Day 30: Queen Adepero Ajayi #MyMBBSJourney

It’s a long read o but if you want gist, enjoy.
It was a bumpy ride but also an adventurous one!
It started with accepting to study medicine and then convincing my dad I could write WAEC, NECO, JAMB & Post- UME the same year, we practically had a fight about it, I couldn’t imagine sitting at home for one year; if I failed at least I would know I tried. Thankfully, I passed it all! My Post-UME story wouldn’t be complete without adding how rain soaked me from head to toes while standing on the queue for hours to write exam, there was nowhere to stay, reminiscing, I can’t stop laughing, after the rain, the sun dried us, they didn’t even send us, worst still I didn’t write the exam that day. I hope all these exams are more organized now.
It was time for registration and the hustle started, I had to wake up very early for the hustle and bustle of the day even though I don’t like waking early, and my dear, no matter the time you got to Unilag, you’ll meet a crowd, I think some people usually sleep there because I didn’t know how they did it. Registration was going well until I got to one stage o, then there was a problem, they told me to go to CITS, I was wondering, wetin happen… lrof, God has been faithful my darling! So I got to CITS o, went to who I was directed to, I explained myself, next thing, “Impersonation” was what I was hearing front and back… lmao. I was confused. Novice me, I did the run around of all my documents myself, when I went to Ikoyi to get my original JAMB result, the guys there told me I had to submit passport, that was where the problem was, the passport I registered with was different from the one on my original JAMB result, and the registrars didn’t believe I was the same person in both pictures, there was nothing I could do to convince them, they were even talking about police et al. I was so stunned, the annoying thing, the day I went to collect the original at Ikoyi, it was the guy that paid for the passport, see me saying thank you thinking he was doing me a favour. My dad had to leave his job, started following me, this Oga at the top didn’t bulge, we called everyone we knew, shingbain. I remember thinking, maybe God didn’t even want me to study this medicine sef, I was never keen about medicine, then I told him, “God, if it’s your will, sort this mess.” It was going to about a month of running up and down, all my friends were almost done with registration.
December 31, 2009, after serious prayer, we just went again to show our face to this man again, that was when he signed that I could proceed, that wasn’t all, he called people that were at the registration point that I was coming and they should answer me immediately, my dear, the speed was faster than swift, I even went ahead of my friends in the registration process. It was a wow moment for me, it felt like a dream. How I went from thinking about taking another JAMB to finishing registration in the blink of an eye. Psalm 126 was my anchor for my admission season. A tear just fell; God has been more than faithful to me.
I resumed, it was my first time in the hostel, my roommates can testify to how extremely quiet I was (they often use the word weird instead), those roommates and neighbors are the closest to me now (Sike, Ope now Mrs. Afolabi, Ifeoma, Funmi, Yewande, Tolu Majebi, Folasade now Mrs. Ayangbemi Paul, Jane Ikondu, Damilola Fagbemi, I LOVE YOU ladies). Every weekend, someone’s mum brought food or stew or came to see them. I can remember at a point I kept hearing my mum this my mum that, I wouldn’t even lie, the reality of no mummy was high, part of the reason I didn’t attend matric, no mummy to be doing party and celebrating that I believed I could write all these exams and pass without anyone’s support or encouragement, I was my own encourager and God. Lol Jesus is that friend that sticks closer than a brother.

100 level was the year I was trying to balance every aspect of my life with academics been top priority, but every other thing kept pulling till I was drained! I wouldn’t even go home for holidays. I knew about Benzene tutorials through Jane, and we would attend together, this was how we grew closer, we would pray together at Chapel, attend MSSF together et plenty other things girls do together. My 100 level will not be complete without Chapel, holy ground. We moved!
200 level… lol. All I wanted was pass, my focus was only on school, how I couldn’t afford to fail, I lived like my totality depended on passing and if I failed, nothing was going to work out, how myopic! I was stretched, strained, pulled, stressed. Well, I failed anatomy, amazingly, it was the course I read the most, I free-styled the other two. Another surprise, my life didn’t end, nor all what I thought would happen, happen to me. This resit phase of my life wouldn’t be complete without mentioning King Ladi Olalere, he didn’t have a resit but he helped me, the first thing Ladi would say is, “What is your plan, you have six weeks?” lol. Planning worked like magic. Night after night with the stress of walking on his crutches, revision after revision, I passed. All to the glory of God. I remember the day results were pasted, I was in Sike’s room, Kazeem called me, I threw my phone away, I was so anxious, then Sike picked up and she smiled, it said it all. I just realized it’s as if I’m sharing testimony without writing what goes on in the class, lol. I believe my colleagues have done justice to that. 
300 level. I was pressed, squeezed, disappointed but carried on, this was the year I met one of the best friends I have, God specially selected my friends for me I must say, I met Yusuf Shittu, he is one person that helped me come out of my shell. He contributed to me starting my blog; he may not even know this, he helped the Pero he saw in private come out in the open, a part of me is still in the shell but I believe the world would meet her in the fullness of time. The classes were long and tiring, I go to class and early I must add but it was as if my totality was never in it, a part of me was yearning for something else, there were so many times I felt like a fish trying to swim on land, it just didn’t seem like I was in the right habitat..lol. I put my all into my academics, read as if it’s either I passed or I died. I was always in night class, you wouldn’t miss me. I had a permanent seat sef, if anyone wanted to be serious about reading and needed help to be consistent, they would prescribe a dose of Pero, lmao. I didn’t have resit, I guess that’s what you’re thinking you’ll read next, lol, sorry to break your heart, I had two this time but the experience was different. It changed my life. I’m going to write about handling resit et al in the future.
The experience: Looking back, it was as if God kept me in his cocoon throughout the period, several news were flying, seeing as I had resits in the two worst departments to have resit in, Microbiology and pharmacology. I choose to believe the report of God concerning me, and that was what I confessed. I never felt bad, it was a season where God grew me in him. I was going to my hostel one day, and the spirit of God said to me, go and meet that dude and speak to him to help you, the dude is King Leke Odufuye, we were not even friends just classmates, he doesn’t know this but I met him by following God’s instruction. I didn’t even know he was teaching some other people too.

