Letters from medicine

So I decided to write today, considering my writing hasn’t been consistent over the past few months. My extremely busy schedule has thwarted me from even thinking about writing. Anyways, back to today’s matter, I wanted to share some of my learned values over the past 5 months with the world, maybe it might be applicable to aspiring physicians or even people in other matters of life. So here it goes: 

     1. Breathe, then break the heck out of your status quo:  I never appreciated this quote more, until I almost lost my mind during the early days of November. Luckily, I survived beyond my expectations.

2   2.  I guess Sun Tzu was right when he mentioned, “Never give an enemy no option of escape, because being pushed to the extremes will motivate the enemy to find ways to survive.”  I never knew how much strength I had until I was given no option but to fight the work in front of me.

3     3. Repetition. Yes! It’s all about repetition. My friends pursuing the same life’s work in other parts of the world have confirmed the same thing. The more you know, the less you do not know.

     4. Trust, but verify

5.   5. Where else would you find an environment with a group of people with an average GPA of 3.7? Yes, never take it for granted. I have learned to humble myself amongst these great minds I see daily, while finding ways to continually learn from their intelligence.

6.   6. To win a war, focus more on strategies, not manpower. Never underestimate the power of effective    planning, strategizing and time management.

7.   7. Enjoy the journey, so do something you love every day, or else you’ll lose your mind.

8.   8. It’s the little things that count.

9.   9. Labor omnia vincit

That’s all I have for now with respect to lessons learned. I’m very thankful for wisdom, soccer and ping pong. More than thankful for Whats-app, it has kept me in communication with those I love the most.  I think I’ll stop there for today, but I’ll conclude by stealing the words of my cousin, “Stay hungry, stay foolish.” That’s how great minds change the world. 

Merry Christmas,

LazioM.A.N

Life...

Hello Fellas,

So I just realized I haven’t blogged in a while…big deal…I’ve been in the dark taking care of business, learning how to best utilize my God-given talent for the betterment of our generation. I must say my new environment is different from the old. Sometimes I ask myself why I got myself into this stress, but you will be surprised that it’s the little things that keep me motivated. For example, the other day, I was in the process of learning this topic about the human body (keeping it simple for the sake of the blog) when I suddenly became frustrated. I had just realized that I went from being a prolific tutor to becoming a student, numbing the business side of my life.  In the midst of my venting and anger, I heard the voice of my nephew. That was it. Reminiscing about the little time spent with a semi-descendant palliated my anger, and my day was made.

So why do I write this? You will be surprised how influential the little things in one’s life are. Like my godfather said, the doors to the greatest things on earth are opened by small keys. So take time out to spend with the ones you love, trust me, it’s the pictures and videos of today that eventually become the memories of tomorrow. It’s the little things that keep me sane.

Another motivation stems from the belief that we owe future generations a better tomorrow. Henry Ford is a great example. During his days, he asked people around the community what they needed, and they said faster horses. Funny enough, he was ahead of the game. He created a something that forever changed the world, a car. Bill Gates said, “we were young, but we good advice and good ideas and lots of enthusiasm.” The rest is history.  I think it is very important as individuals to think of ways to contribute to making the world a better place.

P.S. This is very random but I hope you’re entertained and inspired.

With service,

LazioM.A.N

There is a little 'Captain' in All of us

I was broke. No, scratch that. I was very broke. My life was a life of melancholy, misery and unhappiness. I was drained in complicated problems that I never saw myself getting out of. There needed to be a way out but I didn’t know how.  I didn’t know what to do. I looked around me and it seemed like nothing was working. During these turbulent times, I had worked at several menial jobs that needed to keep me afloat; however, it seemed like the resources I had only alleviated a little percentage of my major problems.

In the midst of these problems, I would log on to Facebook and find my friends and colleagues updating statuses of major successes with a million likes to celebrate these accomplishments. In addition, friends would post pictures of recent travels overseas and other major celebrations but I had none to show.  Things needed to change, and all I needed was to discover the little ‘captain’ in me. I was patient. I understood that the difference between becoming what I dreamed of being and my current position depended on the steps I took. So I went soul searching to determine what I could do. In preceding years, my love for math and science had increased (thanks to my father who never relented to instill the fundamentals of math and science) and I enjoyed teaching these subjects to friends and family members. I knew I was patient with people, especially during tutoring sessions but I didn’t know how I could integrate these observed qualities to mold my life the way I wanted. Before I go any further, I must say I had worked as a student tutor at my undergraduate institution and I absolutely loved it. In addition, I volunteered in different tutorial programs including some minor pro bono operations. I think I might have worked as an indentured servant during one of those times, but hey, I was learning.

