One year on from giving this welcome address.
And #theCONVERGENCE @NiMSASouthwest
Regional Convention 2019 officially begun!!! #theABUADexperience

From Babcock/BUAMS (April '16) & Ilorin/ILUMSA(Aug '16) to AMSUL/Unilag (Sept '17)
The train of the @NiMSASouthwest Annual Regional Convention arrived at ABUAD/AMSA exactly this time one year ago ('Aug 2019)

It was tagged #theCONVERGENCE and #theABUADexperience

Having set out to ensure we invested heavily in the capacity development of our colleagues across the region, we were focused on successfully hosting the convention, as well as the NMA sponsored NiMSA Quiz Competition.

So, to Ado-Ekiti with joy.

So, consent was sought and gotten from the ABUAD authorities, with promise of support in any way we desired. At that time, my brother @armstrongnyoni was still the President.

And so, 22/05/19, I & my indefatigable Regional Secretary @komolafe_rose visited the new @thegreatAMSA excos led by new president @StephenKessi & we set up the LOC, & @armstrongnyoni as the LOC Chairman. @osasuu_ my padi, and immediate past PRO of AMSA tried to match my smile

With the LOC setup, we fixed a tentative date for 31/07 to 04/08/2019, subject to ratification by the University. and plans began in earnest.
At the level of the Regional team and in line with our vision at the start of the year, we came up with a theme and four subthemes:

#theCONVERGENCE #theABUADexperience

Asides from these, there were other programmes lined up to blow the minds of the prospective delegates whether Academic, Social or Sports wise.
We made sure we had them covered.
#theCONVERGENCE #theABUADexperience

We came up with a novel idea, the first to be executed in the @NiMSASouthwest and perhaps in the entirety of @NiMSA_Nigeria which was the first ever NiMSA Southwest Innovation Challenge, sponsored by award winning, Lagos based Health NGO, Hacer Health Initiative. #theCONVERGENCE

I'll always be grateful to my brother and friend @progress_md who pitched the idea of sponsorship to the NGO via email, and we were invited for a physical pitching the next day. I was in ilorin, he was at Osogbo. #theCONVERGENCE

It was terribly impromptu but we had to do something as the prospect seemed very bright. But I couldn't go, otherwise I'd not be eligible for my Psychiatry EOP, as I was already behind on my clinical activities attendance. However, @progress_md decided to defy the odds...

...and embarked on the trip, while preparing the paperwork over the night. He was accompanied by a member of the team in Lagos, and we had a successful pitch and eventual sponsorship.
#theCONVERGENCE

We also had the first ever @NiMSASouthwest Fringe, which was a concept drawn after the IFMSA Fringe, wherein Medical Students would give live entertaining performances. I'm sure delegates won't forget 03Dee's Romantic Poem, as well as Stephanie's sonorous voice during the dinner.

We had a 3-day Virtual Research Masterclass, and which eventually culminated in an Abstract Presentation during the Convention, with about 10 Medical Students Presenting their abstracts.
#theCONVERGENCE #theABUADexperience

Day 1:
We had the opening ceremony on the 1st of August, and graced by the presence of the Principal officers of the University, as well as the Special Adviser to the Ekiti State Government on the SDGs.

The Keynote speech was given by Dr Clement Lugala Peter, the Officer-in-Charge of the Nigerian office of the World Health Organization (WHO) ably represented by the Ekiti state rep, Dr Kolude Funmilayo.

We also had Dr Joshua Falade, a Consultant Psychiatrist with the ABUAD Multisystem Hospital talk to us on one of the subthemes.

Day 2:
We had Celeb Doc @DeboOdulana founder of @DoctooraHealth speak to us on Digital Health Tech., as well as Dr Abiodun Adereni @budjez founder of award-winning HelpMumNG, and Engr Abdulwaheed Abiola (CEO of TREPSlab) who also doubled as Judges for the innovation challenge.

The Innovation Challenge was indeed beautiful as we saw evidences of how Medical Students can indeed think outside the box to come with solutions for Common Public Health Challenges.
The VATE team from @ibadanmedicine won the challenge.

The NMA Quiz was equally as interesting, as SW MSAs juggled for the tag of "StuffLords" of the region which saw @ibadanmedicine win again on the day. Mr President @bolu_twits
Kudos to Segun Onaade of UIMSA, the RD on Academics, who came up with the idea of an e-scoreboard.

We headed to the Stadium on Saturday morning for sports, which included a 3-1 victory for the hosts, as they faced up against the Regional all-stars, with LOC Chairman @armstrongnyoni bagging 2.
My friend Nimi, can be seen hitting the volleyball as well, with madam VP looking on.

We convened after for the final sessions of the convention, where the SA to the LASG Comm. for Health, Dr Tunde Ajayi @thetundeajayi, MWF Dr Okiki @Okizle and my brother and role model medical student @Eddykurrent talk to us on the last 2 subthemes
Eddy had a solo session after

The beautiful Convention was without doubt a success, and it ended with a dinner on Saturday evening and a Thanksgiving service on Sunday 4th August.

This thread is long already, but I happily made it so, and I know you enjoyed reading and felt nostalgic.
I want to once again say thank you to everyone. I'm limited by the number of characters here hence I can't mention everyone. But I was grateful last year, and I still am.

Everybody: My Regional Team (The X-Ceptionals), the LOC and all the delegates.
Thank you all for creating a memorable NiMSA Southwest Regional Convention 2019. It was indeed #theCONVERGENCE and #theABUADexperience was

Yours In Service,
Oluwatobi
NiMSA Southwest Regional Coordinator 2019.