Interview with Dunmomi Durojaye – Candidate for the office of the Assistant General Secretary

Medivoice: Hi can you introduce yourself?

Candidate: Hiiiiii. Good evening. I’m Dunmomi Durojaye, a 200 level medical student. Some people call me Dollars.

MediVoice: Dunmomi funds lol. Why do people actually call you dollars?

Candidate: Hmmmn, this question. Okay, I actually started to call myself Dollars. I changed my Twitter name to Dunmomi dollars at the beginning of the year because that’s what I wanted to attract throughout the year (law of attraction yeah? 🙃). People saw it and liked it and started calling me Dollars. Sha sha, I have not seen plenty Dollars this year 😅 but we still keep the hopes high! The year has not ended yet.

MediVoice: Hmmmm. Nice strategy. When the dollars sha land, do well to share the international cake😁. So, what are three words you would use to describe yourself and why?

Candidate: Efficient, Proactive and Adventurous. Efficient because whatever project I lay my hands on gives amazing and desirable results. Not to brag but it looks like I have the Midas touch. Proactive because I can never be caught un-busy (I formed the word, don’t check your dictionary yet). If you know me well, I am always doing something. Working on myself, on a project or for a company, I am always doing something. I sleep sometimes though. Adventurous because I always do and try out new things. That’s one thing about me, I may not have the slightest idea about how to do something but I can learn on the job yeah? So why not try it?

Medivoice: I can actually attest to the fact that you are always busy and willing to learn. I mean, I have seen that in you while we have been together. What are your five core values?

Candidate: My 5 core values are: Integrity, Diligence, Service, Responsibility and Love.

MediVoice: In what way will these values benefit the association?

Candidate: Diligence, Service and Responsibility would go a long way in ensuring that I carry out my duties without grumbling. Of course, I’m not perfect, but I’ll be able to get to work because of these values. Integrity would help me stay true to my word. Doing things from a place of love for the association would also make things easier.

MediVoice: Well spoken. Have you had any prior leadership experience within or outside IFUMSA?

Candidate: Yes, I consider myself a Leader even from birth. I am the firstborn so my siblings look up to me. Throughout my primary and secondary education, I have led in various capacities. In OAU, I have led the Terabyte OAU team as the Operations Manager and HultPrize OAU 2021 team as the Publicity Team Lead.

MediVoice: Lol. In essence, you are saying even nature made you a leader right from time, by you being the firstborn. That’s a good one though, I don’t think most people count being the firstborn a leadership experience. So, how do you think these experiences have prepared you for the role you are going for?

Candidate: These experiences have helped me to see that Leadership is influence, Leadership is service. I have realised that Leadership is not calling out orders for people to do, but getting into action and making others learn from what they see you do.

MediVoice: From all these lessons, how would they help you run the AGS office well?

Candidate: Everyone knows that the office of the AGS is a lot. It is very demanding. If you don’t recognise that you have to serve if you are a leader, it is going to be a tough one. Recognising that you have influence over the people you are leading would go a long way in modelling the way you react to situations.

MediVoice: Why are you running for the office of Assistant General Secretary and not any other post?

Candidate: The reason I decided to run for this post was that I worked closely with the past administration. I saw the way impact was made, I saw the way their duties were efficiently discharged. This spurred something in me and I knew that the rest of IFUMSA and I would not want anything less than what they have experienced in time past. So bringing in my experience with the present administration and my personality, I know that this post would help me in creating the change I love to see in the Association.

MediVoice: Do you think this thing that spurred in you is enough to sustain you throughout your service? I assume other posts would help you in creating the change you would like to see in the association? Speaking of, what change would you like to see in the association?

Candidate: Three in one question lol. I am aware that the initial spurring might not be able to serve me till the end of the tenure if elected, but I would go all in to move the association forward, so why not?
Other posts can help, surely but the Constitution is quite restrictive and I don’t hold it against anyone. We move.
I want to see an IFUMSA where everyone is fully involved in the activities of the association. I know it’s a tough one but it’s worth working towards.

MediVoice: What specific qualities do you possess that would make you fit for this post?

Candidate: I’m Selfless, Responsible, I have a heart of service and I am very diligent.

MediVoice: Not far from what we need to see in a leader. What do you think is required of you in the post you are contesting for, responsibility wise that is.

Candidate: Sooo, I know for sure that I am to be an assistant to the General Secretary in all things. Any flop from the General Secretary is a flop on my part. Then, the incoming part 1 students are fully in my care. When I mean fully, I mean fully. I am to take care of every single one of them, whether it’s easy or not, it is what I signed up for. I have to incorporate these new intakes into the association. Make them feel at home in college. The post of the AGS is not for taking care of Freshers alone though, the whole of the preclinical class is in my hands. The academics of the association is in my hands as I would be the chairman of the central academic committee in the Association. Overall, I am expected to put my all in and make sure that the association always makes progress.

MediVoice: Great, you have a very good understanding of what is required of you peradventure you win. However, knowing the responsibilities is not enough, do you believe you have the ability to achieve all the aforementioned responsibilities?

Candidate: Yes I do. One of my superpowers is the ability to learn on the job. I am willing and eager to learn from people who have gone ahead of me and I know that this is very important if I want to go far.

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MediVoice: Alright. Can you shed more light on your agenda (s)

Candidate: First on the things I plan to do as the AGS of the association if elected is to ensure that the legacy of the outgoing AGS still stands. He has done impeccably well and this has to be sustained. Improvements would be made on structures that have been built, for example, the Preclinical Mentorship Programme which I plan to continue.

Project Luminaire was born to change our academic game in the Association for better. Each class would have a particular folder on google drive where all the resources they have used and will use will be uploaded. This is basically to make access easy for all the members of the class. In the long run, when a particular class is done with that class, the class after them would have access to those resources easily 😉😉. So they have their own resources, and the resources their seniors used. In a case where they need resources from the junior classes too, it would be readily available. That is the dream.

Also, tutorials, revision classes, and mock exams would be held periodically.
I also plan to strengthen the communication and relationship between the clinical and preclinical students. How? A lot of senior colleagues are doing very well academically and many others have interests outside their academics and the junior students have so many questions to ask as we would not want to make mistakes they have made. Having programs/forums on a regular basis that would bring the seniors and juniors under one roof to discuss these things would go a long way.

As for the scholarship and fellowship opportunities to be made known to Ifumsaites, the office of the AGS, working together with other executives, would publish a biweekly newsletter and WhatsApp broadcast message that consists of a compilation of all scholarship and fellowship opportunities that we all could apply for.

MediVoice: You have quite a lot in mind to achieve, hopefully, we see the acts and not just the paperwork if you get elected. Why should we vote for you and not your opponent?

Candidate: For one, I am willing and ready to serve. I have learnt in the past few months what it entails to be an executive in this Great association of ours and I am now ready to deliver. A vote for me is a vote to move this association forward.

MediVoice: What are your plans in moving the association forward?

Candidate: I know that there is no IFUMSA without Ifumsites. If elected, I would work, hand in hand, with other members of the executive team on projects that can be of help to all Ifumsites individually. One of these projects is the Personal finance literacy for all Ifumsites which I have listed as part of my agenda. When Ifumsites see how Ifumsa is interested in their personal development and growth, they would be more involved in the things of the association.

MediVoice: Alright. After all has been said and done, do you think you stand a chance at the polls?

Candidate: Yes, I do.

MediVoice: It’s the confidence for me. Phew! What an interview. It was nice having such an interactive session with you. Getting to understand your plans for the association et al. Well, let’s wait to see the outcome of the elections. We wish you the best and may the best man win. Thank you!