“How to Survive House Job in Nigeria” is a raw, practical, and center-specific series that spotlights the lived experiences of house officers in over 50 hospitals across Nigeria.

Each article offers honest, witty, and field-tested tips on navigating hospital bureaucracy, managing workloads, dealing with toxic seniors, finding decent accommodation, and surviving emotionally. Whether you’re posted to UCH Ibadan, AKTH Kano, LUTH Lagos, or FMC Umuahia, we’ve got a playbook to keep your sanity (and your stethoscope) intact

NO 1

INSIDE UCH IBADAN: WHAT IT’S REALLY LIKE TO DO HOUSEMANSHIP HERE

When I got my posting to University College Hospital, Ibadan (UCH), I felt like I’d just received the golden ticket. I mean—it’s UCH! The first teaching hospital in Nigeria. The benchmark every professor referenced as “the standard.” I pictured gleaming corridors, smooth systems, and maybe even a consultant who’d mentor me like in Grey’s Anatomy.

Well… reality showed up in a very different ward coat.

REGISTRATION & MEDICALS: A TWO-MONTH MAZE

Before I even touched a patient, UCH gave me a warm welcome—in bureaucracy.

Registration and medicals felt like trying to unlock a hidden level in a video game. For nearly two months, we were stuck in limbo. You had to do your medicals at UCH, but the Hepatitis B antibody titre reagent was out of stock, and the X-ray machine had gone on a long sabbatical.

Still, we weren’t allowed to do these tests elsewhere. So we waited. And spent. Many of us coughed up nearly ₦100,000 just to complete our medicals.

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ACCOMMODATION: THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE ROACH-INFESTED

There are three accommodation options: one “new block” that people talk about like it’s heaven’s waiting room, and two old ones that look like they’ve survived every regime since independence.

I lived in an old block—₦15,000/month. No mattress. No working fan. And the floor? So rough I had to buy a rug just so my socks wouldn’t double as mops.

The new block is apartment-style, but it costs a hefty ₦542,000 per year (including caution fee and extras). They’re working on price reductions, but it’s still a wallet buster. You also have to pay your own electricity bill.

And electricity? Mostly rationed. 9am–2pm during the day, 8pm–11pm at night—except in emergencies, where the standby generator kicks in.

WORKLOAD: CALLS, CLINICS & CRACKED ANKLES

Your workload depends heavily on your unit. During my time in Paediatrics, I did 12–19 calls a month—sometimes three in one week. Emergency Paediatrics had three shifts:

Morning (8am–3pm)

Afternoon (3pm–9pm)

Night (9pm–8am)
Then one day off. Honestly? Not too bad.

But then came O&G. One night, I climbed to the fifth floor seven times. By the end, my ankles gave out. I limped home and genuinely considered requesting a referral to Ortho.

On the flip side, Urology was surprisingly munchy. Their call room was always stocked: groundnuts, cabin biscuits—even plantain chips. I once did a call there and felt like a consultant on leave. So yes, house job takes… but sometimes, it gives.

TOXICITY: SHOUTING ≠ DEATH SENTENCE

UCH has its fair share of “toxic” seniors, but to be honest, most of the toxicity was vocal, not structural.

In Paediatrics, there was one SR whose shouting power rivalled that of a Pentecostal preacher. But many others were surprisingly chill.

Some departments conducted full morning reviews in Yoruba. Helpful for cultural immersion, sure—but trying to present differentials in a language I barely scraped through in secondary school? A challenge. A colleague once whispered, “Guy, is aifẹmi shortness of breath or palpitations?” I just shook my head.

Still, most seniors just shouted. No extensions. No threats. Just loud words. And if you’ve survived med school in Nigeria, you’ve survived shouting.

MENTORSHIP, COLLEAGUES & CHIEFTAINCY TIPS

Despite the chaos, I met incredible people. Consultants may be old-school, but if you showed interest, they taught. One Internal Medicine consultant made ward rounds feel like TED Talks. He once said, “Congestive heart failure is like a man carrying water in a leaking basket.” I’ve never forgotten it.

Nurses? A mixed bag. Some were angels. Others acted like you delayed their promotion. Pro tip: greet them well, learn their names, and don’t take their chairs.

EMOTIONAL DAMAGE

UCH tests your limits—physically, mentally, emotionally.

Some days, I felt like a superhero saving lives. Other days, I felt like a glorified secretary chasing lab results that never arrived. I once fell asleep mid-form-filling during a 24-hour call. When I woke up, a colleague said, “Omo, no go fill your name for pregnancy test o.”

But through it all, a weird sense of family forms. You bond over shared struggle, bad veins, and even worse meals. Trauma bonding? Maybe. But it’s real.

FINAL THOUGHTS: WOULD I DO IT AGAIN?

UCH Ibadan isn’t perfect—far from it. Bureaucracy, poor infrastructure, and occasional toxicity will test you. But it also offers some of the richest clinical exposure in Nigeria.

You’ll grow. You’ll toughen up. And you’ll walk away with stories to tell for the rest of your life.

So yes, I’d do it again. But next time, I’m bringing my own mattress—and Yoruba textbook.

Let me know if you’d like this restructured into a blog format, newsletter, Instagram carousel, or Twitter thread!

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Here’s a clean table of final vital points summarizing the UCH Ibadan housemanship experience as captured in your article:

Category	Details
First Impressions	High expectations due to UCH’s reputation as Nigeria’s premier teaching hospital.
Registration & Medicals	Took nearly 2 months due to lack of reagents and non-functional equipment. Cost ~₦100,000. No option to use external labs.
Accommodation	– Old blocks: ₦15,000/month, poor condition, no mattress/fan. – New block: ₦542,000/year (with fees), better but costly.
Electricity Supply	Scheduled supply: 9am–2pm, 8pm–11pm. Emergency unit has standby generator.
Workload	– Paediatrics: 12–19 calls/month, some days with 3 calls. – Emergency Peds: Shift-based, manageable. – O&G: Physically intense.
Unit Differences	– Some units demanding (e.g., O&G), others relaxed (e.g., Urology with snacks and a lighter atmosphere).
Toxicity	– Some shouting seniors, but most are non-abusive. – Reviews in Yoruba were a language barrier for non-fluent speakers.
Mentorship	– Some consultants are inspiring and teach well. – Engagement and curiosity are rewarded.
Nurse Relations	Mixed experiences. Advice: greet them, learn their names, and don’t touch their chairs.
Emotional Strain	Frequent exhaustion, lack of sleep, overwhelming responsibilities. Some humor and bonding among colleagues helped cope.
Lessons & Growth	UCH toughens you, offers rich clinical exposure, and lifelong memories.
Would You Repeat It?	Yes—but with better personal prep (e.g., bring mattress, learn Yoruba).