In a school where the sacrifice of comfort, money and time is indispensable, the drive to press on as a student is not only because of the future promise of the joy from seeing a smile on the face of a previously anguishing patient, or the blessing from welcoming a child into the world, or the fulfillment from helping save a family’s breadwinner from dying from a heart attack, or the honour of making investments of parents and sponsors worthwhile, but also because of the support from competent lecturers, effective administration and the student-friendly environment offered at the University of Cape Coast School of Medical Sciences ( UCCSMS).
UCCMSA, the group that represents students of UCCSMS, takes advantage of the student-friendly environment to champion extracurricular interests and the welfare of students. We start the year with an ‘Akwaaba’ party to welcome both freshers and the continuing students. In the course of the year, we organise lively soccer, basketball, and video game competitions alongside other outdoor and indoor games among ourselves and with other students to ease the stress of academic work, build networks and promote the spirit of teamwork. Our Christian Medical Fellowship boasts of an annual Carol Service and a Faculty Prayer Banquet; the Tympanics, our musical band, entertains us with sweet melodies. Each year, we celebrate the flagship of our activities in an action packed week dubbed “The Annual Health Week Celebration”.
This celebration brings together event sponsors, members of the university community and the surrounding communities to participate in outreach programmes, symposium, debates, musical concerts, sports, cooking competitions, dinner, award ceremonies and others. The outreach programme in particular is our way of giving back to society as we offer health screening and talks free of charge. All these programmes add up to materialize our vision of making our contributions towards existing health care needs, and to improve the well being of students. Furthermore, UCCMSA makes it a priority to present concerns of students to, and seek solutions from the appropriate authorities. To keep in touch with medical students worldwide, we actively participate in the programmes and politics of the Ghanaian, African and International Federations of Medical Students’ Associations. Through our participation, we secure slots for exchange programmes with medical schools of other countries, and further expand our horizon and network. In all, the UCCMSA attempts to make campus life educative and entertaining.