INTERNING FAR FROM HOME; THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE IN-BETWEEN.11 mins read

It’s usually not a very easy decision to work away from your loved ones, even if it’s only for a year. I know this first hand as I had to complete my internship year away from loved ones and familiar faces/environments. It wasn’t an easy decision to make and I considered quitting a couple of times, but I made it through regardless.

I’m not alone in this – I know a couple of people who had to go through something similar, moving to different states for their intern year. I decided to reach out and ask them to share their experiences and they obliged to share.

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Anita…

…is a medical doctor, a graduate of the University of Port-Harcourt. She’s a lifestyle blogger at www.annieejioforwrites.wordpress.com.

Internship hospital, getting in

I interned at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife.

It took me a year after my final exam and close to eight months after my formal induction into the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to secure an internship placement. I was reluctant to show up for OAUTHC’s exam and interview as I had grown weary from the string of disappointments that had marked my search prior. It took the familiar nudge from my parents and a friend travelling from my house for the same exam to get me to travel. Thankfully, that marked the end of what had been a long, arduous journey. I was in Lagos (for yet another exam and interview) when I got the news of my placement. I could not believe it until I saw the list for myself.

Making the decision to move

Even though it was far from home, it was the first place I got after months of searching. It only made sense to accept it.

A regular day in intern year

A regular day in an intern’s life would largely depend on the specific posting they are in. When I wasn’t waking up in the hospital because I was on call the previous day, I was stopping by the laboratories to either retrieve investigation results for a patient or confirm they have blood while trying not to be late for the day’s activity. There’ll be morning review, doing pre-rounds or scrubbing into the theatre. After the slated activity for the day, I’d go on to carry out my post-round duties, grab dinner, chill in my room or a friend’s while waiting to be called if my attention is needed or go for call duty if I’m on one.

Internship year in summary

This was my first time of living intimately with the Yorubas and Muslims. It was a cultural and religious awakening I was glad to be experiencing. I found the people hospitable and quickly made new friends. Besides the stressful workload that OAUTHC is infamous for, I can say I had a great time even though the town, Ife did not leave much for me to preoccupy myself with when I wanted to relax and unwind. Had I a car, in retrospect, my experience would have been richer because I associated getting around the town with stress. Taxis are scarce in Ife.

Pros and cons

The pros of being far from home for me was learning about and interacting with persons different from me. It seemed like the cons outweighed the pros. My one-week leave became a big deal because I had to travel on each one. Not travelling meant six months at least before I saw my family again. And travelling was expensive. There were times I had breaks in between, breaks long enough to get bored by myself yet too short to travel to and from home. And there were weekends I wished I could go home – however briefly – like I was opportune to during my undergraduate years. I was also unavailable for events of friends and family I would have loved to attend because the cost of travelling (not merely financial cost) was high.

Given a second chance, will you do it again?

Choosing the hospital for my internship was not a decision I had the privilege of making so I can’t say if I would make the decision again. I would say that provided the hospital is a great place for learning, accept it, one year would pass eventually, and the sooner it does, the better. 🙃

Random

Did you know if I could live without eating, as vampires can exist without breathing, I would not eat? Sometimes I forget to eat and can’t relate when people talk about food like some great thing. Foodies, am I trespassing?

Phillip…

…is a medical doctor, a graduate of the University of Lagos.

Internship hospital, how you got in?

I’m a Houseofficer at Hospital Management Board Akure. How I got in is actually a funny story. All my 7 years in medical school, I always saw myself interning at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idiaraba. I was already familiar with the environment. No need for first impressions with the consultants; They already knew me. I heard tales of how an internship in LUTH was slavery but I was not swayed.

I did everything to get the job and six months after final exams, I was still unemployed. It dawned on me that my fairytale with LUTH was over. I also applied for EKO hospital, St. Nicolas hospital, HSC, FMC Ebute Meta, Lasuth and Military Hospital and still got nothing. I was losing hope.

I heard Hospitals Management Board Akure was recruiting and I decided to apply. The day for the interview came and I failed the clinical question and current affairs. So I already thought I wouldn’t get the job. Two weeks after, I was called to pick up my letter. I got the job.

Making the decision to move

Since I waited six months to get employment, I didn’t think twice about moving. I had been to Akure just once before the Interview and I knew no one. I was excited about the adventure and it also helped that one of my colleagues was there also.

A regular day in intern year

Wake up at 5:45 am, say a prayer, workout for an hour, bathe and get to work before the morning review which starts by 8:30 am in some departments. Ward rounds, Clinic, Theatre and all depending on when and where you are supposed to be for the day. Work ends by 4 pm when you are not on call.

