Pharm Yewande Adekoya, vice-president, business development and strategy, Advantage Health Africa, has challenged the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi (NOHI) Pharmacy Interns not to be limited by their course of study, but rather go over and beyond to sharpen their skills.
She said this at the recently organised 2023 NOHI Interns Week, held from 25 to 29 of April, at the hospital hall and graced by prominent pharmacists and other professionals.
Speaking on the theme “Set your Own Stage”, Adekoya told the interns to begin thinking of a career that enables them to learn, grow, deliver value and transform lives. She tasked them to start focusing on building relevant skills depending on their career interest.
“Having an interest in clinical practice does not mean you have to work in a hospital or community pharmacy. In fact, it should motivate you to blend your interest/knowledge in patient care, your background in pharmacy, with other aspects of healthcare”, she said.
Adekoya explained that pharmacists would enjoy their work more if they have some raw talents, adding that people will notice their skills, enthusiasm, and efforts if they sharpen their skills.
She further advised the youngsters to show up and think of how they can do outstanding work, beyond the money, adding that money flows in the direction of value.
“As an intern pharmacist, what you can start doing now is to start nurturing your interests, be open to learning and reading widely, gain hands-on skills like a short internship in a preferred field, ask questions, network with the right persons, pursue your innovative ideas and stay flexible.
“To build a fulfilling career and design the career of your dreams, you must choose not to be ordinary. Don’t just think ‘salary’, think of value. You must also gain clarity on what you will like to do. Step out of the comfort zone. Step into the stretch street. All the best!” she counselled.
Also speaking at the event, Dr Idowu Deifa, an orthopaedic spine surgeon at the NOHI, sensitise the intern pharmacists on “Identifying people with difficult traits”
Deifa explained that, everybody has some degree of intolerable trait. Some have it more or cannot under express theirs. Failure to manage these traits can lead to conflicts at the workplace; can have serious negative impacts, and loss of opportunities, he said.
He further highlighted some of the traits of difficult people as the non-listeners, the downers/ one-up, snipers/gossip peddlers, better tanks – ITK, blame gamers, the dictators, the perfectionists, and the passives.
He said: “You can’t change other people’s behaviors instead you can apply behavioural intelligence when dealing with them.
“Separate the person from the negative behavior and ask questions instead of labeling them. Once you can explain somebody’s behavioral pattern, then you can predict their likely response and attitude. It reduces uncertainty and chances of getting offended.
Deifa added that pharmacists can influence their behavior positively in the workplace by engaging or discussing with them –not confrontational but inclusive of reward and recognition approach.
He ended his address by saying, “Each of us is a difficult person to someone else, so control your behaviour.”
The major goal of the group is to solve the problems of people around, thereby making life easy for the community within and without the hospital.
