellular aspects of anatomy. Having explain what anatomy is, let me proceed to the question of the role of an anatomist in veterinary education. Anatomy is the division of medicine that gives the clinician the knowledge of the various parts of the body and their constituents. Let me take the skin for example, on the surface, you see the hairs and pores, the layer you see outside is the epidermis while there is the dermis, the inner layer, there is a much deeper layer known as hypodermis. The dermis connects the epidermis to the hypodermis. A clinician must know all these because the reactions people see on the skin surface began somewhere deep down the skin. That is why an anatomically uninformed person may be wasting his time treating the surface of the skin without dealing with the problem from the deeper layer where it originates. That may account for most of the skin problems. Of a truth some topical applications do penetrate the deep structures through the pores but there are more to it than the eyes can see.
Without the knowledge of anatomy, a clinician will not know where to inject; neither will he or she know how to access the veins for blood sample collection. An anatomist can easily spot alterations in body structure by observation from afar or better still by touching. In a nutshell, anatomy is the bedrock of medicine. We anatomists are the ones that teach surgeons how to locate structures and dissect. In fact, an integral part of the foundation aspects of medicine is anatomical dissection in addition to osteology (study of bones) and myology (study of muscles). Let me spare you the details of both osteology and myology.”
In an interview with CEOAfrica, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Prof. Olufunke Ola – Davies commended the event with a heartfelt vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to everyone present and their contributions, which she said made the Induction Ceremony an unforgettable success. She described the event as one that would leave everyone with a lasting sense of pride and accomplishment.
