Best place to be… pioneer students of Federal University of Health Sciences Azare share experiences

Pioneer students of the newly established Federal University of Health Sciences, (FUHSA), Azare, located in Katagum Local Government Area of Bauchi State are relishing their time in the University.

The university admitted few students  despite over 10,000 applicants due to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in conjunction with the Nigeria University Commission (NUC)  which gave the University initial carrying capacity of 500 students.

A cross section of the students who spoke with our correspondent commended the high standard and excellent facilities saying the academic environment has given them 100 percent  chances of realizing their dreams in life

Angelique Tsuwa is one of the 760 pioneer students for the  2021/2022 and 2022/2023 academic sessions admitted by the University to study Human Nutrition and Dietetics.

Tsuwa said gaining admission to the  University  to study is a dream come true for her and her parents.

A Tiv from Benue State, Tsuwa describes life on the University campus as a wonderful  experience.

The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Bala  Mohammed Audu said the university was established by President Muhammadu Buhari in June 2021.

Professor Audu said the principal officers of the university were appointed with effect from  January 27, 2022.

“It’s university with good facilities. The hostels are clean. Electricity and water supply are 24 hours,” Tsuwa said.

She said besides what she termed excellent facilities, the tuition is equally good.

“The lecturers come regularly and none of them misses classes”

She said she is living her dream because she is on the path to making the world a better place and the University has given her a fitting platform.

“It’s been my desire to Study Nutrition and Diabetics,” she said. 

“I have passion for the course to save children from dying of malnutrition.  

“A good knowledge of the course would help prevent diabetes and provide better management of diet to avoid certain disease”

The VC disclosed that the University has taken off with five academic programmes across seven faculties including Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Nutrition/Dietetics and Radiography.

Angela Pius from Madagali in Adamawa State is also studying Nutrition and Diatetics in the University.

” I heard it’s a University that offers mainly Health related courses so I applied and got what l wanted,” Pius said.

‘I am so happy. When l got here l wasn’t disappointed. The University is like a private school. The standard is quite high but l like it.  I love the lectures”  

Pius said although the University is located in the heart of North East Nigeria, the environment has high standard. 

“I noticed there is no discrimination or favouritism here. You get everything as a student purely based on merit so the onus lies on you to work hard to meet up with the standard,’ she said.

Both the NUC and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria  gave expressed written authorisation to the Federal University of Health Sciences to commence admission and training of medical students with an initial intake of 100 students.

Among newly admitted medical students is Nwafor Uchrnna Irene, who is studying medicine and surgery   in the newly opened University.

An indigene of Anambra State,  Irene is joy personified as she speaks about her experience in the newly established University.

According to Irene, she was influenced to study medicine by her father who is a medical doctor.

“I grew up waiting.him and he is my role model,* she said.

Irene said what .also.motovated  her to read Medicine was what she usually sees in movies and documentaries.

“I see people dying of many diseases and l was inspired to  study medicine to cure people from preventable diseases,” Irene says.

She feels coming to.FUHA was destiny at work for her to fulfil her dream and make a difference in life.

Irene said coming to Azare was also an opportunity to move away from her protective parents for the first time.

“I grew up in Bauchi and this is the first time l.am leaving my parents after secondary school to be on my own. I love the experience though,” she said.

Fortunately for Irene, with the orderliness and strictness of the University and the determination of students to excel, her parents have no cause to worry.

For Nuhu Shuibu, who is studying Radiography, the opportunity to be admitted to the University to study is one he cherishes and never takes for granted.

Nuhu is only the second person from Yana community in Shira Local Government Area  of Bauchi State to study Radiology.

“We have only one Radiographer from my community. If God sees me through and I graduate, I would be the second person,” he stated.

“I feel.happy to be admitted here out of five of us that applied l was the only one that got admitted

Nuhu said he is already working hard to make his parents and his community to be proud of him”

Hamzat Abduliwiz Ayodele who hails from Ibadan, Oyo State has no regrets coming to study Medicine and Surgery at FUHA despite the distance.

*In my secondary school my plan was to read Mathematics and Statistics,” he said.

Hamzat had a change of mind after he attended a three days conference at the University Teaching Hospital Ibadan where he grew up with his parents.

Another thing that influenced his decision to study medicine was  when his mother developed am excruciating tooth ache.

“When l saw the way she suffered  before she was healed after medication, I decided l wanted to be a medical doctor to ameliorate the suffering of people,” he said.

The teenager who is the Class captain of his set said his choice to study medicine is because medical doctors are among the highest paid people in the world.

He said he was quite impressed when he came to FUHSA

“It’s a specialised University end l am quote happy to be here because l  will be trained to be one of the best physicians in the world here,”he said.

Hamzat said he misses his grandmother” s jokes and company but is rest assured that with the environment and facilities in the University, he is definitely in the right place.

Miss Habiba Auwal , who studies Medicine and Surgery cuts the picture of a playful genius. 

An indigene of Katagum  Local Government Area where the University of Health is located, the beautiful black teenager with a brilliant mind and witty nature is at peace with her visitors. 

“I feel excited seeing young people.of.my age from all.parts of Nigeria coming to my area to study,”‘she said.

“I came here after being admitted to see outstanding students from all parts of Nigeria. The competition.is quite tough but to be honest with you l.am.loving it, ” she says with a charming smile.

“I had always wanted to o study medicine since l was a child.and coming here to meet other interesting people with  ambitions makes me extremely happy,” she said.

Professor Audu disclosed that  all programmes, except Nutritional and Dieteticsr,, are professional health programs that are further regulated by professional bodies that index the students.

He said they also peg down the number of students that can be admitted based on criteria that are aimed at ensuring that the quality of training is maintained and improved upon. 

“With what we have put in place so far in terms of infrastructure, equipment and staffing, we look forward to getting increase in the number of students we can admit in the 2023/24 academic season,” the VC said.

“This is critical in the backdrop of the brain drain in the health sector, worsening doctor: patient ratio of 1;6000 (WHO 1;400) and Nurse: bed ratio 1:400 (WHO 1:40). 

“With the help of regulatory bodies such as MDCN, specialized universities of health sciences such as FUHSA, have the potential to reverse these dismal ratios na comfortably export well trained health professionals to the rest of the world using economically advantageous policies.

The Vice Chancellor noted that the university is working on becoming a leading international hub of best training practices, innovative research and production of quality service/manpower/products in the healthcare industry of the world.L

 “To achieve our mission, we are focused on our students as our greatest and irreplaceable asset. 

“Our teaching methodology ensures that our students are clear about the contents of each of their training module, the knowledge they are expected to comprehend and the set of skills they must acquire, all of which must be examined for competency and proficiency”