Departmental head sues for academic progress

Published June 16, 2011

By Isaac Mensah

CALABAR, Nigeria, June 16 -- Students have been advised to add more verve to academic work as well as reshuffle options of misplacing academic priorities.

The Head of Department, Medical Laboratory Science, University of Calabar, Dr.Paul Inyang Etoh gave the charge while addressing a cross-section of year four students of the department at an "all-exclusive students'-HOD interactive session" held in the inner recess of the department's lecture two theater recently.

According to him, the interactive forum was organized with a view to keep students at home with the outlook of their second semester academic work before embarking on the first semester holiday.

He said that the second semester at 400 level of the five years professional course is dedicated to inbuilt internship. Hence, students are expected to routinely be at the university's Teaching Hospital to get a period of practical training under the supervision of field professionals.

Nevertheless, the internship will feature a professional examination at the end, of which students are expected to score at least 50% to attain a passing mark.

Moreso that successful students automatically become honorary members of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria. He therefore called on students to remain more committed to their academic pursuit emphasizing its pride of place in academic progress.

He congratulated the students who had rounded up with their first semester examinations, urging them not be carried away by the euphoria of the short holiday.

Many students expressed joy at the gesture of the Head of Department most especially at the wake of growing failure in professional exams.

"The gesture of the Head of Department is a welcome development, it’s an eye opener to the challenges we will be facing at second semester; it’s quite commendable" Dennis Abumiye said.

The interactive forum which lasted for a reasonable span of time with a greater percentage of the said students in attendance featured questions and answers alike.