Training Next Generation of Competent Doctors is My Top Priority, Says Clinical Sciences Dean

By Eunice Adefidipe, Grace Odumosu, Boluwatife Adeniran, Deborah Idowu 

The dean of clinical sciences at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Olufemi Fasanmade, says that his foremost priority is to produce a generation of doctors who are competent enough to compete both locally and internationally.

Fasanmade said this while speaking in an interview with UNILAG Sun, where he dismissed the widespread notion that opportunities in Nigeria’s medical sector are scarce.

He said the challenge is one of uneven distribution, not a scarcity of opportunities.

According to him, Nigeria has numerous training opportunities for medical graduates, particularly in teaching hospitals and private health institutions offering internships and housemanship.

“There are currently over a hundred teaching hospitals in Nigeria, not to mention private institutions that also offer internships or housemanship,” he said.

“The problem, however, is that the specific places people have in mind may not be available.

“For instance, people who trained at the University of Lagos — about 90 per cent of them — still want to do their housemanship in Lagos. Then people from 35 other states also want to come to Lagos. That creates the impression of scarcity. In reality, it is a problem of distribution.”

The professor said the faculty of clinical sciences is deliberately positioning its students to thrive beyond Nigeria by exposing them to experimental research, modern medical technology, and intensive practical training.

He added that students also benefit from digital learning resources through the university’s portal, where lecture modules are stored in an institutional repository for both real-time learning and future reference.

“Our students have access to archived and live teaching materials, which enhances their learning experience and prepares them for global standards,” he said.

Fasanmade noted that his long-term goal is to leave behind a legacy of well-trained, globally competitive doctors whose success will enhance the reputation of UNILAG and Nigeria’s medical education system.

“I want to be remembered as a dean who raised a generation of competent students who can excel anywhere in the world,” he added.