The History of the IFEMED Journal Club

While the originators of the IFEMED Journal Club vision were never known, whoever they were, they couldn’t keep that vision to themselves and thus, they shared it with the then 1975/76 session Executive Members of the Obafemi Awolowo University Medical Students’ Association, IFUMSA. Undoubtedly, this idea was welcomed with so much enthusiasm that it was immediately tabled before the Students’ Representative Body, SRB, the highest decision-making body of IFUMSA, and a decision was reached at her sitting of Saturday, the 22nd of October,1975, to constitute a Medical Journal Committee (MJC). The MJC was headed by the then Public Relations Officer, Tonye Romeo and they were tasked with conducting a feasibility study and setting in motion events that would set the Club on course.

The MJC completed her duties by the second week of December of the same year: they constituted an Editorial Board, appointed Staff Advisers, found a publisher, and raised a sum of NGN 60.50 from members of staff of the Faculty. They also decided to publish two Journal Volumes biannually  – in February and August of the same year – with two editions published per volume. It was the duo of Dr. Tokunbo Fabamwo and Dr. Demola Denloye, both of whom would later become the 1975/76 IFUMSA President and Vice President respectively, that suggested the name ‘IFEMED Journal Club’, which the MJC adopted and is still used till date.

The MJC handed over all reins of power to the already constituted Editorial Board of the Club, led by Lanre Alabi, the first Editor-in-Chief, who regrettably never lived to see the maiden edition launched. He died in the November of 1976. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.

On Tuesday, 15th February 1977, the maiden issue of the Journal was launched in the faculty building of the then Faculty of Health Sciences, during the second Annual Health Week tagged ‘The Family in Health and Disease’. In his speech, the late Prof. T.A.I Grillo – the foundation Dean of the Faculty – who presided over the Journal launch, advised the Club to choose her executives solely on merit and not on political maneuvers.

Suffice it to say that the Journal Club was also saddled with the publication of research outcomes from the students’ research under the Old B.Sc.–M.B., Ch.B. Program. Amongst the topics of some research projects undertaken by students of the B.Sc. in Health Sciences, program published in the IFEMED Journal are:

1. Parasitic infestation among school children in Ile-Ife: G. U. ODIACHI (1975)

2. Studies on somatovisceral reflexes: Adesuyi Adeyinka AJAYI (1977)

3. Studies on the effects of chloroquine (SN-768) on vascular tissue: Wale OKEDIRAN (1977)

4. Some cytochamical studies on peripheral blood leukocytes in pregnancy: O. C. IFEDIORA (1977)

5. Structural studies on haemoglobins: Toyin AKINBI

6. Studies on febrile thermogenesis in the conscious rat: S. O. OGUNNIYI (1977)

7. Studies on the effect of chloroquine on the enzyme histochemistry of the liver (including preliminary studies on the effect of chloroquine on liver glycogen level and oxygen consumption): Okay H. ODOCHA

8. The role of serotonin (5-Hydroytryptamine (5HT) in the mechanism(s) of sleep: Ayodeji A. ASIJEGIRI (1980)

9. The clinical significance of asymptomatic bacteriuria in women with infertility problems and gynaecological problems in the State Hospital, Ile-Ife: Adeniyi Ajibade ADEFIOYE (1980)

10. Antibacterial activities of some metabolic product(s) of a new strain of Aspergillus Aculeatus IIzuka: William Akinwunmi OLAGUNJU (1980)

11. Alpha-1-antitrypsin phenotypes in normal Nigerians and in those with sickle cell disease: Shamsideen Abayomi OGUN (1980)

12. Epidemiological study of host-parasite relationship in house rats: Banjoko OSISAMI (1980)

13. A survey on the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen among asymptomatic pregnant women in four antenatal clinics in Ile-Ife, Nigeria: Olawunmi Adedoyin BULURO (1984)

14. Effect of chloroquine on the formation, differentiation, and development of the eye in the chick embryo: Ashimu Eniola ERINOSHO (1984)

15. A histological study of some of the effects of ethanol alcohol on the developing fetuses of rats and mice: Teboho MASIA (1984)

16. Histopathological changes in a rat liver and pancreas after chronic ingestion of ethanol: M. M. MASITA (1984)

17. The effect of Azadirachta Indica on Plasmodium berghei in vivo: Adesegun O. FATUSI (1984)

18. Screening for yeast cells from various anatomical sites of the body in institutionalized female undergraduates in Ile-Ife, Nigeria: Mobolaji A. OSOBA (1984)

19. The prevalence of Loa loa infection in Origbo community of Ile-Ife: Timothy Ayotunde ADESINA (1984)

20. Neonatal tetanus – A review of cases at Ife State Hospital between 1978 and 1983: Munonyedi Ernest NWAIGBO (1984)

In a continuous pursuit of excellence, the structure of the Club has changed multiple times. At inception, the Club’s Editorial Board comprised students and Editorial Consultants, who were academic members of staff the then Faculty of Health Sciences.

