23/08/2021
CARRIER PROSPECTS FOR PHYSIOLOGISTS IN NIGERIA:
Every nation’s economy is run by two major sectors, the Public and Private sectors. In advanced countries, the economy is driven mainly by the Private sector which creates most of the jobs for the teeming population. In growing economies like ours (Nigeria) it is driven mainly by the Public sector that can only create a handful of jobs. However we are shifting slowly but steadily from public oriented to private based concerns. This trend is supposed to create ample of job opportunities for the ever increasing university / higher education products and graduates of Basic Medical Sciences in general and particularly graduates of Medical/ Human Physiology.
Earlier on (in the sixties, seventies, eighties and even nineties and early 2000) it was easier for Physiologists to gain employment into public or private concerns immediately after graduation and NYSC. Reason being that they were fewer and job openings were more, not even necessarily in the field of Physiology . Recently because of population explosion and more universities opening up Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences and Nigerian economy becoming moribund and not diversified thereby affecting the trend of employment and carrier prospects for Nigerian graduates. The most affected are the young Physiologists fresh from the oven of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences of our Universities. They are worried and ask questions like: What is it like been a graduate of Physiology?, What are the employment opportunities for Physiologists? Where can Physiologists work today in Nigeria? Can one practice independently as a Physiologist? Is lecturing and teaching the only job available for Physiologists in Nigeria? How bad is unemployment amongst Physiologists? Are there job Openings for Basic Medical Science disciplines... particularly Physiology ? Where will Physiology lead me? What does a Physiologist do? What are the prospects for a carrier as a Physiologist in Nigeria? What do i do with a degree in Physiology? How much do Physiologists make or earn ? Why haven’t PSN armed their products with her Council’s Certificate to enable them operate freely without restrictions in their chosen carrier?... on and on. While older or early generation Physiologists find the above questions easy to answer because they are already gainfully employed when there was dearth of work force , the younger new generation Physiologists are not finding it easy due to the congestion currently witnessed in the system from lack of planning by the Nigerian state. They are complaining and agonizing over what looks like carrier hopelessness in Nigeria. However there is good news for all of us and i will advice that we ‘’STOP AGONIZING , AND START ORGANIZING’’. The future rewards those who press on.
What was the previous status?
In the beginning, the carrier prospects for Physiologists in Nigeria seemed limited to just teaching, lecturing and scientific research at secondary and university levels. This was due to the need to train and retain manpower within the academic circle to keep the Basic Medical Sciences and the health sector alive and running. So it was easier for fresh graduates of Physiology to be employed and retained immediately after NYSC to start lecturing carrier as a graduate assistant without begging or applying the Nigeria factor for employment. Those who disdain lecturing quickly stepped out to find employment in other public and private sectors to be mentioned in the course of this write up. Most of them even ended up in banks, health sector, or oil and gas companies like Shell, NNPC , etc. However almost half of them still lunched back to read Medicine and Surgery and a few ended up in profitable businesses. That was the status of Physiologists then in Nigeria. It was a matter of choice and there were vacancies here and there until things fell apart and the centre could no longer hold.
What is the current status?
The current quagmire started with a boom in medical education leading to the setting up of more Faculties of Basic Medical Sciences in public and private universities and churning out of more graduates of Physiology yearly without the commensurate planning to accommodate the surge by the various governments that has plundered Nigerian economy. This was also compounded by the inability of the parent body of Physiologists (The Physiological Society of Nigeria PSN ) to act fast and place the honourable profession on a pedestal that would have fast forwarded the legislation that would have gotten a council for Physiology to place us at par with other medical professions. Lastly, the persistent squabbles and rivalry in Nigeria health sector has not helped matters.
The way forward:
The Federal Ministry Of Labour and Productivity recently said that 41% of Nigerian graduates are unemployed after NYSC. This percentage include majority of our young charming Physiologists. They are included and deeply involved as a result of paucity of knowledge of the carrier opportunities available to them in Nigeria and also lack of carrier councillors. It is of interest to know that the field of Physiology has the highest carrier prospects of all jobs of human endeavours in the world. While Physiology graduates of developed nations are busy swimming in the ocean of variety of carriers to choose from the Nigerian counterparts are struggling in the dirty pond of hopelessness, fear, frustration , lack of self worth and poverty.....even in the midst of plenty.
