AOOH:

More than a movie. A mirror for every tired medical student.

Hiii,

I am going to ignore everything going on in my life right now and stay excited right now.

Yesterday was February 14th. And no, it was not exciting because it was valentine’s day. It was exciting because of anatomy of our hearts (AOOH). You remember ba?

This newsletter is totally dedicated to the movie, and it deserves more than that, I promise you.

But before then, I want to appreciate the one beautiful subscriber that read the newsletter I wrote about AOOH and for that reason came to watch the movie. She came to me and said “I read the newsletter and came. Are you happy now?”

Baby girl, I am so excited and I love you so much💕

SETTING THE MOOD

To make you better understand how beautiful the movie and setting was, and to make you understand what you missed, I am going to try to give you a backstory and set the mood right. Hopefully, I do justice because I am so excited and my hands won’t stop shaking from ecstasy.

So, Saturday started with me seriously contemplating not going to the lab at all. I had had a terrible week, and I was exhausted from people. I had even written a whole newsletter about how low I felt. I went to the lab, kept to myself, said what I needed to say, and although it ended well, my mood did not improve.

I went back to my hostel, struggled to eat because of my canker sore, slept for two hours, then remembered I was supposed to meet a friend by 4:30 pm. I dragged myself out anyway. I did not even get to meet that friend. Another one came to sit with me and bored me with a breakdown of his love life. Hopefully Timi never reads this. By the time he left, I was still in a bad mood and genuinely considered going home without seeing the movie.

Then around 7 pm, something shifted.

Maybe it was the atmosphere. I am not sure.

My date arrived, we walked the red carpet together, I took terrible pictures of her (she is bad at posing, I stand by that), and we just stood there talking. That was when I felt it.

The shift.

It was not Valentine’s Day love. It was warmth. It was support. It was that quiet “I feel seen” kind of energy. The whole place felt present and genuinely happy.

I am not usually one to be carried away by a crowd, but that night I could not help it. The change in my mood was so drastic that I knew if I had gone home, I would have regretted it.

This is going to be a long newsletter. Get your popcorn.

THE ATMOSPHERE

I met a lot of people. A lot of beautiful people. And the beautiful aspect of meeting them was that no one was trying to “network”. You know those gatherings where everyone is trying so hard to compose and form steeze? Nah, this was not like that. People were not there for the sake of it. They were actually present.

ORGANIZATION & SETTING

Now, let’s move on to the organization part. One thing that pisses me off is lack of organization and I made a promise to myself to endure it if it happened at the movie.

It was genuinely organized. It was not perfect, but it was so much better than I imagined and what I would expect from students. There were men in uniforms (I don’t know what they were) and they did not have to do much. Unlike the usual attitude you get from men in uniforms, people at the registration tables and those at popcorn stands, these people were pretty respectful and happy to be there.

That also amazed me considering the huge crowd. That is commendable.

Moving on to sitting arrangement. You know how you enter halls at events and there is someone’s sister shouting at you to sit wherever she places you? That did not happen. There was the privilege of seat preference. I won’t lie, that set a very good impression for me.

There were 2 MC’s, I believe. I think one is supposed to be the host or something, I don’t know how that works. Sha, Faizah and Isiah did really well.

There were also spoken words artists, and they moved my emotional ass to tears.

THE MOVIE

Then the movie. I won’t go into too many details in case you still have the ability to watch it if he decides to make it a YouTube or Netflix (it was that good) movie. But it is very important you understand that the director, Abdul-Khalid Adewale, did justice to passing the information he wanted to pass.

The movie did not get a happy ending, but I think that is a very powerful message. Abdul-Khalid did well in expressing the emotional rollercoaster medical school puts you on.
Some are there to make a parent or both parents happy and they are still expected to do their best irrespective of the course choice. These set of people still don’t receive the right encouragement and support from the parents that forced them to be in school.

Abdul-Khalid made it understandable that these set of people can actually be unlucky to have a parent or both parents in a high position in medical field. This ruins their reputation amongst their peers, because it would seem as though they pass their exams only because of “connection”, as they seem unserious. Unknown to their peers that they are only unserious because they did not choose to be there. Don’t forget the extra pressure this set of people face. Daniel is in this group.
And there are also some that have only known competition all their lives. “You must be the best or you are nothing” is what rings in their head. They are ready to fight whoever just to stay the best. I don’t blame them. The validation that comes with being the best is quite addictive, and that can be dangerous. Darasimi belongs to this group.

