Department of Medicine

Professor Olusoji M. IGE
Departmental Head
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE

The Department of Medicine was one of the ten foundation departments of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ibadan when it started as the University College, Ibadan in 1948. Other foundation departments were Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Preventive and Social Medicine, Pathology, Bacteriology, Anaesthesia, Physiology, Anatomy, and Clinical Biochemistry. The faculty had 17 academic staff at inception in 1948.

The Department had 3 academic staff comprising a Professor, who was also the Head of Department and 2 Lecturers). In that same year Prof. Alexander Brown M.B.B.S., F.R.C.P. (Edin.) was appointed the first Professor of Medicine and Head of Department.

In 1955, Radiology was established as a sub-department within the Department of Medicine, with creation of additional academic posts (Lecturer’s level) specifically for Radiology which was increased to 4 posts in 1956. The first appointment to a post in Radiology was not made until 1957. Subsequently Paediatrics and Radiology became full departments in 1962 and 1963 respectively.

The Department has grown over time in terms of personnel, numbers of trained students, international outlook, research activities and clinical service delivery.

Currently, the faculty staff in the department include 6 Professors, 2 Readers, 8 Senior Lecturers, 1 Lecturer1 and 10 associate Lecturers. There are 2 Emeritus professors in the Department namely: Prof. A.O. Falase and  Professor B.O Onadeko. There are 3 administrative staff and 1 Technologist in the Department.

The Department has well established Units of Cardiology, Nephrology, Neurology, Hepato-gastroenterology and  Dermatology/Infectious disease. Other units include Pulmonology and Endocrinology. The Department works in close collaboration with other departments in teaching, research programmes and clinical service. There is a departmental laboratory which is dedicated to teaching and research. 

Medicine department has a three-year clinical programme for the MB, BS degree. There are three   8 week courses of instruction termed medicine, 1, 2 and 3 postings. Similarly, the dental students undergo clinical rotation in Medicine I and II for the BDS Degree. The Department also has postgraduate teaching and training programmes and these include; Fellowship of the West African College of Physicians (FWACP), Fellowship of the Medical College of Physicians (FMCP), Master of Medicine (M. Med) and Doctor of Medicine (M.D) of the University of Ibadan.

The Department offers clinical services to the community through the Medical Out-Patient pavilion on the South West wing of the University College Hospital and 158 beds for admission of patients. These beds are shared between the 7 units of the department. The Department also offers special test such echocardiography, electroencephalography, electromyography, gastrointestinal endoscopy (Diagnostic & Therapeutic), skin, liver, intestinal, lung and kidney biopsies. Other special tests include: bronchoscopy, spirometry, skin sensitivity testing, and clinical biochemistry. The Department also offers services in hemodialysis, kidney transplantation and cardiac catheterization.

Besides the academic meetings in the different units, the department has two academic/clinical meetings in a week. One is the Charts’ Review which was started in 1969 under the headship of Professor T.O Ogunlesi. Dr Onadeko, now Emeritus Professor Onadeko was the first Registrar to present in Charts Review at its inception. It was modified to its present form by Dr A. O.Falase (now Emeritus Professor A.O Falase) in 1977 under the headship of Prof E.O Sofowora). Chart review is a form of clinic-pathology meeting that engages different cadres of academic and clinical staff especially the Resident Doctors between 8.00am and 10am on Tuesday. The last Tuesday of the month is slated for the morbidity and mortality meeting of the department. The second departmental meeting is the Ground Round where a team headed by a faculty/ consultant gives cutting edge information on a chosen medical topic. It holds between 4 and 5.30 pm on Thursday.