Hemender Singh, '91 batch; Charanjeet Singh, ’99 batch; Divyanshoo Rai Kohli, '03 batch

 

Prof. Raj Bahadur is the current director principal of the Government Medical College, Chandigarh. He also is a professor and the Head of the department of Orthopedics. We would like to thank him for his time and frank opinions during the interview. Congratulations on being the director, Sir!

 

1. You have had a long relationship with GMC now. What was the reason for the move to GMC in the first place? Please tell us about your previous appointments too.

Before joining GMC, I have worked at many places. I have held positions at IGMC-Shimla, BHU, JIPMER-Pondicherry, MAMC-New Delhi, Safdarjung-New Delhi. I also served at Belfast, London. I was invited to join the department of Orthopedics at GMC on deputation in 1992. And as everyone knows, I have been associated with GMC since then except for a brief period while I joined as Additional Medical Superintendent at the PGIMER, Chandigarh. I was again invited by the Chandigarh Administration to join the college as its Director. I am a firm believer of destiny and it has, along with sheer hard-work, brought me thus far.

 

2. You’ve held various positions of responsibility in the most nebulous times in GMC’s history, especially in struggles leading up to recognition by MCI. What were those times like? What do you remember most of those years?

GMCH was bound to get the recognition with the kind of leadership and faculty it had at that time. The times were tough and some of the clauses raised by the MCI at that time seemed unfair and stringent. We worked hard to get the recognition. In hindsight, I feel that the MCI objections spurred us to work harder and improve our standards. Now that we have got the MCI recognition, I feel satisfied on the extra effort we made in the initial years.

 

3. How have you seen the leadership change over the years? What, if anything, would you have changed in the past years?

GMCH has indeed seen some good leaders as its directors. I particularly would like to appreciate the administrative and managing skills of Prof. V.K. Kak. Some other directors could have performed better during their stints. GMCH is a well-funded child of the Chandigarh administration. I would have loved had the funds been channelized more properly to build the infrastructure. My aim is to emulate, and hopefully even surpass the works done by Prof Kak.

 

4. What change should we expect in GMC under your leadership? Are there specific areas you are focusing on?

One of the core areas of focus is the stream lining of the 3 major hospitals of Chandigarh- PGIMER, GMSH 16 and GMCH. We have a urologist coming from GMSH and they have made use of surgeons from our side. Our aim is to serve the needs of the city and doing so in an integrated fashion is the way forward. Even in the training of our students and residents, I welcome an integrated approach.

 

5. In the recent years getting good and experienced faculty has become an issue in all medical institutions across the country. How do you plan to address that?

All I can do is urge the senior faculty to stay with us in the college. Upcoming private medical institutions offer grand salaries for lesser work and those offers often appear lucrative to an underpaid medical faculty. Senior faculty needs to be self-motivated to stay in good institutes like ours for the sake of development of future doctors. They should take a lead from Prof. JD Wig who has honored the institute by joining it after retiring as the Head of the department of Surgery at the PGIMER.

 

6. Our institute has planted good physicians all across the globe. There has been a major effort by students to appear in foreign medical exams. Do you think our faculty is actually helping the students prepare for these situations? Do you have any plans to ensure that happens?

I particularly recall that when I was a student, my peers and I never had resources to travel abroad or sustain ourselves for a few months before we could work there. Times have changed. A few of the current students of GMC came to me and told that their peers in AIIMS and MAMC often visit United States for clerkships. I found that it would be good for the development of our students. This year, after talking to the concerned authorities, I have allowed students to go and do their clerkships abroad if they can procure those and sustain themselves. This is a major effort that had never occurred in the history of the college. I will also be happy for and will support a formal “student exchange program” between our institution and institutions abroad.

 

7. Through the research awards instituted by GMCCOSA and KOSHISH we want to promote acumen in clinical and epidemiological research. Do you have any suggestions to help us do this in a better way?

The involvement of students in research and their funding by the alumni is a welcome step. I am aware of such developments and support such a cause whole-heartedly. An ex-colleague of mine currently holds the position of the Director of the ICMR. I will personally talk to him to initiate steps to promote and fund clinical research at GMCH.

 

8. The alumni of our college are always asking for ways to pay back for the education provided to them. How can we help? Are there any areas we can focus on?

I am glad to hear that alumni of our college think about paying back to the institute. I would particularly ask them to pay back in two ways. Firstly, whenever they come to Chandigarh, I would request them to visit the institute and deliver lectures to share the knowledge that they have gained abroad. Secondly, especially for branches like surgery and radiology, they can demonstrate and teach newer skills and approaches. I assure them of full support from the college authorities. While I was visiting London, I noticed that certain equipment (which may be re-usable) was discarded after using it once. While coming back home, I brought them with me and used them for my patients here. If our alumni can do a similar thing, it would help the patients here and will not strain the hospital budget.

