Time and time again, IFUMSAITES remind us that they make up the most significant resources that keep taking the association to greater heights. And last Saturday, we witnessed, once again, the IFUMSA Quiz and Debate Club emerge winners of the maiden edition of the POHER competition.
Below is an interview of the three IQDC members who represented the association in the competition.
We start with Ayotunde Famokunwa, a clinical 3 student who doubles as the Current Chairman of the Ifumsa Quiz and Debate Club.
Hello, Can we meet you, please?
I am Ayotunde David, FAMOKUNWA (AyFamzie), a part 6 medical student. I am the current chairman of IQDC.
Nice to meet you, AyFamzie and congrats on the win. Can you tell us a bit about IQDC?
IQDC is the IFUMSA quiz and debate club, which takes the responsibility of projecting IFUMSA and OAU to the world in terms of quiz and debate competition. The club had a winning streak of 1st positions and multiple awards last year. We started the year off with the 3rd position at the EKSUMSA Quiz competition.
We usually have our meetings fortnightly, and there we drill ourselves in quizzes and debates to sharpen our skills.
It’s projecting IFUMSA to the world for me..lol. I’m sure I speak for all Ifumsaites when I say we are proud of you guys. Would you please enlighten us on POHER and her activities?
POHER is the Pan-African Organization for Health, Education and Research, a reward organization sponsored by the University of Missouri to help young Africans to reach potentials through mentorships, competitions and other activities.
What was it like to prepare for the competition?
Preparation for the program started earlier last session after we got the invite. We were told it would be focused on General Knowledge, so we selected three persons of great General Knowledge credibility, including Oluwatobi Joshua, Bolu Akindele and Myself (Ayotunde Famokunwa). Our preparations were generally in the form of our regular quiz drilling with other members of IQDC and personal research.
Can you tell us about your experience at the finals?
The finals were full of unprecedented happenings, most of which we could not tackle easily.
The event was slated for Saturday, 2nd October 2021. We planned to use the IFUMSA Secretariat from the outset, which was our usual venue for online events because of its stable internet network. Still, a day before the event, the campus was shut down by students’ protest, so we had to use our Medical students’ hostel in Gloryland, which had a poor internet connection.
At the start of the preliminary, we were logged out of the zoom conference because of poor internet. However, we came back online to qualify still.
For the final round, we used outdoors, but the program started later than we thought as it was being hosted on TV and the prep took time. However, when it began, we were not only prepared to answer all questions, but we were also faster than other schools at answering questions.
We won the competition before the 2nd commercial break. However, we were prematurely logged off before that because our computer ran out of power. We restored our presence with the help of other available members of the association. We resumed the competition with our multiple problems and still came out victorious.
Wow, that most have been discouraging, but it’s a good thing it ended well despite all those challenges. Can you also tell us about team spirit in IQDC and how it aided your team in this competition?
Team spirit is not a problem for IQDC members as this is one of the highlights of our regular fortnight drillings. So, we are used to working together. I handled most of the clinical questions, while Tobi and Bolu dealt with the pathology and general knowledge questions, and we allowed each other freedom.
How did you feel about the win?
I was very elated. It was a win I needed both as the Chairman and the team leader, and I’m sure my teammates were equally excited. The last time we went for an online international competition three years ago, we came 4th, but coming 1st is definitely sweeter.
So…
Just out of curiosity, who gets the $600 prize money?
LoL, well, of the $600, each teammate is allotted $100 while the remaining $300 goes to IQDC.
Any word for our audience?
IFUMSA is the best, and the stuff we used to win is just those same things we learn in class, so pay attention in class🤪🤪🤪.
Oluwatobi Joshua also shared his experience below:
My name is Joshua Oluwatobi. I’m a 4th-year medical student of this prestigious university and an Ifumsa Quiz and Debate Club member.
I belong to several organisations (health and non-health affiliated). My hobbies include volunteering, researching, listening to music, learning new stuff and watching/playing sports.
Sincerely, the experience is indescribable. We started on a not-so-good note due to network issues, but the tide changed for the better. Our commitment and consistency paid off in the end, and we won with a wide margin. Overall, it was a superb experience for me, and I’m glad I spent my weekend on a fruitful mission.
I believe this is the first of many bigger wins for the quiz club and that the best of the IFUMSA quiz club is yet to come.
I would also like to drop a shout out to our other IQDC chiefs😇 in persons of Dr Bamise Omolaso, Dr Olayide Omosiate, Dr Opeyemi Makinde, Dr Olusola Jeremiah, Chief Salami Adeoye, Chief Lawal Sadiq, Chief Alabi Hammed, Chief Asaolu Peace, Gloryland members and the entire quiz club members.❤️
Boluwatife also said it was a fun experience and that she’s glad it ended well.
We wish the club more wins in future competitions.
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