The GOODNEWS:
Physiology is a scientific discipline that studies the functions of a variety of living systems. Physiologists are biological/ medical scientists/reseachers that specializes on how human beings and other living things function. Human Physiologists zeros in on Human study, how it functions from cellular level to the entire organism and investigates how humans interact with their environment and other living things. All Basic Medical Sciences Disciplines especially Physiology are Equipment and Instrument intensive. They involve : Complex and Simple Equipment, Apparatuses, Lab Wares, Protocols, Procedures, and Research Methodologies that covers all fields of life. A carear in Physiology marks you out in all fields of Medicine.
Carrier prospects available to Physiologist in Nigeria can be categorised under the following:
INSTITUTIONAL BASED CARRIERS:
UNIVERSITIES/ HIGHER INSTITUTIONS: Lecturer/Research scientist, Preclinical and Clinical sections.
Medical Research facilities: Research developer
HOSPITALS: Primary, Secondary, Teaching Hospitals, Private Hospitals, Clinical Physiologists, Theater assistants, Cardiology centers (Cardiopulmonary Physiologist), Neurophysiologist, Geriatric centers, Paediatric Centers, Direct Patient care, Clinical Hospital Managers, Health and Wellbeing center Managers, Audiologists, Nutrition and Diet institutions
Government Agencies
Agricultural research centers/ Forestry
UN, WHO, USAID,: Epidemiological bodies
Ministry of Health :Health Economic specialist, Health Resources officer
GENETIC CENTERS
FORENSIC CENTERS: EFCC, SSS, POLICE, COURTS
PARAMEDICS: Emergencies
Land and food reserve
Occupational therapy
COORPERATE BUSINESS/ COMPANIES(Professionals)
BANKING AND FINANCE companies: Employ Physiologists because of their high scientific and statistical affiliations and research methodologies that the companies look for.
OIL AND GAS Companies: Environmental Physiologists, Their Hospitals, Safety Departments, Sports
PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES: As sales Reps
EXERCISE AND SPORTs INDUSTRIES
MEDICAL AND LAB EQUIP COMPANIES: As sales Reps
MANAGERIAL POSITIONS: Of Companies like Breweries: Coca Cola, Seven Up, Sans, Guiness etc.
PRIVATE CARRIER/ENTREPRENUER:
Medical Supplies
Set up Gymnasium
Exercise /Sport Gym or center
Instrumentation/Biomedical engineering: All biomedical instruments are Physiologically inclined.
ECG, ECOCARDIOGRAM, MRI, Dialysis Machine, Pletysmogram,EEG, ULTRSOUND, EMG, SPIROMETRY, NCS, EP...Evoked potential,etc. Just to mention a few.
Biotechnology Industries
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE: As Research scientists/MARKETERs
Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture services, Food Therapy
Healthcare industry.: Nanotechnology
The above carrier prospects are gargantuan, dumbfounding, and unparalleled that no Physiologist is supposed to be complaining about unemployement if we do our duty very well to be informed and cancelled.
Finally , in all your getting, get the SKILLS.
A carrier as a Physiologist is a great choice. Physiologists earn fabulously well in all fields of endeavour. Let us rise up, go to the fields and fight back to take our jobs already in the captivity of other medical and paramedical professions. He who fights and runs away lives to fight again. Let’s first get the skills and mastery of all our implements and then engage the legislature to solidify our Council as our leaders in PSN are currently doing and the sky will be the beginning of our limits.
You must have:
Solid understanding of the concepts and procedures of Physiology
Thorough knowledge of many different research methods.
Patience
Mathematical aptitude
Physical stamina
Logical thinking
Strong communication and inter personal skills and ability to interact with a variety of other professionals and patients.
Thank you.