 

9. This is a question of behalf of all the students of the college. The college is facing the challenge of not having enough post-graduate courses with de-recognition of a few existing courses. How do you plan to address this issue?

We will try and meet MCI’s criterion for keeping the post-graduate courses active. MS course in the department of ENT is a welcome addition since this year. Moreover, within the next year, I have plans to introduce DNB in Internal Medicine, General Surgery and Radio-diagnosis. Post-graduate courses in Microbiology and Transfusion Medicine are also in the pipeline.

 

10. This year a student from Andhra Pradesh made it to the first year of medical college through the All India entrance exam. He is a Bravery Award winner. His financial concerns need to be addressed for him to continue the education. May we request your support on the matter?

I am aware of the situation and have initiated the process to address it. The college administration would render all the permissible and possible help.

 

11. Any plans to travel to the US in the near future. We will all love to have you here.

One fine day, all of us will get busy with our lives, long working hours, no more classes, lectures, canteen, friends and SMS. At such a time when you will look out of the window, the good old memories shall flash by and you will say…Wish I could go back. To all my buddies who helped create such eternal memories!

 

Half a decade can teach a person the nuances of every possible kind. The time spent in GMCH as an undergraduate will be memorable for all of us in the class of 2003.

 

We met in the summer of ’03 as hesitant wide eyed and slightly gawky teenaged kids suddenly thrust amidst equally bewildered strangers. Today the gawkiness has been swept away and from strangers we have morphed into batch buddies with deep seated friendships that shall last forever. On the way, common problems (exams- when it used to be Monday all week!) and shared joys (holidays) have forged the strong bonds between us. Read on to reminisce how!

 

The first year had begun with the mandatory interaction (read ragging) session with the seniors. Frankly, it was fun and broke the frost amongst the batch mates. The boys of the batch, one by one, proposed blushingly to equally alarmed girls (I remember that we ALL were rejected!!), many sang songs in croaky voices as we all gelled with one another. The story of the ‘thirsty crow’, the ‘I-cards’ the boys carried, the planning we guys did to bunk these sessions still bring back smiles. Soon however, the games were over and D-hall, lab work, lectures and seminars took over. Anatomy and Physiology took away so much time that Biochemistry appeared on the horizon barely a month before the exams!

 

The second Prof was enjoyable for all. We were finally on the ‘correct’ side of the interactive sessions. Pulse 2004 at AIIMS shall remain special for a number of reasons: the first outing as a batch, GMCH students winning the national races (Kamlesh Kumari), national TT crown (Shruti) and the All India debating crown (HS & DRK)! These all took a back seat, however, as cupid went berserk and ‘pairs’ started popping up by the dozen! The clinics had also commenced and the future that awaited us had begun unfolding. Cricket, novels, quizzes, debates (in the local colleges), birthday bashes, dance parties … life was on a high. We organized the Sports Day (best marching batch), the Annual day and the Lohri celebrations. The organizational acumen of the batch was put to test when the intra-college fest ‘Plexus- Zephyr of Zest’ got going. We hunted for sponsors and organized the events as the college rocked! By now all of us had bitten by a common bug: movie at the newly opened mall - the only one in the tri-city back then!

 

The ‘new’ final year was again light as Eye, ENT and Com Med were not all that taxing. Some of us took up research projects while others went to the gym as everyone put time to good use. We took part in the national protests by the medical fraternity against the reservation policy of the

As we are well aware of the efforts that “Koshish” is putting up to help financially challenged patients and to promote research amongst the students of the college, it is now trying to help students of the college who may find it a challenge to continue education for lack of appropriate monetary resources. In first of its effort, in order to motivate a brilliant student, Pinjari, Koshish requests the alumni to come forth in aid.

 

Pinjari is a first year medical student who joined GMCH as a central nominee. He belongs to a modest family from a village in Andhra Pradesh. He won the prestigious National Bravery award after he saved two young women of his village from drowning in a river in high flow. Despite his good rank, he almost was not able to continue in the medical college for financial reasons. His family arranged for his fee by taking loans. Later, he had to face trouble to arrange resources for a room in the college dorm. Anup (99 batch) helped him by having him stay in his room. A formal request has been made to the college administration to address Pinjari’s financial needs. Prof. Raj Bahadur has assured his full support in trying to get a complete or partial tuition fee and/or hostel fee waiver. Some of the alumni have also pledged financial support in the form of “monthly scholarships” for Pinjari with the condition that he would continue to perform well in academics. Currently, thanks to some support, his books and hostel fee for the current year, quilt and clothes have been arranged. We currently are requesting a committed donor for him and also request the finalization of already made commitments.