On one sunny day during the spring season in Houston, Texas, I was driving back from classes with a friend of mine when a discussion came up. We had been driving on highway 59S, one of the busiest highways in Texas, enjoying the view of the tall buildings, nice cars and huge F-150 trucks when my friend said, “Toye, what are you doing this summer?” I told him about my love for tutoring but expressed my fear of launching.  By the time we arrived at Richmond and beltway 8, our discussion had convinced me to take a step of faith. That night, Lazio Tutoring was officially launched….in my mind. All I needed to do was to actualize these thoughts.

Yes, capital was very low, ($20) but that did not stop me from going forward with my plans. Within a short period of time, I met with my partner and we planned, and planned. I must say the President of ETN.CONNECT (my business mentor) brought out the entrepreneur in me that I never knew existed.

Our first client was a potential MBA candidate who had failed the GMAT twice. Out of desperation, she asked us to tutor her in the quantitative section of the GMAT. Our shared commitment to academic excellence led to weekly meetings for two months. During this time, a weekly progress report was filled out and marked improvement was demonstrated. Today, she is a proud MBA graduate.  Her strong belief in Lazio Tutoring’s teaching methods honed our teaching skills and fostered my love for learning.

 

The rest is history. Profits made from Lazio Tutoring paid a significant portion of my undergraduate tuition. We have tutored students of all demographics all across the country.  As the President and lead tutor of Lazio Tutoring, we are humbled to have tutored several demographics including blacks, whites, Asians, kindergarten students and adult education students. We have prepared students for the MCAT, GMAT, GRE, SAT, NET, ACT, GED and counting.  Some of our students matriculated to top schools like Duke, Case Western, Ohio State, University of Cincinnati, University of Missouri and many more. A couple of our students have also received the award for “The Most Outstanding Student” in their respective high school graduating classes. Others are published researchers at Cleveland Clinic and have received awards as “Most promising Urological researcher in the world” without completing an undergraduate education. Our tutors have won national awards and have participated in the grading of national scholarship essays for companies. Overall, we are grateful, humbled and resilient.

 

So, whenever you think you are a little confused about life, just remember there is a little ‘captain’ in you. This little captain is ready to do great things in the world, the only thing holding it back is you. So, get up! And use the little ‘captain’ in you to go out there and change the world!

P.S. Filled with hope and optimism….All is well

With love and respect,

LazioM.A.N

Failure

I have failed. Many times too many. Recently I heard someone ask Michael Jordan how he became a success, and he said, "I failed 26 times." That was how he succeeded. Many times in life, we are daunted by the task of how we handle failure. Personally, I have had my own share. Going through these challenges were not easy. But I have learned that resistance builds strength. Dating to my childhood, my mother told me she was shot in the chest a few days after my birth, yet she never gave up. I was lucky enough to survive after undergoing severe illnesses as an infant. As time progressed, I suffered from different ailments and life events. Growing up, my father worked around the clock to provide food, clothing and shelter for a family of seven. In spite of this, we were barely fed with a silver spoon. My doting mother, a woman whom I love so much, worked hard as a school teacher to provide additional income to our family but the Nigerian government never ceased to delay her monthly salary for several months at a time. In spite of the hardship, my parents were pricipled in their ways. Their generation did not solve all the problems but they were hopeful.


I strongly believe that there is a generation of greatness that used to walk this earth, and they left their mark; in the ways they thought, in their approach to problem solving, in the values they taught and in the lives they lived. Many of them are dead today, they were not all famous, and the truth is we will never know those that never became famous. However, these men brought up their children with fire and passion, with the zeal for nothing but to be the best that they could be. These people lived not for themselves but for others; their descendants, the ones who would come after, for us who are here now, and for the unborn. They taught their kids that a person should perform their life's work so well that the living, the dead and unborn could do it no better.

But the truth of the matter remains that actualizing these dreams would not come easy. Ask any noble person of bonafide greatness and respect, and he/she will tell you that greatness did not come easy. You see, some people are strengthened by failure and some are defeated by it. Who survives and who does not has little to do with money or advantage. It depends on inner strength of character; a primitive toughness that protects the self; that would not let mere external events affect it. This canal of survival is a precious possession, and discovering it is one of the real rewards of failure. It is a profound and powerful kind of self knowledge.

It is important to understand that failure itself, is not a die or live situation. It is an event that is defined by the 'self.' Failure can be caused by something external, over which we have limited control. It can also be caused by something internal (within us), over which we have more control. Finally there is moral failure, which may be disguised as success. So one of the most effective actions to take when dealing with failure is to understand which kind one is dealing with.

I don't know why I decided to write today, but I write from the heart. I have failed several times in different aspects of my life, but I never gave up. I have faced rejections, and 'NOs' many times but I never gave up. We have been told the word 'impossible' many times, but we never gave up. We have lost several dear people dear to our hearts, but we never gave up. I have been knocked down by many winds, but I never gave up. Like I mentioned earlier, resistance always builds strength. Never ever ever give up!