Something I learnt; we ended whatever we were discussing by 12am, sleep was compulsory, it was different, I was used to reading to stupor, I learnt here one of the greatest lessons of my life, I needed to give my academics to God totally, I obviously didn’t know how to sort it myself. I joined and that was how I met my creative partner, Lagos waka partner and sisteh, Queen Stella and Queen Omotoke. It was one of the best times in my life, we read, prayed, laughed, ate together. God did it! I never stress as much as I did for the main exam as I did the resit. I’m not saying you should be having resit o, I can’t even say if it’s good or bad because God can bring out good from bad if you let him, you may never plan for it but make sure you try your best possible at least to pass at once.
400 level. This is my real face.                                                                                                                                                            It started rough because I had to prepare for resit as I attended clinic and meet up with attendance and that was also the period I had to have a surgery(you remember my pericoronitis testimony here) but after the exams things normalized. It was not as tedious as the 200 & 300Level, I didn’t have to go to night class everyday but I had to train my legs to stand for hours through the wardrounds, surgery and percussions.
The day that changed the course of my life…
ULADS symposium 2013 changed my life. I attended this symposium and one of the speakers words pierced my heart, when I got to my room, I got to doing. I started Perry’s Tots after postponing for so long. I started clueless and maybe directionless, lol but I’ve learnt on the job, something that has become one of my principles. I’ll always experiment whatever idea I have. Even this series in itself was an experiment but comments like this make me think, hmm, not a bad idea after all!

500 Level. More discovery.
I matured this year after understanding purpose in 400L. I joined CMDA students and served as class editor, the artistic part of my life found more expression. It was the Public health class. It was the year we wrote our dissertation, it was one of my best years in med school, I got to present and publish my research work too. I didn’t have resit, I had a credit, studying with King Leke paid off again and God’s grace. I saw a different aspect of medicine and it made me begin to search for what I could do under this branch of medicine, I have found it and my countdown to end of clinical medicine is on! I believe there’s nothing more beautiful than doing what brings you happiness and joy.

600 Level. Drama + supernatural calm…
This year started with plenty drama, you remembered I shared in 400L I had to combine studying for resit exams, attendance and the surgery. The first day of school, the HOD of medicine department came in and announced, “Some of you are not members of this class because you didn’t make your 400Level attendance.” My name was called, lol. Next thing, write a letter to the Dean of the faculty, next thing, you wouldn’t be allowed to write final exams which means automatic extra year. Hehehe. See ehn, there’s nothing like having confidence in God; and his overwhelming peace with you when the storms of life hit. We pleaded to attend make-up class but she said no, thank God for wisdom and favour, I pressed on, I attended the classes with the hope that one day everything will turn around for my good. I didn’t tell my dad until it seemed like all hell was going to let loose. The hearts of Kings are in the hands of men, He turns it wherever He pleases. God picked up my call again! Final year is usually stressful but I wasn’t stressed, I took one day at a time; I couldn’t have reached there with my own power, I learnt that earlier, so I surrendered to God. I was unit rep throughout surgery unit and my group members were cool, only that I was the only one who showed up in school most of the time, lol.
I dreaded long case, the fact that you might get a case you don’t know so much about or the examiner may be biase. Very subjective exam. Group study venue was my room, sometimes close to twenty people were sandwiched in my room for discussion, examination or whatever! People I never thought could be my friends became my friends.
Prose came, I just took one day at a time. I had resit in paediatrics. It’s surprising that the courses I put in so much effort is usually the one I fail… lol. The day the result was released began a new dawn of my life, not because of my result but because God just began to make several things open up for me so much so that I didn’t have the time to brood or even for a moment feel bad about my result. The day the result was released began the best days of my life on earth, I can’t express it in words but God is good and He is mighty. Things may not be going your way but look back my darling, see where He brought you from, see where you are and don’t be myopic about where He is taking you too. Rejoice in the Lord, it is not the end. King Leke came with his helping hands again and I don’t know if I’ve met a more selfless friend, God bless you Leke Odufuye, in this year He will blow your mind! Stella my creative partner, thanks for the ice cream as we gisted about the resit, I could use another. lol Queen Awala, thank you so much for your time, God bless the works of your hands beyond measure.Thank you Olorunwa.
God did it again! I said God did it again! I believe I’m God’s favorite daughter, and I’m thankful for such dramatic or adventurous life God has blessed me with, I don’t know what a boring life feels like. This is my reality.
PS: This is an abridged version of my dramatic MBBS Journey, I’ll give you the other part soon.

I’m glad we’re finally here, welcome to Perrystots.com, thanks for moving with me and continuing on our journey, more to come in 2016. Xoxo