From Overwhelm to Triumph: How Rising Scholars Shaped My Dissertation Journey

Dr Suleiman T. Olorukooba, MBBS, FMCOrth

From Overwhelm to Triumph: How Rising Scholars Shaped My Dissertation Journey

Two years ago, I began what would become one of the most intellectually demanding journeys of my career—my dissertation. At the time, I didn’t consider myself a “research person.” I was more at home in the operating theatre than in front of statistical software. Yet, to earn my fellowship in orthopaedic surgery, I had to complete an original dissertation.

I started with a mix of optimism and uncertainty. As I moved into study methods and ethical approvals, I quickly realized how difficult it was to navigate research methodology, especially in a low-resource setting. I found myself constantly searching for guidance, often cobbling information together from various informal sources. One challenge that nearly broke me was sample size calculation—I was somehow getting 15,000 participants per arm, which clearly wasn’t feasible. I eventually learned that I had misapplied the formula and misunderstood the required effect size. Through further guidance and correction, I revised my parameters and recalculated a sample size that aligned with a workable statistical power and logistical reality.

Eventually, I reached the data analysis phase. That part went surprisingly well—thanks in part to mentoring from senior colleagues. But as I began writing the results and discussion chapters, I hit another wall. I wrote what I thought was a solid draft, but deep down, I felt unsure about whether it truly reflected scientific rigour.

At that point, just before final submission, a colleague and friend, Dr. Abass Ajayi, shared a link to AuthorAID (now Rising Scholars). It was a call for dissertation reviews, through the Rising Scholars' Biomedicine and Healthcare online journal club's mentorship and peer-review webinar series. Initially, I was hesitant. So many platforms out there are predatory. But when I saw respected names like my chief, Dr. Maina D., a consultant plastic surgeon, listed as contributors, I took the leap. 

I was fortunate to get Slot 2 on the presentation roster. The session was part of the Biodmedicine and Healthcare journal club's peer-learning webinars that are themed as 'Mock Thesis Defence' sessions, where research scholars present their work for constructive feedback from subject-matter experts and experienced mentors. The journal club has been running the sesssions for around one yar, and they are held approximately fortnightly. My dissertation was on "Comparing the Efficacy of 24-hour Versus 72-hour Prophylactic Antibiotic Regimens in Elective Orthopaedic Implant Surgeries at ABUTH Zaria." The presentation was attended by a diverse panel of reviewers—an orthopaedic consultant, a research methodology specialist, and even an examiner from the West Africa College of Surgeons, Dr Christian Madubueze, and Prof Boren. I also received invaluable guidance from seasoned experts in research methodology and statistics, including Mr. Emeka Anyiam.

The feedback I received that day was beyond anything I could have imagined.

First, I was guided to reframe my aim and objectives to better reflect the design of a non-inferiority study—a nuance I had completely missed. One mentor clarified the distinction between equivalence and non-inferiority trials and how that affects sample size, statistical tests, and interpretation of findings.

Second, I was encouraged to bring out confounding factors and how their effects were minimized during the course of the study. Additionally, a research expert pointed out that my discussion section was more like a replica of my results and also lacked critical appraisal of similar published works. They taught me how to better appropriately write discussions as well as  integrate external literature to both support and contrast my findings.

Even more invaluable was the post-session mentorship. I was allowed to follow up with the reviewers directly, which gave me the space to ask specific questions I’d been struggling with silently—like how to phrase limitations without weakening my argument, and how to structure the conclusion so it flowed logically from the data.

Following this support, I made comprehensive revisions:

• Reframed my study design.
• Polished my literature review to include contrasting findings and gaps in existing research.
• Elevated the tone and clarity of my discussion section with evidence-based arguments.

With these revisions, I confidently submitted my dissertation and proceeded to the oral defence. Alhamdulillah, I passed.

Looking back, Rising Scholars was the turning point in my dissertation journey. It transformed my work from a patchwork of honest effort into a coherent, defensible, and scholarly product. It wasn't just about getting feedback—it was about learning how to think like a researcher. 

To those pursuing postgraduate research—particularly in low-resource settings—you are not alone. Platforms like Rising Scholars exist to support you. What they offer is not just critique, but community, mentorship, and growth.

If you’re unsure, skeptical, or stuck—like I once was—just try. The help you need might be just one presentation away.

All praise is due to Allah.

The author used ChatGPT 4.0 to revise this publication. After using this tool, the author checked the work to ensure accuracy and is fully responsible for the content of the publication