When you are a citizen of a developing, third world country as I am but have the opportunity as I have had over the years to acquire technical skills that are helpful to humanity, one begins to imagine how much more I could have contributed to my world if I had the standard of education, facilities and exposure available in developed worlds like the United Kingdom.
Right from my primary school days I decided I will study Medicine. When I was in Senior Secondary School, I learnt about x-rays during Physics lectures; I learnt that this type of radiation could see through the human body and other materials. I also learnt that it had wide applications in healthcare. I decided that I loved the idea of studying that branch of medical science. When the time came to acquire a University Degree, I opted to study Radiography to fulfil my dreams. From then on, it was my desire to become a Radiation Therapist in the future, having the opportunity to treat real cancer patients using radiation.
During my undergraduate years, I attended clinical postings in Radiation Therapy in addition to clinical training in Diagnostic Radiography. All of my classmates paid attention to Diagnostic Radiography only. My desire to be a Radiation Therapist in the future informed my choices. Since the year 2011, I have been involved in creating awareness and promoting lifestyle changes to help reduce the huge cancer burden in Nigeria. As a Trustee of Marjorie Bash Foundation (https://www.facebook.com/m.bashfoundation/), I have been actively involved in our offline and Social Media Campaigns for Cancer awareness and intervention.
Currently, Nigeria, a country of about 160 million people (2006 Census), has about 37 Radiation Therapists country-wide. None of these 37 Radiation Therapists have a degree of Masters or Doctorate in Radiotherapy to qualify them to teach or supervise Radiotherapy students in the academic environment. It is indeed a precarious situation. I am currently enrolled in a Master degree programme in Radiotherapy and Oncology in a Nigerian University but with no qualified Radiation Therapist in Nigeria to teach or supervise my research in the field; for me to continue and finish the programme, I will have to source Faculties from outside Nigeria, in Ghana and South Africa. This is what fuels my desire to study at Sheffield Hallam University.
My research has shown that many West Africans, including Imaging and Radiotherapy professionals from Ghana have successfully studied in the UK. This gives me hope that I can successfully pursue a Master degree in Radiotherapy and Oncology Practice and use the knowledge and skills acquired to help the growth and development of Radiation Therapy practice in my Country. I will be able to apply my knowledge and skills both in the clinical and academic settings in order to train more qualified personnel to take up the daunting task of cancer care and research staring Nigerians in their faces. My interests include radiography/radiotherapy practice and education, improved teaching methods, role extension for radiographers and provision of imaging services to under-served, remote communities.
Image from: www.radiologyinfo.org