A summary of the internship year

Internship year has been a roller coaster. Moving from a very lively environment to a dull and conservative environment had a significant impact on my social life. But I held my own. The senior colleagues are however nicer and the whole environment was kind to strangers.

Pros

– Learning new things
– Meeting new people
– You are your own boss.

Cons

– Home is not a place for me, it’s a group of people so I tend to miss them a whole lot.
– Nothing is legendary if your friends are not there to see it.

Given a second chance, will you do it again?

Yes. I would do it all over in a heartbeat.

Random

My Favorite Ice cream is Oreo Overload, I have seen Friends series many times than I can remember.

Desire…

…is a pharmacist, a graduate of the University of Lagos. She is a book and lifestyle blogger at www.desireuba.com.ng.

Internship hospital, how you got in ?

My internship was at Central Hospital, Agbor (under the Delta State Health Management Board). To be simple, I got in through nepotism. My dad put a word in and that was how I got in- and earlier than usual too.

Making the decision to move

Whew! Since 400 Level in University, I had it in mind that I would go to Delta – for NYSC. I kept saying that and my friends used to tell me that I should be careful what I ask for… because I just may get it. Later, I changed my mind because I definitely didn’t want to work in LUTH and that looked like my major option. So, an internship in Delta it was. It was not super easy since I had lived my whole life in Lagos. The retribution I had was that I knew I’d come back to Lagos for NYSC, which I did.

A regular day in intern year

Work as an intern pharmacist in CHA was actually nice. I spent my time there at the Outpatient/ Children’s pharmacy. There was also an Antiretroviral pharmacy but I was never posted there. I’d wake up at 7 am (or later if we are being honest) to get ready and the pharmacy was 10 minutes from my building. During the day, we were meant to resume at 8 am but work didn’t start till around 9:30 am because outpatients have to see the doctors first.

We basically had to dispense, counsel, ensure that all drugs were gotten from the store and were available at the pharmacy. All these weren’t done at once though. Our calls were at the Accident and Emergency Pharmacy from 4 pm – 8 am. We were expected to be back at work by 10 am. This was the most challenging part for me because I love sleep, and these were the times I watched people die. It was so sad. So sad.

A summary of intern year

First off, the first few days, my mum was with me so I didn’t feel too bad… yet. When she left, I cried. A lot. I was so worried about how I’d survive in a place where I knew NO ONE. It was also my first ‘real’ job so I was really anxious. As time progressed, I eased into life in Agbor. It’s a relatively small, calm town where the main language is Ika (often called Delta Igbo. It isn’t and the natives don’t appreciate people calling it/ them that.) The people are very nice and generally easy going. Everyone knew everyone, in some way. It was so weird. I was the only one from Lagos and stood out because it was evident that I wasn’t ‘a part of them’ at the beginning.

Living alone was so interesting. I had to go to the market, cook, clean, interact with neighbours, by myself, for myself. There was no buses or keke napeps, only cars and okadas (bikes) so I didn’t see any form of traffic – blissful stuff. Lagos could never! The work itself was alright. It wasn’t really stressful and I loved how chill the whole society was. The church was also small but lit- just my type.

Pros

The level of self-awareness and development in that year was beautiful for me. It was the year where I looked to see who Desire was and learnt to enjoy my own company. It was great to look out of my sheltered life – to see other cultures, appreciate them, interact with and love people whom I thought I’d never meet. Plus, I learnt and taught others how to bake cakes in a pot, zobo, chin- chin and puff- puff. Mad ting, yeah?

Cons

Just, being alone. It was difficult for me. Family and friends were far away and it was really hard to miss birthdays (including mine) and struggle to keep in touch with my loved ones. I was in a long-distance relationship for some of the time, and gosh, it suffered, I could have done better. We live and learn.

Given a second chance, will you do it again?

A. Definite. Yes. I’d change certain parts of my experience but definitely go back.

Random

I am an absolutely hopeless romantic and an ice- cream fanatic. As dreadful as it may sound, I am a Nigerian patriot. I believe in Nigeria.

Asabe…

…is a medical doctor, a medical graduate of the University of Lagos.

Internship hospital, how you got in?

Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nassarawa. I got in by passing the exams of course… lol. The exam was in 2 phases (written and interview) which were written on 2 consecutive days. The first batch of house officers was selected on merit and I was one of the lucky ones.

Making the decision to move

I needed to take a break from Lagos so it wasn’t a difficult decision tbh and I had family members in Abuja which is about an hour from Keffi so the decision wasn’t a difficult one at all.

A regular day as an intern

I wake up, do my morning routine, get to work, do my houseofficer’s round, then Consultant’s/ Senior Registrar’s/ Registrar’s ward rounds. After the rounds, I do the post-rounds which involve attending to some of the treatment plans that had been stated during the rounds. If there’s nothing else, I meet up with other colleagues in the call-room where we gist and catch up. I usually get something to eat in the middle of all of these. I then head home at the close of work.