Dr Roy Chinwuba Uchefuna.CARRIER PROSPECTS FOR PHYSIOLOGISTS IN NIGERIA:
Every nation’s economy is run by two major sectors, the Public and Private sectors. In advanced countries, the economy is driven mainly by the Private sector which creates most of the jobs for the teeming population. In growing economies like ours (Nigeria) it is driven mainly by the Public sector that can only create a handful of jobs. However we are shifting slowly but steadily from public oriented to private based concerns. This trend is supposed to create ample of job opportunities for the ever increasing university / higher education products and graduates of Basic Medical Sciences in general and particularly graduates of Medical/ Human Physiology.
Earlier on (in the sixties, seventies, eighties and even nineties and early 2000) it was easier for Physiologists to gain employment into public or private concerns immediately after graduation and NYSC. Reason being that they were fewer and job openings were more, not even necessarily in the field of Physiology . Recently because of population explosion and more universities opening up Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences and Nigerian economy becoming moribund and not diversified thereby affecting the trend of employment and carrier prospects for Nigerian graduates. The most affected are the young Physiologists fresh from the oven of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences of our Universities. They are worried and ask questions like: What is it like been a graduate of Physiology?, What are the employment opportunities for Physiologists? Where can Physiologists work today in Nigeria? Can one practice independently as a Physiologist? Is lecturing and teaching the only job available for Physiologists in Nigeria? How bad is unemployment amongst Physiologists? Are there job Openings for Basic Medical Science disciplines... particularly Physiology ? Where will Physiology lead me? What does a Physiologist do? What are the prospects for a carrier as a Physiologist in Nigeria? What do i do with a degree in Physiology? How much do Physiologists make or earn ? Why haven’t PSN armed their products with her Council’s Certificate to enable them operate freely without restrictions in their chosen carrier?... on and on. While older or early generation Physiologists find the above questions easy to answer because they are already gainfully employed when there was dearth of work force , the younger new generation Physiologists are not finding it easy due to the congestion currently witnessed in the system from lack of planning by the Nigerian state. They are complaining and agonizing over what looks like carrier hopelessness in Nigeria. However there is good news for all of us and i will advice that we ‘’STOP AGONIZING , AND START ORGANIZING’’. The future rewards those who press on.
What was the previous status?
In the beginning, the carrier prospects for Physiologists in Nigeria seemed limited to just teaching, lecturing and scientific research at secondary and university levels. This was due to the need to train and retain manpower within the academic circle to keep the Basic Medical Sciences and the health sector alive and running. So it was easier for fresh graduates of Physiology to be employed and retained immediately after NYSC to start lecturing carrier as a graduate assistant without begging or applying the Nigeria factor for employment. Those who disdain lecturing quickly stepped out to find employment in other public and private sectors to be mentioned in the course of this write up. Most of them even ended up in banks, health sector, or oil and gas companies like Shell, NNPC , etc. However almost half of them still lunched back to read Medicine and Surgery and a few ended up in profitable businesses. That was the status of Physiologists then in Nigeria. It was a matter of choice and there were vacancies here and there until things fell apart and the centre could no longer hold.
What is the current status?
The current quagmire started with a boom in medical education leading to the setting up of more Faculties of Basic Medical Sciences in public and private universities and churning out of more graduates of Physiology yearly without the commensurate planning to accommodate the surge by the various governments that has plundered Nigerian economy. This was also compounded by the inability of the parent body of Physiologists (The Physiological Society of Nigeria PSN ) to act fast and place the honourable profession on a pedestal that would have fast forwarded the legislation that would have gotten a council for Physiology to place us at par with other medical professions. Lastly, the persistent squabbles and rivalry in Nigeria health sector has not helped matters.
The way forward:
The Federal Ministry Of Labour and Productivity recently said that 41% of Nigerian graduates are unemployed after NYSC. This percentage include majority of our young charming Physiologists. They are included and deeply involved as a result of paucity of knowledge of the carrier opportunities available to them in Nigeria and also lack of carrier councillors. It is of interest to know that the field of Physiology has the highest carrier prospects of all jobs of human endeavours in the world. While Physiology graduates of developed nations are busy swimming in the ocean of variety of carriers to choose from the Nigerian counterparts are struggling in the dirty pond of hopelessness, fear, frustration , lack of self worth and poverty.....even in the midst of plenty.