There is also a group of people that others envy. The ones on top. The best student in class. But do they know the pressure on these students? Do they understand and see the late nights? Do they see the multiple pills that keep them awake but make them faint multiple times? What they don’t know won’t harm them after all. I am not saying every student on the top takes pills, but some do. They don’t do because they are drug addicts. They do because they know it took a lot of trials and errors to be in medical school. They know they dare not fail. In fact, they dare not just pass, they must be at the top and remain there! Do you know the worse part? The school is ready to suspend such students if found guilty. What a joke. It does not matter that they take them because they are pressurized. No, it does not matter because the workload is too much. It does not. Michael is a member of this group. I am not saying taking pills to study is okay, because it is not. But those that take it do because they are desperate.

THE MESSAGE

I feel like I am being a spoil sport by telling you too much. So, let me summarize the message. Medical school’s pressure is a lot. From family members, peers, and worse from the school itself. I might actually argue it is worse coming from parents. Imagine failing medical school and you get no support from your parents. You were made to understand you were a failure till you had no other option but to commit su*c*de. It is so sad and heartbreaking.

And there was a quote

“We learnt how to stitch wounds and mend hearts, but no medical textbook taught us the true Anatomy of our hearts”.

—Abdulkhalid Adewale

The piece only hits you when you sit with it for a moment. They spend years learning how to save lives, yet somewhere along the way, they slowly stop living their own. No one sees how much of themselves they lose in the process. The relationships they let go of. The parts of life they quietly sacrifice. The exhaustion they carry in silence.

And sometimes, they watch one of their own d*e while chasing the same dream they all believed would save lives.

That is the painful irony. A course built around preserving life can still take so much from the very people walking that path. It makes you wonder why the healing does not begin with them too.

AFTER THE MOVIE

My favorite thing about the movie is that it passed a very emotional and important message without insulting anyone. The criticism was subtle but ironically loud.

Again, Abdul-Khalid Adewale is whoever he thinks he is and more.

So, my other favorite part of the event was when Abdul-Khalid himself came up to the stage after the movie with the other actors, the editor, soundtrack maker (are they called that), the graphic designer, and all. He introduced them and gave his final message to everyone.

It made it into my favorite things about the event because it showed how humble he was. He gave them all their credits and did not for once sound arrogant. I mean for someone that pulled the first ever cinema movie the whole of Ogbomosho had ever heard of, he was humble.

I like that it is a movie for 2 reasons: one, it will be pleasurable and relaxing. Two, the message sticks.

Should there be a part 2? I have seen people say they want a part 2, but I am thinking otherwise. I feel this should be preserved.

FULL CIRCLE

I started that day not wanting to see anyone. I ended the night surrounded by warmth, laughter, and a strange sense of comfort I did not know I needed. All thanks to Abdul-Khalid Adewale. I am saying this name this many times because I don’t want you to see the name and not know who he is.

I am going to stop writing, but I know I have forgotten some things I planned to include.

Disclaimer: This piece discusses themes of pressure, substance use, and mental health as portrayed in the movie. I do not in any way condone or encourage the use of pills as a coping mechanism, nor do I support the idea of harming oneself. These realities were mentioned only to reflect the struggles some students face and to highlight the importance of support, understanding, and healthier ways of dealing with stress and expectations.

Ariya @AOOH

A MESSAGE TO YOU

Chai, I almost forgot. Even though the movie directed a message to the medical school system, I want you to know it all sends a hug to you. Medical student or not, the message is for you. You.

You that are tired but still trying.
You that feel the pressure quietly.
You that think you are not doing enough.

I see you.

Your struggles are real. The expectations are heavy. But please hear this clearly: nothing is worth your life. Not a grade. Not a course. Not proving anything to anyone.

You are more than your performance. More than your results. You are a whole human being first.

You are loved. You deserve support. And if it ever feels like too much, hold on. Reach out. Fight your way out if you must — but choose yourself.

Please stay. 💜

Byee💜.