A Nigerian lady who dreamed of studying medicine to find a cure for HIV/AIDS has finally achieved her goal 13 years after her first attempt at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination. The graduate of the University of Abuja, who was once called a dullard, has now been inducted as a medical doctor.
Early Struggles with JAMB and Admission
In a series of posts on social media, the lady, identified as @YusufKaothar, shared her long and challenging journey to becoming a doctor. She wrote her first JAMB in 2013, scoring 212, and applied to study Medicine at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN). The cut-off mark for Medicine that year was reduced to 210, and she was hopeful. However, she was not offered admission.
In 2014, she sat for JAMB again, scoring 198. Her father advised her to forget about Medicine, saying it was not for her. To avoid wasting another year, she changed her course to Physiology at UNILORIN and was admitted.
Persistence Through Physiology and NYSC
While studying Physiology, she attempted to transfer to Medicine in her second year, but the transfer failed. She continued with Physiology and graduated in 2018 with a CGPA above 4.0. During her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year, she applied for Direct Entry Medicine at UNILORIN again but was not admitted.
She then applied to multiple institutions, including the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) and the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED) in Ondo. She wrote the post-UTME during her service year and was eventually offered admission to study Medicine at UniAbuja at the 200 level.
“How will I tell the whole world that the once-called dullard will be inducted as a medical doctor in a few days? Not just a medical doctor? A medical doctor who is also a first-degree holder with a strong GPA. Moving on, she graduated from medical school with distinctions,” she wrote.
Motivation to Find Cure for HIV/AIDS
In an earlier post, she revealed her motivation for studying Medicine: “I have always wanted to be a doctor, no doubt. In fact, I wanted to discover the cure for HIV/AIDS.” She shared her JAMB experience to encourage other aspirants who may be struggling with admission.
Her story has inspired many, showing that persistence and faith can lead to achieving one's dreams despite setbacks. The lady, who was once called a dullard, has now earned two degrees and is set to make a difference in the medical field.