P.S. Stay humbled, focus and stay in prayer!      

Sincerely,  

LazioM.A.N

Lazio Tutoring Foundation

I'm very glad to say our work was published by RethinkNigeria. On behalf of Lazio Tutoring and its associates, we are honored to be featured on their website. Remember the cause is all for a greater purpose. To make Nigeria a better nation. The link is below:

Lazio Tutoring Foundation

Yours truly,

LazioM.A.N

My Experience with Injustice

On December 16, 2012, I bought a car wash groupon ticket from Fast N Clean car wash through groupon.com. Fast N Clean car wash is located at 4881 Sinclair road, Columbus, OH 43229. When I purchased my ticket, I called Fast N Clean car wash to schedule a car detailing that included  blue Coral polish and wax, clear coat protectant, wheel bright and black magic tire shine, rain-X and fragrance, underbody rinse, hand towel dry, dash and interior surface wipe down, interior and exterior window cleaning, and floor-mat vacuum. The deal on the groupon stated “Three full car washes.” It was a $75 value that I purchased for $29. A few hours later, I called Fast N Clean to schedule my appointment for the 28th of December at 8:00am. 

When I arrived at Fast N Clean on the 28th, I waited 30 minutes before the manager finally came to attend to me. He told me my appointment had been canceled due to the weather. FYI, NO ONE in this company called me to tell me about the cancellation prior to my arrival. I was told by the Mike, the manager to call and reschedule for another day. 

A few days later, I called Fast N Clean to reschedule my appointment. I was rescheduled for January 9, 2013 at 9am. Upon arriving for my appointment, I was again attended to by Mike who informed me that my name was not on the schedule. I was furious. He told me I had not called or probably called the wrong location. I pulled out my phone and showed him proof of my phone call, including the date and time of the call, and the number of minutes I spent during that phone call. A couple of minutes passed by, and the manager found my name listed in the back of the book he had written the names of the scheduled appointees for that day. Afterwards, the manager said, “I still cannot wash your car today sir, we are short staffed.” I informed him this was my second attempt to have my car wash, but he continually argued with me until he eventually agreed to wash my car first thing the following day. When I returned the following day, my car was detailed, and I was given a voucher that proved I was eligible for 3 details. The voucher is a small card given to customers that buy their tickets through groupon. The phrase ‘3 details’ was handwritten by Mike.

At this point, I became very dissatisfied with their service, but I wanted to use my money’s worth, so I told myself I would endure till I utilized the other two car services. I called Fast N Clean towards the end of February 2013, and I was told by Mike that the next available date was March 7 at 830am.

I arrived at Fast N Clean at 7:54am and was told to wait till 8am when the car wash officially opened. 

Upon my arrival, the same manager told me he could not wash my car because I had 'defrauded' him into detailing my car the last time, so I had used up my money. I was told my last detailing was meant to be $69 but I utilized the $200 service.  FACT: I paid FOR AN INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DETAILING SERVICE THROUGH GROUPON. When I made this point clear to Mike, he changed the story and stated that my coupon had expired. So I logged on to the groupon app on my phone and showed him proof that my voucher was still valid. It showed that it expires on March 20. When he saw this, he said I was only allowed to use it once. His statement was FALSE; the ticket itself states ‘Three full car washes.’ 

When he saw this, he said, “I don’t care what you say, I’m still not washing your car today.”  Afterwards he asked me to leave and threatened to call the cops if I did not leave immediately. All this while, I had been in my car while he was yelling on my face. I welcomed his threat and told him I would wait to talk to the cops upon their arrival. The manager (Mike) called one of his workers and I saw them dial a number- I am unsure the number they dialed. I waited for 10-20 minutes but no cop showed up. 

The manager comes again and tells me to leave, that he doesn’t care what I say because he is not washing my car. So, I asked him to put it in writing, stating he was refusing to offer me service, when in fact he was supposed to offer the service. But he denied and began to curse at me. The manager of Fast N Clean car wash said, “I ain’t writing sh$%.” I did not respond with a single curse word.  Before I left, I told him he would meet me in court. I drove off afterwards. 

MLK said, “In justice anywhere, is injustice everywhere.” I absolutely think it is unjust to deny me service when I have all the rights to that service. I understand that we live in a progressive America where all individuals are supposed to be treated equal, but the fact remains I was treated like an animal by Fast N clean. Although I received my refund from Groupon the next day, this is more about injustice than getting my refund. I believe if Mike was able to get away with this condescending act with me, he would not hesitate to use the same irrational behavior on other customers.

