Akeem Lawal
Registrar (junior resident) in the Department of Chemical Pathology, National Hospital Abuja (Nigeria)
The MPH programme has improved my competency in the critical appraisal and review of clinical evidence which is essential in the establishment of diagnosis of a variety of clinical conditions. In addition, I have benefited a lot from a module that taught the rudiments of conducting research and how to disseminate research findings as my field entails much of these. The management aspect of the course has taught me to be a better micro-manager of the laboratory where I work and has brought about improvement in efficiency and effectiveness of chemical pathology laboratory.
I envision that the full potential of acquiring the MPH degree would be brought to bear on the completion of my residency when I would function as a full fledged chemical pathologist.
I found the programme to be very pragmatic and could be applied across board for all the health disciplines. It has breached a big gap regarding the acquisition of qualitative education for health professionals in resource-poor settings like mine since you can study conveniently at home and complete the programme. It saves on living costs of studying abroad especially in a comparatively expensive economy. There is also additional comfort of remaining in a familiar climate. The part-time format afforded me the opportunity to study while still working - this is a great incentive for many health professionals. As the tuition fees for the programme has doubled for foreign students, It is my sincere hope that more scholarship opportunities are extended to students from resource poor countries.