Wednesday, October 22, 2014

YAY!! I DID IT! I AM NOW A CAREER COUNSELLOR.....

Students of Adiaha Obong Secondary School and the  various healthcare professionals
Okay, that is a big exaggeration but I spoke on Pharmacy as a career to some kids today. It was actually a lot of kids, there should have been up to 120 secondary school girls….whew. Thank God I didn’t think about the number until now or I would have been intimidated.

So let me give you all the details from the pre counseling events to the actual event. Like you all know I was asked to speak on pharmacy as a career by a church member who is a doctor on Sunday. I was really scared a bit scared because I hate public speaking. However thanks to you guys for your kind words and God reminding me of my dreams, the encouragement I felt was enough to allow me to decide to just do it (like Nike sport wear says).


Yesterday I asked some of my senior colleagues on what I could say and drafted a copy of what I could say in less than 2 hours (I surprised myself). I showed it to a senior colleague and a junior colleague and they told me what else to add. A senior colleague had suggested putting my notes in a power point presentation so I got home and made a power point presentation in less than 1 hour 30 minutes (I surprised myself again). It was just a 14 slide presentation but for me it was major. I really don’t like doing power point presentation. I then practiced what I would say and I was set for today.

There was supposed to be a mini meeting of the speakers so that we can be given the points to use and speak (luckily for me, all my notes were the points they wanted us to talk on…..Go figure). I was supposed to leave by 1pm but it was today of all days that the corps pharmacist’s car decided to have some issues and he had to stay with the mechanic instead of leaving the car there and going back later in the day (I am so going to kill him tomorrow, he doesn’t know it yet). And then my In charge also had so many of my bosses to see so he was not in the pharmacy unit. The lady in charge of the talk kept calling me because she had come to the hospital to pick some of the other speakers and was willing to pick me up too. However I was already swamped with work and angry at my other colleagues, I am so happy I didn’t scream at my interns when they kept dragging their feet. I had to call corps pharmacist to drag his butt back to the pharmacy and call my in charge to let him know that I had to leave.

Then after some earlier plans that had been made concerning my leave, my Head of Department (I don’t know what happened and I don’t want to know what happened) said I couldn’t leave when I was supposed to leave. She wanted me to leave about 14 days after, I had to make her know that it was not possible. If I left when she wanted I would have some serious consequences and might not be able to write my exams so we agreed on me leaving 7 days earlier than she wanted me to. I don’t know what would happen tomorrow, maybe someone would say something and they won’t want to release me.

Honestly sometimes i feel like these guys think I am a lock down property of the pharmacy. I am always having problems when it is time for my leave. Either they don’t want to release me or they expect me to resume earlier than when I am supposed to resume. The last time I was called when I was in Dubai, camel riding, when I saw the missed call I refused to call back (no way was I spending 200 naira (more than $1) on calling anybody). Whatever the problem was i could not haved cared less at that time. I later heard people were looking for me…..I pirrry somebody. When I decide that it is time to transfer to some where else that is when someone would realise that I have a life.

Anyway with that annoyed and sad mindset, I quickly ran out of the pharmacy and went to the venue. You all know how I was looking for moral support, apparently I didn’t really make myself clear to my friend. So she thought I meant that she would talk so when I was asking she kept saying no. It was after the event that she said she meant no to speaking but that she would have loved to come to support me and see how career talks are done. See me and my head ehen…..If she had come at least I would have had someone to give me a feedback on how good or bad I did.

So we had the counselors meeting where we were given the agenda/talk points and the concept was explained to us. We were introduced to the students (without our professional titles being mentioned), our mission and who the organizers were. Then the students were shared into 6 groups and each professional was to lead them to the class designated to the profession. So each session was 15 minute and after the 15 minutes a bell was rung and the students would go to the next class. It was sort of like speed dating.

It was so so so much fun. I tried to engage the kids to the best of my abilities. Asked them questions, told them about the challenges and benefits, tried to made pharmacy look fun and i also tried to use myself as an example.

I also realized some things about myself. I found out that I really like what I did today so when the organizer asked if we would be interested in doing it again I was like HECK YEAH! Anytime I see her in church I would be so asking when the next talk is coming up. And this time I won’t forget to bring my friend along. Then I also realized that sometimes I need to quit worrying and trust God more. I noticed after we finished that I was not nervous at all, like at all. Yep, maybe when I first started I was still trying to gather how I would align my earlier made notes with what they asked us to focus on but by the 3rd set of students I was speaking with even thinking about it. I am supposed to make a clinical presentation to my members of my department and pharmacy students next week and I have been bothered about it but with what happened today I am less nervous. I am just going to do my best and trust God to take care of the rest.

So enough talking and let me share the pictures that I could take and the official photographer took. Hope you enjoy them.
We had a little healthcare professional aka diva aka poser.....lol
Healthcare professionals working together for the good of the patient
God help me with my oily face.....Moby I need help now! I need a super oil absorbing primer o!
Students of Adiaha Obong Sec. School filling a questionnaire
Pre talk meeting....the career talk was organised by the Medical women association of Nigeria (female medical doctors)...
Well that is all for today guys. Thank you guys for your encouragement, honestly if not for you guys and my senior colleagues I might have run away. I was still thinking if it was a right decision for me to accept the offer.

I have to run. I am tired but I need to eat the food that the organizers gave me. After then it is dream land for me, no books today (I won’t be able to concentrate anyway).

Thanks for stopping by….

Luv ya,
Petite Diva…

17 comments:

  1. I'm glad your talk went well. I'm sure that your and the other speakers were an inspiration to the students.

    Are you relocating to Lagos?

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    1. Thanks. I hope so. I am not yet, I was advised to wait till I am promoted first. I am just getting fed up with a lot of nonsense being done here.

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  2. Thank God the talk went well... With time u'll get used to these things... more power to ur elbow

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  3. She looks beautiful!!!....Awww..Congrats mami....

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  4. Congratulations Miss Petite......welcome to the oily skin club, we look younger all the time..lol

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    Replies
    1. Thanks. That is what they keep saying but the oil dey tire me jare.

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  5. Yaay its official!!! Congrats am sure you slayed it

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  6. hahaha good one dear
    fashionitazbybuiti.blogspot.com

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  7. Yaaaaay....she slayed it. Congratulations swiirie. You can get a bh cosmetics antishine cream or just buy marykay matifier....you can start with either one and get back to me. I am so proud of you dear.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks. I have tried marykay it didn't work. I would try BH antishine cream soon.

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  8. Not untill you take a step before you realize how fun/cool it is. I would jump at every public speaking offer i get because i feel that's a way of impacting in people. Great job dear.

    www.auspiciousdeb.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks. I think I would start requesting to speak in front of people. It seems that I have a thing for it.

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  9. Well done dear.

    I'm glad it all went well. Greater height ahead.

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