AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH PROF(DR) OLUROTIMI SANYA, PROVOST COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES

 

Culled from AMSA's BLOG
You think you know the Provost of the college of medicine very well? There is alot more to find out from this inspiring man. The Editorial team on Tuesday January 24th, 2017 visited the Provost, College of medicine and health sciences, Afe Babalola University  Prof (Dr) Olurotimi Sanya for an exclusive interview with him. he discussed the plans for the new teaching hospital in Ado, the 300 level MB exams and ABUAD medicine accreditation and offcourse he went a bit deep into his personal life telling us about one of the longest courtship in history.
When we met the Provost in his office, he seemed to be very busy but,


 

he made out time for the editorial team and gave us his full concentration.
EDITORIAL TEAM: Good morning sir, thank you for having us in your office.
PROVOST: Good morning, you are welcome. Please have your seats.
EDITORIAL TEAM: What state are you from sir?
PROVOST: From here, Ekiti (smiles)
EDITORIAL TEAM: What local government area?
PROVOST: Am from Ireppodun/ifelodun local government area
EDITORIAL TEAM: Sir, Can you tell us about your growing up experience?
PROVOST: Very interesting! I came from a very noble but very poor background. Okay? It affected my journey academically. I was very brilliant but very poor. In 1967 i was out of primary school, from 1967 to 1973 i was not able to continue my education. I had to go and learn a trade in barbing in Illorin, Kwara state in 1969. The hand of God has always been in my life. God raised help and i went to secondary school in 1973 by then, my colleagues in primary school were already in final year. Roughly the age of 20 I was in JSS1, back then we use to call it form one. I spent just six months in form 1, I used a year to finish form one to form three, i was given double promotion as a result of my brilliance. I graduated with distinction from secondary school in 1976. I first of all studied microbiology in the University of Lagos, I proceeded to the University of Calabar where I studied medicine and surgery and got my MBBCH .
In 1989 I was back in medical school for residency training in pediatrics from 1989 till 1992. I got my masters in physiology from Obafemi Awolowo University in 2003. Before this, as a medical student I had distinction in Physiology so this should make you know why i have so much interest in physiology. I was still in service when I went for my masters. I have been a government doctor from 1985 till 2007 that is over 22 years. I was made chief medical director when I rose to the peak of my carrier. I was good in academics as well. In January 2007, I voluntarily left service. From 2007 I started my P.H.D; I obtained my P.H.D in 2010. In 2007 ABUAD started physiology but I resumed with the first set of medical students in 2011.
EDITORIAL TEAM: How old are you sir?
PROVOST: I was born in 1956. That’s the official date my father recorded when I was about to start school. Back then births weren’t recorded so, have always stuck to that. I believe am older but I believe in being honest about everything.
EDITORIAL TEAM: How did you meet your wife sir?
PROVOST: (smiles) I met Bimbo in 1961, we’ve  known each other since we were kids, our affair started as two children playing together. We often played together back then and we attended the same church. Distance separated us most times but we were always back together and kept to each other. Our courtship was one of the longest in history, about 20 years. Very short? (GENERAL LAUGHTER). We got married in 1981. We are now grandparents, I have a granddaughter in ABUAD, international relations and diplomacy department.
EDITORIAL TEAM: Sir how about your children?
PROVOST: I have four children, three boys and a girl.
EDITORIAL TEAM: How many are married?
PROVOST: Two are married. One is about to get married. The last boy is in your department, you know him. He is not ready to marry yet.
EDITORIAL TEAM: Tell us about your calling as a pastor?
PROVOST: How did you know about that?
EDITORIAL TEAM: You mentioned it once in class.
PROVOST: My calling as a pastor came when I was a little boy around 1965, i established my ministry after secondary school in 1974. God used me to establish “The bride Assembly” in 1997. It’s a fellowship. I have a program on progress F.M 100.5 by 8.00am every Sunday, Do you listen to it? You should, everyone here does. It started January  1999. Two years ago i established another program completely in Ekiti dialect every Saturday by 6.15pm. God has used me to establish churches in the three senatorial districts of the state. I have been on a lot of missionary journeys too. I started a fellowship at Ido in ABUAD clinical complex. Another person is in charge of the fellowship, but I am still the GO (LAUGHS).
EDITORIAL TEAM: Sir tell us about your social life
PROVOST: (LAUGHS) I love football, in fact in secondary school I was the goalkeeper. Football is my favourite sport.
EDITORIAL TEAM: Sir what football club do you support?
PROVOST: I don’t support any. I don’t want to. I just watch and any side that plays well I support them. I can’t support any football club and be annoyed every time they disappoint me or when they are failing. I love to see them struggle the ball too. (LAUGHS).
EDITORIAL TEAM: Sir what challenges have you had as a provost? What has been your most remarkable experience?
PROVOST: I was the only qualified medical personnel in the college when we started. We had about 100 students then and 13 staff. My best experience was when the accreditation team came; there was some sort of mix up. I was introduced as standing in for the provost when I was the provost. I wasn’t a professor by then. A woman, who was a professor was supposed to come as provost but she didn’t. Some people misinformed the accreditation team maybe out of fear that i wasn’t a professor and we might be disqualified. I was asked to present my CV which I did and the team said I was doubly qualified, you know I had P.H.D already and other important qualifications. I was reinstated and I had the last laugh.
EDITORIAL TEAM: Tell us about your most remarkable experience as a doctor?
PROVOST: I have had a lot of remarkable experiences as a doctor. But one stands out. Years ago, one of my nurses was in labour, she had a normal delivery but seemed to be too weak, off course one is weak after putting to birth but hers was not normal to me. I kept telling the nurses that but they were saying she was normal. I wasn’t comfortable about it. I told the other doctor we should transfer her to Ado from Ikerre were we where but the road was bad so we thought she would give up. We took her into the theatre at the hospital in Ikerre, we opened her up. Behold, she had internal bleeding from a torn uterus. She was really bleeding. I told the other doctor to take care of the tear while I focused on scooping out her blood. It was up to two pints of blood. After that, I purified it and transferred it back into her. She is still alive and that baby is in the university now. A girl.
EDITORIAL TEAM: What made you want to become a doctor?
PROVOST: my father was a native doctor, not those that use charms and incantations. He cured people with herbal medicines. People back then use to call me doctor. That name stuck with me. I was brilliant too and was good in sciences so I just decided to study medicine. You can say it’s in the blood.
EDITORIAL TEAM: What are your plans for the new teaching hospital sir?
PROVOST: We will start using it this year. The new 400 level will go there. Their beds are ready. The next set after them should be permanently there and so on. The first set of medicine students might not go there soon but prior to their final exams they should be there. That set will be graduating by March next year.
EDITORIAL TEAM: Tell us about the accreditation sir
PROVOST: we have gone a long way in getting accreditation. Its stage by stage. We are in the stage of pathology and pharmacology now. Before the first set graduates we will complete the whole process. That set has to go further for the process to be completed. It’s just a stage left. But we are very sure about it.
EDITORIAL TEAM: Sir what about the 300 level MB exams?
PROVOST: if you notice, we are trying to make it soon. The exams should hold around April.
EDITORIAL TEAM: What’s your advice to your students?
PROVOST: Study medicine because you want to study it, let nobody force you to. You have to be dedicated to it. Remember God is the only person that can help you succeed. Wherever God wants you to go you will go, no one or anything can stop you. Trust him. I have a book called “Great testimonies” it has my entire story in it.
EDITORIAL TEAM: Thank you very much sir for your time. We are really grateful and honoured. Have a wonderful day sir.