Medic Olympics Set to Take Center Stage in RSU

Medical school has for long – and rightly so – been an environment that requires maximum commitment. Nonetheless, all work and no play still makes Jack and Jackie, dull boys and girls. It is to this effect that the Health Sciences Students Forum at Rivers State University presents the Medic Olympics.

The Medic Olympics is a unique Multi-sport and Multi-Medical Departmental event. The competition, which is scheduled to take place from Monday, March 17, to Friday, April 4, 2025, at Rivers State University and the surrounding areas of the Clinic Sciences Campus, will see students trade their medical gear for sportswear.

The event will feature approximately eight sports, including: Football (Male and Female), Volleyball (Male and Female), Races (100m, 400m, 4×100 Mixed), Table Tennis (Male and Female), and various Board Games such as Chess, Scrabble, Ludo, Ayo, and Checkers. Winners will receive cash prizes totalling over 500,000 Naira.

The concept of the Medic Olympics originated from a shared vision that also led to the establishment of the Health Sciences Students Forum, which is to promote interdepartmental activities and events between medical students, as stated by the Founder/Chairman of the Health Science Students Forum, Favour Peters.

According to Peters, a 500-level medical student, the inspiration for the Medic Olympics was sparked by a desire to revive a traditional inter-house sports competition.

“There’s a certain irony in life – when we’re young, we crave the wisdom and freedom of old age, yet when we grow old, we long for the energy and vitality of youth

” I guess it was inspired by my longing for an inter-house sports competition just as we did in secondary school.”

Favour Peters, a 500-level Medical Student and Founder/Chairman of the Health Sciences Students Forum

When asked about the origin of the name ” Medic Olympics” Peters said: Honestly, coining the name for the event was spontaneous. We wanted something classy yet indicating it wasn’t the usual football competition alone, hence the “Olympics.”

The event aims to promote three main core values – Excellence, Friendship and Respect, similar to those in the World Olympics. The goal is to bring out the best in our students whilst encouraging participation in activities and events together. The Health Science Forum consists of eight departments, which include: Medical laboratory, Nursing, Anatomy, Human Physiology, Radiography, physiotherapy, Medicine and Public Health.