HOW I GOT MY PHARMACY INTERNSHIP WITHOUT TRAVELING TO LAGOS: MY 2-MONTH LOCUM STRATEGY IN ENUGU (UNN GRADUATE)

One of the most difficult parts of being a medical student in Nigeria isn’t just the struggle to pass exams and graduate.

The real struggle starts after graduation.

Securing internship placement is very tough and competitive. There are few internship placement centers, and the number of young graduates looking for internships is 100x more than the available slots.

I studied Pharmacy at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), so I’m speaking from experience.

Why I Refused to Join Others Traveling to Lagos and Abuja

When I graduated, I saw my classmates already booking buses to Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt to drop off CVs. Most people spend a whole year traveling across different states, applying and going for interviews.

I didn’t bother to start looking for internships immediately.

I had watched seniors do that for months with nothing to show for it. I understood one thing early: recommendation, or what some people call connection, is a very big factor in securing internship placement in Nigeria.

Who is recommending you to a specific center matters. Your result matters, but who is vouching for you matters more.

What I Did With My First Two Months After Graduation: The Locum Decision in Enugu

Instead of traveling, I applied for a locum job as a pharmacist in a nearby community pharmacy in Enugu, Nigeria.

It wasn’t a big pharmacy. It was a community pharmacy where people came with all kinds of problems: malaria, hypertension, diabetes, and many without money to even go to the hospital.

I made a decision. I wouldn’t just dispense. I would serve.

I worked hard and poured knowledge into helping patients in the community who didn’t have access to proper medical services. I counseled mothers, followed up with elderly patients, and explained dosages in Igbo Language when they didn’t understand English.

Within weeks, the whole area knew me as “that pharmacist that cares.”

One woman I still remember was elderly and managing hypertension on her own, no doctor visits, just buying whatever tablets she could afford each month. She couldn’t read the English on her pack. I sat her down, wrote her dosage times in Igbo on a card, and told her son to check on her every morning. She came back every month after that, always looking for me specifically, not just any attendant on duty.

Small moments like that were happening every week. I wasn’t trying to impress anyone. But the government officials and lecturers who came through saw the same thing that woman saw: someone who actually cared whether they understood their own treatment. That’s not something you can fake for two months just to get a recommendation letter. People can tell the difference.

How I Turned Everyday Customers in Enugu Into My Connectors

This is the part nobody tells you.

The people who walk into a community pharmacy in Enugu every day aren’t just patients. Some are lecturers, some are directors in the Ministry of Health, some are senior pharmacists in teaching hospitals, and some are top government officials.

They were coming to buy drugs, and they were watching me.

Because I was consistent, they started asking about me. “Are you a UNN graduate? When did you graduate?” Before I knew it, conversations started.

I was able to connect with top government officials who frequented the pharmacy. They saw my work firsthand. When I told them I was looking for internship placement, they didn’t hesitate.

They wrote a good, genuine recommendation for me, not because I begged, but because they had seen my work in that small Enugu pharmacy.

How Much Was I Paid for the Locum in Enugu

Many people ask me this. The pay wasn’t much. It was locum pay, just enough to cover transport and small feeding. But I didn’t take the job for the money.

I took it for three reasons: to stay active as a pharmacist so I wouldn’t forget what I learned in UNN, to stop staying idle at home while waiting for an internship, and to build relationships.

If you’re waiting for a high-paying locum before you start, you’ll wait a long time. Start small. The connection you’ll get is worth more than the salary.

The Exact Documents I Submitted With the Recommendation

When I finally got the recommendation letter from Enugu, I submitted just four things:

1. My CV
2. My Degree Statement / Notification of Result from UNN
3. My Provisional License from the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN)
4. That powerful recommendation letter

I didn’t add plenty of certificates. That recommendation letter did the heavy lifting.

No 12-state tour. No spending all my savings on transport and accommodation for interviews.

One pharmacy in Enugu, one recommendation from someone who saw me serve.

What I Would Do Differently If I Were Graduating in 2026

If I graduated today, I would do the exact same thing, but even more intentionally.

1. Stay in Enugu, or your state of graduation, for two months. Don’t rush. Get a locum in a busy area. If you’re in Enugu, consider New Haven, Abakpa, Uwani, or even Nsukka. Busy areas bring important people.
2. Document your impact. Keep a small book of the patients you helped. That story helps when someone is writing a recommendation for you.
3. Don’t ask for recommendations on day one. Serve first for three to four weeks. Let them see you. Then, when you ask, the letter will be powerful and personal.
4. Apply to five centers with that one strong letter. Don’t apply to thirty. A strong letter from a respected person carries weight anywhere in Nigeria.

If you studied pharmacy at UNN or any school and you’re currently looking for placement, my advice is simple: stop chasing shadows. Create your connection by serving where you are.

That small community pharmacy in Enugu gave me what traveling to ten states could not give others.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a locum job specifically, or can any work count?

Any role where people can see you work consistently counts. Locum pharmacy work was natural for me because it kept my clinical skills active, but the principle (visibility plus consistency) applies whether it’s hospital volunteering or a smaller community role

What if nobody important comes to the pharmacy I choose?

Pick your location on purpose. A pharmacy near a secretariat, a hospital, or a university campus sees more professionals than one in a purely residential area. This is worth researching before you start.

How long before I should ask for a recommendation?

I’d say a minimum of three to four weeks of consistent, visible work. Asking too early makes the letter sound obligatory rather than earned.

Does this work outside Enugu?

Yes. The principle isn’t about Enugu specifically. It’s about staying where you are, serving visibly, and letting the right person notice you before you ask for anything. I’ve heard similar stories from people who did this in Owerri and Awka.