Women dominate medical training as female students hit 67% at Osun varsity

The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun, Osun State, Prof. Akeem Olawale Lasisi, on Monday affirmed that women are increasingly breaking cultural barriers in medical education, with female students accounting for 67.38 per cent of the university’s student population.

The Vice-Chancellor attributed the trend to changing societal attitudes towards girl-child education, saying the gradual erosion of gender stereotypes would encourage more women to pursue careers in medicine and other health-related professions.

Lasisi spoke at a press briefing ahead of the institution’s maiden convocation, where he disclosed that the university had 3,332 students, comprising 2,245 females and 1,087 males, across its four faculties.

He said the development reflected a broader transformation in Nigerian society, where women were increasingly being given opportunities to compete with men in fields previously perceived as male-dominated.

According to him, the belief that certain professions are naturally suited to a particular gender is largely rooted in cultural interpretations rather than differences in ability.

The Vice-Chancellor maintained that the university operated an equal-opportunity admission policy, with candidates assessed on their academic performance rather than gender.

He expressed confidence in the ability of female medical professionals to excel, adding that the removal of societal restrictions would enable more women to contribute to the country’s healthcare delivery system.

On discipline, Lasisi said the university had established a code of conduct to guide students’ behaviour, stressing that compliance with professional standards was essential, particularly for those preparing for careers in medicine and nursing.

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The Vice-Chancellor also announced that 138 students would graduate at the institution’s maiden convocation, with 15 earning First Class honours, 79 obtaining Second Class Upper degrees, 43 graduating with Second Class Lower degrees and one finishing with a Third Class degree.

“Master Adediran Precious Opeyemi of the Department of Microbiology emerged as the overall best graduating student, recording a cumulative grade point average of 4.93.”

“Former Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, is expected to deliver the convocation lecture titled, “Rethinking 21st Century Specialised Medical University in the Nigerian Context: Are the Challenges Surmountable?”

The convocation comes amid efforts by the Federal Government to strengthen medical education and improve the infrastructure available for training healthcare professionals.