Winners in Branded Scrubs (PICS): OCI Foundation’s Literary Award for Medical Students, LAMS

Here are the winners of the OCI Foundation-Auwal Shanono Literary Award for Medical Students, LAMS. The event started in 2021 (see details below, after the pictures).

Winners of the 2021 (1st) Edition can be found HERE, while those from 2022 (2nd) Edition are HERE.

This award is in fulfillment of the OCI Foundation’s resolve to support and improve the literary skills of Nigerian doctors-in-training and is being delivered in partnership with the Nigerian Medical Students Association (NiMSA). LAMS became a national event in 2021 (when the first edition was held), and is now an annual event.

TASNEC was established by NiMSA in honour of its former President, the late Auwal Shanano, who died in 2011 while on active service for NiMSA. The maiden competition in late 2020 was initiated by NiMSA, and at the time, independent of the OCI Foundation. Due to difficulties in fulfilling the benefits tied to the award, the OCI Foundation was approached to assist, and the Foundation’s Board graciously voted in the affirmative.

NiMSA is the national body that represents all the medical students in Nigeria, and is made up of medical schools from all six geo-political zones in Nigeria.

It should be recalled the, in August 2020, the OCI Foundation sponsored the first-ever Literary Award for Medical Students (LAMS). At the time, it was staged only for the medical schools South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, who initiated the idea. With this announcement, all geo-political zones will compete in this annual essay competition, a declaration that reflects Prof Ifediora’s firm commitment to inspiring youths and medical undergraduates across the Nigerian nation.

LAMS is designed to identify, inspire, and reward medical students who show literary dexterity. Its next edition, which will be concluded before November 2021, will be in combination with TASNEC, and will be sponsored solely by the OCI Foundation, for all medical schools in Nigeria. In addition to cash awards, the OCI Foundation will be providing branded medical scrub outfits and stethoscopes for the top performers in the competition, with automatic membership to the OCI Foundation offered to the top 3 as well.

A regional version of LAMS, exclusive to only the medical schools in the South-east of Nigeria, also holds annually. Details from the 2021 version of the event can be found HERE.