College is a rollercoaster of emotions. From the back-and-forth incourses to MB, and finally the insurmountable viva that forces you to chant all the prayers you’ve ever known, pleading for grace. IFUMSAites have endured a churn of these critical moments. And, especially in preclinicals, it feels like an entirely new world of shege that sometimes refuses to get better.
The worst part? It never just leaves you hanging. You pray for grace, favor, and the will to survive. Yet sometimes, it gnaws at you even more. The doubt. The endless need for reassurance. It’s like an insecure girlfriend who constantly asks if she’s still worth it. Only here, it comes with a ruined sleep cycle, baggy eyes, and crumbling mental health when care isn’t taken.
This is the sole purpose of the IFUMSA Care Team. They are tasked with prioritizing the well-being of all IFUMSAites. Hence, the regular check-ups and intentional visits.
The Chairperson, Chidinma Nwodo and other members of the Care team: Olusayo Oyeyemi, Elizabeth Johnson visited the preclinical classes. They encouraged class members to actively look out for themselves, despite the rigor of medical school, and reminded them that help is always available. As a team, introduction of the Care team members in the various classes is very crucial. This will ensure the Care Team functions effectively and help to stay true to their core values.
They went along by dropping some gems:
- Mental health struggles are not always loud and chaotic.
- It may be the loudest colleague in class who is silently struggling.
- It may be the student you think isn’t studying enough, but who, in reality, is just trying to keep up.
- It may be the group mate who is academically smart but secretly takes drugs to cope with stress.
This is the reality of medical school. Because some days, few people see the person behind the lab coat and brilliant mind.
This is why the IFUMSA Care Team cuts across every class. And, they are committed to seeing every single medical students thrive—not just academically, but mentally as well.
Mental Health Awareness
Steady mental health is one of the most underrated strengths. It is the silent voices in our heads that either drag us deeper into the struggles or pull us up, even when we’re buried under dirt. It is the will to stand strong even when it’s hard, regardless of how much we’ve been knocked down. This is a very much needed trait in medical school. That is why the IFUMSA Care Team has taken it upon themselves to actively ease the burdens of IFUMSAites.
They continued by advising each and every one of the preclinical students to;
- Find healthy ways to cope.
- Speak with an IFUMSA Care team member when necessary.
- Show compassion and love to one another.
- Give oneself the grace and room to learn without becoming overwhelmed.
The Vice President, Funmi Sopade, also urged the IFUMSA Care Team to keep looking out for one another. This is also very important as we all need to fill our cups. In that spirit, the act of giving should be genuinely reciprocated.
Finally, it is important to know that medical school can be a lot. It feels never-ending but together, we can all survive this phase and rise to bigger places.
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