Miss Maryam Opeyemi
Raji might not be the best graduating student, but she’s probably the youngest
medical doctor University of Lagos
has produced in the last two decades. Born on May 1993, Maryam gained admission
to study Medicine at the prestigious university at 15, by 21 she’s now a
doctor. in this exclusive interview with Encomium
Weekly she bares it all…see excerpts below:
How does it feel
being the youngest medical doctor?
It feels so good. I feel elated. Not by my power, it’s a
favour from Allah that I would be the youngest. I want to thank everyone,
particularly my mom, step-father, teachers, and my mentor, Dr. AbdulHameed
Salaudeen for their support. Being the youngest medical doctor is a dream come
true.
Was it your childhood
ambition to study Medicine?
Not only that I wanted to study Medicine from childhood,
it’s also my dad’s dream I become a medical doctor. Unfortunately, I lost him
when I was eight. People around me, especially my mom, nurtured the dream. She
helped me keep the goal. It was very challenging but having her around kept me
focused. I was lucky to attend Vanguards Academy, the secondary school that
groomed me. I was among the first graduating students of the school. I began to
appreciate being a medical student when I was 300 level. I am grateful to Allah
I chose the right profession.
How come you were not
affected by UNILAG policy of not admitting students below 16?
I was aware but I wasn’t affected. I didn’t know why, may be
because I had a good result and the then registrar was impressed with my result
and age. I entered through UNILAG diploma.
What were the
strategies that worked for you at the College of Medicine?
The fact that I am a muslim is the first gift. As a muslim,
I didn’t engage in acts forbidden by Allah. Acts like drinking alcohol,
clubbing, partying, and engaging in unlawful relationship, among others. Also,
my secondary school, Vanguards Academy was a training ground for me. It groomed
me to become what I am today.
I didn’t miss classes, except when it clashed with the
obligatory acts of my deen (Islam). I know the right time to read and I
understood whatever I read through Allah’s mercies. This was made possible
through the memorisation of the Qur’an. It makes me to remember a lot of things
I have read. That’s the secret of my success story.
Do you have a
particular schedule you adhere to strictly?
Truthfully, I didn’t have any schedule. I had flexible
schedule. However, I always had book(s) with me wherever I went. In 600 level,
I started taking my schedule serious. It was really challenging because we were
about to be doctors, and we were bombarded with much work.
What’s your CGPA and
your most challenging course?
We don’t use CGPA at College of Medicine. It’s either you
pass or fail. If you pass, you’ll be certified by the examiners. But if you
fail, you have to write the exam again. As for challenging course, I would say
Psychiatry, during my 500 level. It’s wider compared to other parts of
medicine.
How did you cope with distractions in school?
I tried as much as possible to avoid distraction. Hence,
there were things I didn’t do. I didn’t really watch TV, particularly movies.
Instead, I spent my time with patients in their wards. Also, the fact that I am
young, I am shy. I am not an outgoing type.
What is your advice
to fellow Muslim women, especially at this point when it’s wrongly believed
that western education is haram -unlawful?
According to the Qur’an and hadith (sayings of our Prophet),
seeking knowledge is compulsory upon all Muslims, irrespective of gender. There
is no religion that talks about the importance of knowledge other than Islam.
Early Muslims led the world because of their disposition to knowledge. There is
nothing like western education, what we know today as western education has its
origin from Islam. Saying boko (education) is haram (unlawful) is not part of
Islam. I remember when I was in school,
I extracted interesting quotes about knowledge and posted them in my room, to
educate and inspire people.
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