Internship year in summary

Hmmm… it’s been a lot of things. Northerners are accommodating and for me, blending was even easier because of my name and my way of dressing. They’re usually perplexed when they speak Hausa to me and the reply is “ba Hausa” indicating that I don’t speak the language. There are days when I get back from work and I don’t feel like having any human interaction whatsoever and there are days when the call is hellish and I’m still hyper post-call.

Pros

– Self-discovery: There’s the opportunity to explore and get to know yourself more especially in the early days when seeds of friendship are just being sown and you only have to yourself during leisure.
– New connections: You meet people from different backgrounds, with different levels of exposure and this helps you widen the lens through which you view life.
– You learn to value relationships more be it, family or friends because you’re gonna miss-a-hell-outta-’em.

Cons

I missed my family a whole lot.

Given a second chance, will you do it again?

Definitely.

Random

I’d rather walk a distance as far as 30 mins than take a bike…but that has changed now thanks to Keffi.

Word of advice

It’s good to want to explore and get out of your comfort zone but do your research well before deciding on where to go especially security-wise and have basic things like accommodation sorted. Also if you plan on leaving your comfort zone/home go with little or no expectations, that way you enjoy the experience better.

Funmi…

…is a physiotherapist, a graduate of the University of Lagos.

Internship hospital, how you got in?

I interned at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH). Very weird story tho. After my induction, I tried to get an internship placement to no avail. So I started learning a skill until I became hopelessly broke. About 6 months after, I went to work at a firm owned by my cousin and her husband. My cousin, who is late now (God bless her soul), was surprised to find out that I had not started an internship. She asked me to bring the list of the accredited hospitals and as we went through she started asking if I’ve applied to Enugu, Anambra, (she married an Ibo man lol), and I was perplexed. Enugu and Anambra to do what now? Anyways, she saw UUTH on the list and said she had a friend there who is a physiotherapist. She placed a call to her friend who said applications had closed. I was excited because I had no plans of leaving the West.

A few days later she called me to pack my bags that I was going to Uyo for the internship exam. She had called my parents and they agreed (like she gave them any choice lol). I spent 14 hours on the bus going to Akwa Ibom for the exam. I never knew how hard it was to pronounce my name until the examiner tried to call me in. At the venue, only one Yoruba person was there – me. I wrote the exam and came back to Lagos. I still hadn’t heard from any of the hospitals I applied to until I got a text from UUTH in July to resume the following week.

Making the decision to move

I didn’t have any choice, I had stayed at home for 7 months. There was no point waiting so I made the decision to move and my parents were okay with it (I guess they were because I had somewhere to stay before I knew my way around).

A regular day as an intern

A regular day in intern year is boring: I wake up by 6 am, get up from the bed like 7 am to prepare for work, leave the house by 7:45 am, walk to the junction, enter 2 different tricycles. Then boom I am at work. Work almost through the whole day, speak little Ibibio mixed with English to my patients, then I am back home.

A summary of the internship year

Internship year was awesome. Asides the workload and the fact that I was starved of Ewa agoyin and locust beans for a year, it was wonderful. Do you know what it means to live in a city without traffic? I loved that part! Patients would speak to me in Ibibio and I would look lost. I learnt a little tho. I learnt that they were South-South and not Ibo like people in the West think. The major challenge I had was food. I stay in my comfort zone when it comes to food. The first meat-pie I bought in Uyo tasted like flour and soup. I was in the capital, the city of Akwa Ibom so I guess that was part of what made it nice.

Pros

You get to see that the world is way bigger than what you can see where you are. Like there is a whole world outside the West. There are different languages, different cultures, different delicacies. I became open-minded, I learnt new things. On the plus side, you get to watch blockbuster movies at the cinema for N1500.

Cons

I was far from home, I wasn’t in the South-West so I couldn’t even go home on weekends when I wasn’t on call. I couldn’t take any leave in between, my leave was terminal so I never went home throughout my internship year. Also the food. I craved Ewa Agoyin and Agege bread terribly.

Given a second chance, will you do it again?

Yes, I will do it again. I am now open to travelling and exploring other places.

Random

Hmm don’t judge me, I have to unbuckle my belt before eating. I don’t know if this is a fun fact or a weird fact.

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They all had different experiences but one thing was constant – in spite of the challenges, they all appreciated the wider lens going outside their comfort zone has given them and most will do it again, in a heartbeat!

As Asabe mentioned though if you are considering leaving your comfort zone to work elsewhere, make sure you have enough information and go with little to no expectations. It makes things better.

You can read all about my own internship journey here, from getting a placement to lessons learnt during the year and everything in between.