The GOODNEWS:
Physiology is a scientific discipline that studies the functions of a variety of living systems. Physiologists are biological/ medical scientists/reseachers that specializes on how human beings and other living things function. Human Physiologists zeros in on Human study, how it functions from cellular level to the entire organism and investigates how humans interact with their environment and other living things. All Basic Medical Sciences Disciplines especially Physiology are Equipment and Instrument intensive. They involve : Complex and Simple Equipment, Apparatuses, Lab Wares, Protocols, Procedures, and Research Methodologies that covers all fields of life. A carear in Physiology marks you out in all fields of Medicine.
Carrier prospects available to Physiologist in Nigeria can be categorised under the following:
INSTITUTIONAL BASED CARRIERS:
UNIVERSITIES/ HIGHER INSTITUTIONS: Lecturer/Research scientist, Preclinical and Clinical sections.
Medical Research facilities: Research developer
HOSPITALS: Primary, Secondary, Teaching Hospitals, Private Hospitals, Clinical Physiologists, Theater assistants, Cardiology centers (Cardiopulmonary Physiologist), Neurophysiologist, Geriatric centers, Paediatric Centers, Direct Patient care, Clinical Hospital Managers, Health and Wellbeing center Managers, Audiologists, Nutrition and Diet institutions
Government Agencies
Agricultural research centers/ Forestry
UN, WHO, USAID,: Epidemiological bodies
Ministry of Health :Health Economic specialist, Health Resources officer
GENETIC CENTERS
FORENSIC CENTERS: EFCC, SSS, POLICE, COURTS
PARAMEDICS: Emergencies
Land and food reserve
Occupational therapy
COORPERATE BUSINESS/ COMPANIES(Professionals)
BANKING AND FINANCE companies: Employ Physiologists because of their high scientific and statistical affiliations and research methodologies that the companies look for.
OIL AND GAS Companies: Environmental Physiologists, Their Hospitals, Safety Departments, Sports
PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES: As sales Reps
EXERCISE AND SPORTs INDUSTRIES
MEDICAL AND LAB EQUIP COMPANIES: As sales Reps
MANAGERIAL POSITIONS: Of Companies like Breweries: Coca Cola, Seven Up, Sans, Guiness etc.
PRIVATE CARRIER/ENTREPRENUER:
Medical Supplies
Set up Gymnasium
Exercise /Sport Gym or center
Instrumentation/Biomedical engineering: All biomedical instruments are Physiologically inclined.
ECG, ECOCARDIOGRAM, MRI, Dialysis Machine, Pletysmogram,EEG, ULTRSOUND, EMG, SPIROMETRY, NCS, EP...Evoked potential,etc. Just to mention a few.
Biotechnology Industries
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE: As Research scientists/MARKETERs
Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture services, Food Therapy
Healthcare industry.: Nanotechnology
The above carrier prospects are gargantuan, dumbfounding, and unparalleled that no Physiologist is supposed to be complaining about unemployement if we do our duty very well to be informed and cancelled.
Finally , in all your getting, get the SKILLS.
A carrier as a Physiologist is a great choice. Physiologists earn fabulously well in all fields of endeavour. Let us rise up, go to the fields and fight back to take our jobs already in the captivity of other medical and paramedical professions. He who fights and runs away lives to fight again. Let’s first get the skills and mastery of all our implements and then engage the legislature to solidify our Council as our leaders in PSN are currently doing and the sky will be the beginning of our limits.
You must have:
Solid understanding of the concepts and procedures of Physiology
Thorough knowledge of many different research methods.
Patience
Mathematical aptitude
Physical stamina
Logical thinking
Strong communication and inter personal skills and ability to interact with a variety of other professionals and patients.
Thank you.
Dr Roy Chinwuba Uchefuna.
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