Monday 1 August 2022 will remain indelible in the memory of the distinguished audience at the sod-turning ceremony of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (CoMUI) which held in partnership with the Ibadan College of Medicine Alumni Association Worldwide (ICOMAA-WW). The auspicious event which also marked the beginning of the third year of the administration led by the First Female Provost of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (CoMUI), Professor Olayinka Omigbodun FAS is one that ended on a highly positive note.
The crowning occurrence of the sod-turning event was the monumental donation made by the Keynote Speaker, a Distinguished Alumnus of the Graduating Class of 1985 on the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme in CoMUI, Philip O. Ozuah MD, PhD.
Dr. Ozuah is President and CEO of Montefiore Medicine,the umbrella organization for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Montefiore Health System’s 13 member hospitals, 300 clinical locations with 7.5 million patient encounters per year. The Professor of Pediatrics and Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York was also Fund Raiser- in- Chief at this landmark event in the history of CoMUI.
He flagged off the event by giving a soul-stirring and highly inspiring lecture titled From Initiative to Finitiative - An Academic Journey. The keynote speaker told the audience listening with rapt attention where it all began. He told the truly inspiration story of his journey starting from his studentship in the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (CoMUI) and to his present status as President and CEO of Montefiore Medicine which includes Albert Einstein College of Medicine, one of the USA’s premier centres for research, medical education and clinical investigation.
The keynote speaker who leads organisations with 10,000 physicians and 53,000 employees serving a diverse group of patients as well as home to 800 M.D. students, 190 Ph.D. students, 120 students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program, and 250 postdoctoral research fellows spoke on Five Dimensions of a CEO.
Recognized nationally for excellence in patient care and medical education, he explained the five dimensions of being a Predictor, Builder, Ambassador, Communicator and Determinator using personal examples from his journey.
The highly distinguished alumnus who was a classmate of the Provost of the College of Medicine, went ahead to make a donation of $1,000,000 (One million US Dollars) to the new Hostel Building Fund on behalf of his family, while acknowledging the presence of his wife and children on the Zoom platform where he delivered the stimulating lecture. This was in response to a request from the Provost to alumni of CoMUI to come together and help build a much needed new hostel for students of CoMUI.
Several dignitaries at the keynote lecture took turns to express profound appreciation to Dr. Ozuah for this unparalleled and truly generous donation. The show of appreciation started with the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the University of Ibadan, His Excellency, Chief John E.K. Odigie-Oyegun, CON who expressed unreserved delight at the lecture.
Others include the President of ICOMAA Worldwide, Professor Emmanuel ‘Dipo Otolorin, a former President of ICOMAA Worldwide, Dr Abib Olamitoye and a classmate of the donor. The student leaders, present at this event also could not hide their joy at the magnanimity took turns to express appreciation to the distinguished alumnus and his family.
The event was wrapped up with dancing and cutting of a commemorative cake. Watch out for the entire Keynote, “From Initiative to Finitiative - An Academic Journey” on the CoMUI’s YouTube Channel.
