Page 37 - Future Leaders 2018-2019

PRECIOUS ALABI, 23 OLAMIDE DADA, 20

School: King’s College School: Cardiff University Medicine
London Course: Medicine
Course: Pharmacy (MPharm) (MBBCh)
Year: Graduated Year: Second
Grade: 2:1 Grade average: 2:1
As political officer of the In her first year, Olamide decided
ACS, Precious pioneered a BME to use the struggles she’d encountered whilst applying
mentorship programme at her university through which to medical school to help those who may encounter the
first-year students were mentored by students further on same challenges. She subsequently founded a non-profit
in their academic careers. This proved effective and the organisation called Melanin Medics which is focused on
next year, King’s College expanded the idea through the increasing the representation of African-Caribbean
wider university community. This led Precious to become medics and has recently been recognised by the British
engaged in discussions with the principal and other senior Medical Association.
members of the university to create ideas to reduce the To kick things off, Olamide recruited and now leads a team
BME attainment gap. of 14 medical students and doctors from around the country
She was a finalist in a competition run by the Policy Institute as part of her team. She also manages the company’s
at King’s in which she gave a speech on the need for the website, including a blog, which has achieved more than
diversification of the National Curriculum to include black 12,000 views in the space of nine months.
narratives within the history course. She then presented to In addition to overseeing the mentorship scheme for
an audience of MPs in parliament and members of the wider prospective and current medical students, she supervises
public. “I saw the competition as an opportunity to utilise my the organising of events, such as the Widening Access to
leadership skills and to drive change,” she says. Medicine outreach events which take place in local schools.
In her first year she was was appointed student As a budding musician, Olamide founded Cardiff
representative for the KCL Pharmacy School by her peers University’s first ever Gospel choir and is currently
and attended meetings with senior members of staff in the president of this society.
order to facilitate changes.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? On my way to a consulting position in medicine, and
I would have set up a foundation that will work to monitor helping redefine medical education in Nigeria.
and eradicate fraudulent medicine in Africa and elsewhere.

SYNTHIA ENYIOMA, 25 JAMES FRATER, 22

School: King’s College School: King’s College
London London
Course: Medicine (MBBS) Course: Extended Medical
Year: Third (of Five) Degree Programme (MBBS)
Grade average: 2:1 Year: Three (of Five)
Grade average: 2:1
Synthia is project manager at the
student-led NHS Policy Commission – an organisation James joined King’s College London in 2015 and immediately
funded by the NHS and tasked with looking at ways to meet started to work closely with the widening participation team.
the challenges it faces in coming years. One project was to He felt very strongly that the low number of British students
come up with strategies to ensure the NHS can continue of African and Caribbean descent needed to be addressed.
to innovate in 15 years’ time, and her team recommended As an university ambassador and an Access to Medicine
depoliticising the NHS to counteract short-termism, “so that ambassador, he delivers and runs workshops with young
every five years they aren’t changing their systems”. people from years 4 to 13.
Synthia moved from Italy to the UK at 16, to attend college. A recipient of the Amos Bursary (AB), James worked
Two or three years afterwards, there was an influx of black to establish a partnership between AB and King’s.
Italian students but they found the British education system His efforts resulted in AB holding their first two-day
confusing. After helping one or two family friends, Synthia conference for students and their parents – sponsored by
was asked to assist numerous other students with CVs, King’s – in April 2017. Over 60 students participated and
personal statements and the clearing process. “I’ve been James was responsible, with King’s, for the creation and
doing it since my first year and I’m still helping people – it’s development of the programme. April 2018 saw the return
all word of mouth,” she says. She learnt valuable lessons on of the conference.
CV writing following an internship in HR at UBS. In 2017, James was voted the first Caribbean male president
She is also in the process of setting up, with a fellow student, of the King’s College London ACS. This is the largest ACS in
an African Caribbean Medical Association at Kings. Already London and James was responsible for leading the team of
she has seen 50 people sign up and brought together a team 18 committee members.
of five students to lead the initiative.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Qualified as a GP and having set up a pipeline at King’s
Working for the World Health Organisation, specifically where they are getting it right in terms of helping
in developing countries. disadvantaged students.

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