Experienced First class BSc. Biochemistry graduate and medical doctor teaches Biochemistry. I would help you learn Biochemistry the fun way. I employ personalized method to meet students need.

Find out more about Dr Ginika MD BSc

• When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

  I always say that I was chosen to tutor. I'm the first child out of five and enjoyed helping my younger siblings with homework while I was still little. When I got into university, a couple of my classmates relied on me to explain concepts that were taught in class but they didn't understand. I quickly recognized that I was good at explaining concepts with illustrations as well as giving memory hooks to help remember those concepts. At the end of university, one of my classmates I frequently tutored had moved from a third class to second class upper GPA. This achievement made me consider tutoring as a career.

• Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  The study of biological processes at the cellular and even molecular level (Biochemistry) has always grabbed my interest. For example, how exactly does your ''bread and egg'' breakfast convert into energy? What are those invincible molecular processes that must happen in the human brain to enable us to produce thoughts, make decisions, set goals, regulate emotions, give us our personality and allow us to interact with the world. I sometimes believe that it is a privilege to understand the biochemistry of living systems, particularly the human body, because this means understanding the POWER that created the body. According to BJ Palmer: "The Power that made the body, heals the body". Little wonder I also fell in love with medicine.
  
  I love to discuss the different biochemical pathways with my students, from glycolysis to beta-oxidation to urea cycle. I would watch my students go from "OMG! Those pathways are a lot" to "It's not actually that bad now I understand the concept".

• Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  "We never know how far reaching something we may think, say or do today will affect the lives of millions tomorrow" (BJ Palmer). I have had the privilege of being under the tutelage of some of the finest teachers of all kinds. I still hear the words of Dr. Sanjoy and Dr Mensah in my mind till this day. They not only taught me but also inspired me. In Dr. Sanjoy's teaching about resilience, he would say "Study! Study! Study! And when you get tired, then study some more". Haha! Dr Sanjoy is one of the finest surgeons I know. I admired how patient he was with his students, the passion he had to impact knowledge and the empathy he demonstrated. I desire to be all of these and even more to my students.

• What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  Knowledge of the subject as well as passion is one of the most important qualities I think a tutor should possess. Science keeps changing and a tutor must keep studying to stay in the know. Passion for impacting knowledge is basically the quality that converts a job into a hobby. The fact that students listen to me keeps me on my toes because at every point in time, I must have a lot for my student to listen to. I give a piece of myself to everyone I tutor, then I must make sure that that is a perfect piece. A tutor must also be a good communicator, you should not only have the knowledge but you must communicate it in the best way possible for the students to comprehend what you're sending across.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  We all sat there waiting for the next blood sample that would call our attention. It was the vacation period of my first year at the university, so I decided to apply as an intern at a research and diagnostic laboratory downtown. It was around noon and the sun was not considerate about its rays, we noticed a lanky looking teenage girl approaching the front door with so much anxiety and apprehension. She kept saying "my sista dey moto" (this is Nigerian pidgin language meaning her sister was in the car) with a distressed look. Then, we saw a taxi coming straight towards the entrance of the laboratory as we stepped through the front door. The taxi had hardly come to a halt when a slim woman alighted looking disoriented and screaming; "doctor my belle dey pain me" (meaning her stomach ached) while sighing in pains between breaks. She walked straight up to the door motioning to everyone that bothered to notice that her stomach was aching. We were now all standing by the entrance staring at her because we obviously did not understand what was going on. However, when she laid down on the tiled floor and opened her legs still screaming, "Doctor help me"! We knew she was going through labor pains. Who was the doctor? That was the million-dollar question! Of course we were all wearing our white laboratory coats and shoes. We looked at ourselves and back at the woman. We were all undergraduates in the life sciences. I was studying Biochemistry, I have never experienced anything like that but I remembered a little information from my reproductive biology class and notes.

• What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still facing in your subject?

  I was not always a straight A student, in fact, I was average in high school. Before I got into university, I sat down one day to have an honest conversation with myself. I told myself what I wanted for my future. I wanted to be the best, I wanted to touch the pinnacle of my career, I wanted to become one of the best surgeons in the world. I carefully drafted all of these in my journal and also wrote down all I needed to do to achieve this dream. That fateful day would become the turning point in my life. I began to notice a turnaround in my grades, my confidence and in my life in general. I will continue to work hard on myself every day until I achieve all my dreams.

• Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  I value knowledge and respect understanding. I know that knowledge and understanding is the power to change the world. I love to study, to gain new information especially concerning Biochemistry Nursing and Medicine. I want to teach and pour all that knowledge and understanding on my students because I do not know how far reaching something I say to my students today would change their lives (and the world) tomorrow. So do I have a passion for teaching? Yes, I do.
  
  I was talking with a group of friends and they asked me when I would like to retire as a doctor. I said that I would retire teaching Biochemistry, Nursing and Medicine when there is no longer breath in my lungs. Haha! Because, why not! Spread the knowledge.

• What makes you a Superprof (besides answering this interview questions :-P)?

  Being a tutor is one thing but being a Superprof goes beyond just basic impacting knowledge, it is quite deeper. It involves boosting students' confidence, becoming a role model for your students, changing lives. Most of my students attest to one thing. PROGRESS! I have watched my students grow into what they dreamed of. They have testified to moving from being low grade students to A students in Biochemistry, Nursing and Medicine. They now love a subject they once hated. They are very confident about sitting for exams because they know that they would not only pass but would get an A grade. This is very amazing. I am a superprof!