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Bowen University, Iwo, at the weekend held its second Medical Laboratory Science Induction, Oath-Taking, and Awards Ceremony, inducting 45 medical laboratory scientists into the profession.
In his opening remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Bowen University Professor Jonathan O. Babalola congratulated the inductees and noted that 21 out of the 45 students passed the council exams with distinction.
He charged the inductees to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and ethics and to practice their profession for the country’s interest. He also encouraged them to stay updated with the latest developments in their field to remain relevant.
The induction lecture, titled “Medical Laboratory Science: The Bedrock of Modern Medicine,” was delivered by Prof. Kolawole S. Oyedeji, a renowned medical microbiology and molecular diagnosis professor at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos.
Prof. Oyedeji emphasised the critical role medical laboratory scientists play in diagnosing and treating diseases, highlighting that laboratory data inform up to 70% of critical decisions in healthcare.
He noted that medical laboratory science is the field where the challenges of medicine meet the complexities of science and that the discipline plays a pivotal role in providing reproducible results from performing tests.
The guest lecturer also pointed out that medical laboratory science is essential to the growth of research laboratories in public health centres and that modern-day medicine would have been costlier and less effective without the contributions of medical laboratory scientists.
He noted that only 40% of healthcare professionals are medical doctors and nurses, while the majority are other allied health professions like medical laboratory science.
Prof. Oyedeji highlighted the importance of integrity, ethical standards, and professionalism in medical laboratory science.
He stressed the need for medical laboratory scientists to maintain regular emotional balance, patient confidentiality, and privacy, as well as to present accurate and timely results.
The event’s highlight was the oath-taking and induction ceremony conducted by Dr. Gregory Uchonu, who represented the Registrar and CEO of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria, Professor Tosan Erhabor.
Awards were also presented to outstanding students, including the overall best-graduating student, Oghenedoro Godswill Avbunufe, who received a cash gift of ₦100,000 from the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria.
Two distinguished elders of the medical council, Hon. Kunle Jenrade and Mr. Kehinde Ogunkoya, were also honoured at the event for their contributions to the development of medical laboratory science in Nigeria.