I write this to speak out against injustice. I don’t know if the mere fact that I'm black or have a non-American accent plays a role in the manager’s decision to treat me like an animal, but I do not think this is right. It is absolutely unjust! I encourage everyone who reads this to speak out against injustice by sharing this article and telling your friends and family about the bad customer service at Fast N Clean. BTW, they have a ‘F’ rating by Better Business Bureau.

Author: LazioM.A.N 

Injustice

Shoot...Baby...Shoot!

Happy New year to fellow Lazio readers!...First, I must say a big thank you to everyone who has visited and commented on my blog since day one. So to all of you, I say...ooshhee!!!(Thank you)

Now to a more important topic on my heart, gun violence. Its no new story that recent gun related violence stories in America have sparked debates that might eventually lead to new gun laws, curbing or restricting the possession of certain types of guns. I have held debates with individuals on both sides, read stories and propositions and put myself in the shoes of everyone who voiced their concerns about this important issue. These are strictly my views, and I am very open to hold an intellectual debate on this issue.

It might seem a little weird for me to talk about this. Let's face it, I'm a Nigerian-born American resident with a funny name, story and accent. My family members, though I never saw them with guns, I have no doubt their military training would have exposed them to different types of semi-automatic weapons and artilleries.

We have heard and read about recent massacres; Aurora shooting, Sheik shooting and the Sandy Hook elementary massacre. These recent massacres, I believe, have sparked debates on gun violence, more specifically between the National Riffle Association (NRA) and Obama administration. During one of my talks, a friend told me about her strong belief in the judgement of our founding fathers; George Washington, John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, and others who fought through blood, sweat and tears towards the development of this great nation. My friend expressed her concern that America might just be losing its fundamental values as a nation with these ever-changing laws. She highly valued her second amendment right and felt that limiting our gun laws would only limit her freedom in the most democratic nation the world has ever produced.

Another good friend of mine made a point. She was concerned that 'if' a civil or international war ever came about in the United States, citizens might not be able to protect themselves. While I agree with her intent to protect America, I disagree with her approach.

First, I think as American citizens, it is very important that we remain objective and not subjective in our thought process, more specifically on the issue of gun violence. I start my first argument by sharing a quote I read from a Facebook friend's status. It says, "One of the signs of a dying church is when the pastor/ leader says, ' we have always done things this way'." That being said, I do strongly believe that the founding fathers fought for the freedom and greatness of this country. I also agree that these fundamental laws, written in the declaration of rights and into other parts of the constitution were put in because of the passion and love for this country. The truth is, we all love America. I love this country, and I would not want things to go down the gutter.

That being said, I think it is very important that we look at the current laws we have, re-define them, and decide if the current laws are applicable and favorable to the progress of present-day America. If the cons of the current laws outweigh the pros, then I think then it’s time for a change. A change I believe America's posterity would never regret.

Second, I think we should look more closely at the shooting massacres within the past year. Let's compare common traits of those incidents and analyze traits that the shooters had in common. From my evaluation, I observed two major things the shooters had in common.

1) All shooters used at least one assault rifle to execute their plans.

2) They all claimed to be mentally challenged or disabled

This brings me to my next point. Solutions!

It’s no surprise that people are killed daily all around the country with guns. More than 900 gun related deaths have been accounted for since the mass shooting in Connecticut. I think we should look at our short and long term solutions. Short term solutions would focus on ways to significantly reduce gun related deaths and injuries within a short time span. Long term solutions would focus on the same thing, only within a longer time span.

I support curbing and banning of semi-automatic assault rifles and I agree with President's Obama's proposal to limit the magazines. I do not see any reason we need weapons that would shoot multiple rounds at a time. Although I've never been hunting, I know people who take delight in hunting and I support keeping shotguns or other guns that would only be effective for hunting purposes. I think these types of guns would, to a great extent, protect majority of citizens who need to use one for protective measures at needed times. I think these measures would significantly reduce the number of gun related deaths, if executed today!

Long term, I think it is important to look at the state of care for mentally ill individuals in the United States. I agree with NRA's proposal to register all mentally ill patients in the U.S, the same way AIDS patients are registered. This will help gun and artillery stores identify and easily make decisions on potential customers' potential eligibility to buy weapons. Also, it is important to ensure that families of mentally ill patients have restricted gun access or undergo proper training on how to keep their guns away from the mentally ill family member. Psychologists and psychiatrists would need to come up with a system where individuals with certain mental diagnosis are prevented access to weapons.

Finally, I think its high time we re-evaluated our video games. Though these games are entertaining, it is important to know that they indirectly function as simulators for murder-suicide. Remember the same individuals who planned out 911 learned to fly planes via simulators. I have more ideas, but I'll stop here for now.

These are strictly my views and I offer no apologies for writing this.

P.S. I have no favoritism for any political party. I think it is simply common sense to choose leaders who have the capacity to be more efficient than blindly clinging to a party!

With confidence,

LazioM.A.N