Dr. Oamen Samuel Osehoje, aged 23, was officially inducted as a medical doctor at Babcock University on June 22, 2026, marking the end of a challenging journey that spanned seven years and eight months. His path to becoming a physician was characterized by academic setbacks, financial difficulties, and personal sacrifices.
Early Struggles and Repeated Courses
Osehoje enrolled at Babcock University in August 2018 at the age of 15, with Medicine as his first-choice course. However, he failed his first 100-level examinations and was required to repeat the year. Later, he sat for his first medical board professional examinations and did not pass, necessitating another repeat before he could advance to the clinical phase. From 400 Level through to 600 Level, he did not repeat a single class, demonstrating a strong recovery in the latter part of his studies.
Financial and Personal Sacrifices
Alongside his academic challenges, Osehoje pursued entrepreneurship. Between 2018 and 2021, he and his investors recorded losses of approximately N7 million across their business ventures. Despite these losses, the businesses survived and are now performing well. He also made personal sacrifices: his elder brother's wedding coincided with his first medical board examination, and he was unable to attend.
Final Hurdle: Surgery
In the weeks leading up to his final professional examinations, Osehoje said restful sleep was almost impossible as preparation intensified. “Medicine and Community Medicine were not my greatest concerns because I had strong continuous assessment scores, but Surgery worried me the most. By God's grace, I passed Surgery and today I am a medical doctor,” he said.
Success Sucked First
Following his induction, Osehoje shared a post on LinkedIn and Facebook carrying the phrase “Success sucked first,” which drew considerable attention. “The journey took seven years and eight months. We may not be where we desire to be, but we are no longer where we started,” he wrote. “You cannot skip the struggle to reach success. To enjoy the part of success that shines, you must first endure the part that hurts.”
Music Career and Future Plans
During medical school, Osehoje released music under the stage name Benny Zanda, with tracks including Moneycetamol, Bread and Olamide. He intends to give more attention to his music career after completing his housemanship.
Acknowledgments
Osehoje attributed his success to God, his parents Pastor and Mrs. Victor and Victoria Oamen, and a wide network of supporters that included mentors, lecturers, classmates and friends. He also paid tribute to the late Dr. Oghenevwaere Diaso, whom he described as a respected senior colleague and friend. He concluded by saying the experience reinforced the value of community: “It really takes a village.”
