Country: Nigeria
Maternal and Newborn Health Advisor, Save the Children International
Opeyemi Odedere "What the University added to me cannot be over emphasised. After my programme, I became more confident about my capabilities and this has helped me and is still helping me in all my endeavours."
What did you like most about the city of Birmingham or living and studying in the UK?
The city of Birmingham is such a cosmopolitan city that embraces a lot of ethnic groups including Africans, Asians etc. The city is lively and there was a never a dull moment. As an African, all what I needed to keep body and soul together could be found in Birmingham.
Studying in University of Birmingham was a dream come true, as I had always wanted to study in the UK and when I chose University of Birmingham for my Masters in Public Health postgraduate programme, I knew I didn't make the wrong decision.
Why did you choose Birmingham?
As a medical doctor, I chose Birmingham because of the type of MPH curriculum been implemented, as it keyed into the area of my passion. Courses such as communicable diseases, epidemiology and statistics were some of the courses taught during the MPH year of 2008/2009. Besides all these, I also wanted to study in a beautiful city like Birmingham.
What one piece of advice would you give to a prospective student?
A prospective student should know that Birmingham as a city has a lot to offer while University of Birmingham even has much more to offer in the area of career development and networking after graduating. The lecturers were fantastic, friendly and down to earth.
How would you describe the Birmingham Medical School in no more than three words?
Beautiful, inspiring and Conducive.
What did you find was the biggest culture shock when moving to Birmingham?
It is normal for an individual to feel different when entering into a new society especially with a foreign culture. However, I was able to get used to the system and culture quickly because of how cosmopolitan and diverse Birmingham was. For instance, there were many Nigerians than in my MPH class and this made me feel at home and I believe it's same with other departments as well.
What did you think were the best points of the MPH and the University?
The availability of outstanding lecturers in the MPH class was helpful as they were always there to support and provide guidance for the students.
How did you grow as a person by studying at University? Did it change your life in any way?
Yes , it did. What the University added to me cannot be over emphasised. After my programme, I became more confident about my capabilities and this had helped me and is still helping me in all my endeavours.