From Seven UTME Attempts to Medical Doctor: The Inspiring Journey of OAU Graduate, Dr Omoboriowo Damilola Isaac

 By Kehinde Awosina 

For many students, failure in examinations often feels like the end of a dream. But for Omoboriowo Damilola Isaac, every setback became another reason to keep pushing forward.

The young medical doctor, who recently graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University with an M.B.Ch.B degree in Medicine and Surgery, has become a source of inspiration to many after sharing his emotional journey from repeated JAMB failures to academic success.

Popularly known on campus as “Dr. Bush” and “Celebrity Teacher,” Damilola’s story is one of resilience, determination, and unwavering belief in his dreams.

Beyond academics, he also distinguished himself as a student leader, serving as President of the Great Ife Students’ Union during the 2024/2025 academic session. He equally founded “Peak Tutors,” a tutorial platform dedicated to helping JAMB candidates and undergraduates excel academically.

Originally from Ekiti State, Damilola revealed that his journey to studying Medicine was far from easy. According to him, he wrote the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) seven different times before finally securing admission to study Medicine and Surgery at OAU.

Sharing one of the experiences that shaped his mindset, the young doctor recounted an unusual encounter during his pre-degree days at the OAU Centre for Distance Learning in Moro.

According to him, while having a modest lunch of digestive biscuits and sachet water behind a shopping mall during break time, he noticed a centipede struggling to climb a staircase into the mall.

Rather than leaving, he sat and watched the tiny creature persistently attempt the impossible task.

“The centipede kept trying different ways to climb the staircase. It would go up and then fall back repeatedly. At some point, I expected it to give up, but it never did,” he recalled.

Damilola explained that he became emotionally invested in the insect’s struggle, cheering silently as it continued searching for another way upward after every fall.

Eventually, after several failed attempts, the centipede succeeded in climbing into the mall.

“I screamed ‘Yes! Yes!’ and clapped because I was genuinely happy it made it,” he said humorously.

However, beyond the funny moment was a deeper lesson that stayed with him for years.

At the time of the incident, Damilola had just seen a JAMB score of 244, a result he considered disappointing for someone aspiring to study Medicine.

After completing pre-degree studies, he still failed to secure admission into Medicine and Surgery. Yet, the memory of the struggling centipede remained a constant source of motivation.

“There were moments I felt maybe Medicine was not meant for me. But I remembered that if the centipede had given up, it would never have climbed the staircase,” he said.

Instead of allowing repeated disappointments to break him, he adopted a new mindset — viewing every failed attempt as simply another method that did not work.

“After every failed JAMB or Post-UTME, I concluded that it was just another way that didn’t work out. So, I kept trying again differently,” he explained.

Today, the same young man who once battled discouragement and uncertainty now proudly bears the title of a medical doctor.

His story has since resonated with many students across social media, especially young Nigerians facing academic or personal setbacks.

Damilola encouraged people not to surrender to failure or impostor syndrome, stressing that victory begins from the mind before it manifests in reality.

“If you truly believe you are capable of doing something, setbacks are not stop signs. They are signals to try again differently,” he advised.

From writing JAMB seven times to becoming a medical doctor, student union president, and mentor to countless students through Peak Tutors, Dr. Omoboriowo Damilola Isaac’s story stands as a powerful reminder that persistence, patience, and hard work can eventually turn dreams into reality.