The various positions on the then Editorial Board included the positions of the Editor-in-Chief, the Associate Editor-in-Chief, 3 Circulation Managers, 2 Business Managers, 2 Production Managers, 2 Art Directors, and a News Editor.

In 1978, when the second edition was published, the posts of the Circulation Managers were phased out and two new positions of a Secretary and a Financial Manager were introduced instead. During that same period, a Journal Committee was also set up. It was made up of the Business, Circulation, Production, News, and Editorial Committees. By 1999, positions on the Editorial Board were further modified to consist of the Editor-in-Chief, an Editor I, an Editor II, a Board Secretary, the Financial/Business Manager, and a Graphics Editor.

Presently, the Editorial Board consists of the Editor-in-Chief, the Deputy Editor-in-Chief, the Associate Editor-in-Chief, the Board Secretary, a Financial Manager, the Business Manager, a Graphics Editor, and the Public Relations Officer.

Through the decades, the Club has proved to be worth her salt through her unrelenting effort in publishing Journals on topical issues peculiar to our environment. The various titles that have graced the cover pages of the past Journal Volumes are:

Each journal volume features sections on Narrative Reviews, Original Research Articles, Systematic Reviews, Case Reports, annual reports from other IFUMSA Organs, and some other varieties peculiar to the time of publication. A section profiling a select Club Alumnus was also added in the ‘Malariology’ Edition of the Journal during the Dr. Eseoghene Ayisire-led administration in honor of a Journal Club alumnus who has upheld and sustained the delivery of excellent medical services to humanity.

The story of the Club has not been without bottle-necks. The Journey has indeed been replete with ups and downs, which may, not unsurprisingly, not be understood by a casual observer. One constant challenge and indeed probably the most distressing is funding. This challenge has, on various occasions, delayed publication, and sometime eventually culminated in a period during which the Club didn’t publish any journal volumes. However, donations from Club Alumni, members of staff of the College of Health Sciences, the organized College alumni body, the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, as well as organizations, industries, and stakeholders, have kept the club running.

In recent times, the Club has also added a list of other activities to her journal launch. They include:

1. The introduction of the Campus Doctor Blog which was initially a monthly health-care magazine inaugurated in 1986 to educate the University community, within and outside of the College of Health Sciences on health-related issues and other issues of public health significance. It has now evolved into an online monthly publication. There is also a board situated at HSLT B, a lecture hall in the College of Health Sciences where visitors can read Campus Doctor articles.

2. The organization of an annual Memorial Essay Competition in honour of the late Prof. Olufisan O.Taiwo, a former Editorial Board Chairman of the IFEMED Journal Club, who passed away in 2002.

3. The organization of  a biennial National Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti Memorial Essay Competition, which was first held in 2004. Four more editions have been held since then in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2022 respectively.

4. The introduction of a month-long preceptorship program for IFUMSITES on Research Writing in Health Sciences.

5. WhatsApp broadcasts and tweets on select interesting themes such as Historical Figures in Medicine, Research Breakthroughs in Medicine, Research Paper of the week, etc.

6. The organization of a Guest Authorship Program, to include non-club members of the clinical II and III classes of the College of Health Sciences in our research writing and publication process

At the IFEMED Journal Club, ours is a cycle that will keep expanding, an association that will keep progressing; ours is a club that will keep advancing, waxing from strength to strength. And the voices of our founding fathers will continue to ring through successive generations of the Journal Club, giving inspiration, when tired feet threaten to shuffle away the responsibility of continuity.

So help us God!

This historical account of the IFEMED Journal Club was first written by Dr. Seye Olusanya in the 2006/07 Journal year but has been extensively modified by Oluwaseun Akinkuolie to reflect recent updates in the Club. Oluwaseun is the Board Secretary for the 2022/23 Journal year.