 

Pinjari is also finding it difficult to manage academics because of linguistic challenges. He is not very competent with both Hindi and English. Again, here we would like to request the current students (both his co-students and seniors) to help in his studies and help him learn the local language. Thanks to all of you for your “Koshish”!

 

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Dr Kalam Visits GMCH

Dr APJ Abdul Kalam inaugurated the 16^th Annual Conference of the Association of Medical Biochemists of India at GMCH in November 2008 (photographs courtesy Dr Jasbinder Kaur; CLICK HERE for more photos).

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Career Series: Kya Karein...

Charanjeet Singh, '99 batch

After living through the years of BDC, HM and PSM, we all live through the phase of “what next?” I was no exception to the rule and for me the major decision was between, “go with the flow” or “halt and decide”. The decision between India and abroad is secondary to one’s academic or other aspirations.

 

If you read this, don’t intend to find a blue print of an algorithm for a dummy. If you read this, intend to step-up the mushkil from “kya karein” to “kaise karein!” And finally, if you still decide to read this, do not intend to “just live” through BDC, HM and PSM make sure you seek answers your dilemmas through those years.

 

Step 1: Live through with an OPEN mind

Passing an exam is of course the priority! The basic science years, for the better part, are meant to lay the foundation for the clinical years that give the feel of grandiosity and the “warmth of white coat” which made you take up medicine.

 

The first two years give you a handy exposure of what basic sciences are about and can help you decide if one of those areas can be the foundation to construct your future on. There are “NO” good branches of medicine and there are “NO” bad branches either. All he branches make the tree of medicine complete. Decide the branch that you can nestle. Love the choices made by you, don’t let yourself love the choices that get made for you.

 

Step 2: Make an informed decision

Walking the ramp is not everything that the models do, the world of glamour asks for more. The moolah and the fame that certain branches offer may not be everything that satisfies your thirst.

 

While you deal with the clinical years and more so with the internship, try not to be bed mates with your books alone. Give “thinking” a due share of your comforter. Scores aren’t everything after all and you still will end up cramming the night before the exam and scoring the same!! Get up; see the life in the hospital and the requirements of the life from being an “internist” or a “surgeon” or a “gynecologist”. And trust me; the best way you can do this is by being in the department, talking to the patients and your seniors. Make no mistake, you will learn and remember more from your patients than you can from your books.

 

It’s better to hear criticism from some one if you decided to take up “Anatomy” for your future, than letting your inner self criticize you for taking up “Radiology”, if it was never meant for you! Once you know what's good for you, give your best shot to execute your decision.

 

Step 3: Take your time (but don’t waste it!)

If at the end of your internship, you still are undecided about what you want to do, give yourself a break. Don’t make decisions in haste. Don’t hesitate from a sabbatical. You are the best judge of your circumstances and limitations and you only can best decide the timeline for yourself. Don’t get perturbed by people moving ahead of you; work hard, for in due course you will find your niche.

 

Step 4: India or Abroad

Yet another dilemma, and yet another potential reason to get advices and invite criticism. For once, if someone criticizes you for leaving “your” country for a comfortable life or money; ignore them even if that is your reason. Just a fact to counter their arguments: Most of us leave our “villages” and small cities to come to Chandigarh and study, and most of us would have gone to AIIMS, New Delhi had we gotten a chance. It’s human to “wish for more”. And, if someone thinks that you can do the best for your abbey only by being there, let the person live the myth.

 

But here I also would leave a rider: Do not base your decision to leave your country for the reason of money and comfort alone! At a certain stage you will earn enough by being in India. Moreover, it will take you less time to settle here than it will take you if you decide to move to another country to further your education. And if you were born with a silver spoon, and had maids at your disposal to pick and do your dishes, India might be the place for you. To live happily whether in India or outside, keep a pragmatic vision of what you yearn to achieve by being in the intended position and place.

 

Some parameters that you may weigh your choices on are quality of life, money, family or academics. It’s again your decision to prioritize and equate the parameters as per your aspirations.

 

Step 5: Get Set, Go….

Once you have decided on the place and the branch of your choice, try and decide on a back-up option as well. As meticulous we may be in planning, the results of the execution may not always be favorable. Set up your priorities, talk to the people who have achieved what you intend to, and set small term goals for yourself.

 

At this step again, it would be advisable to be practical. You can achieve only a certain thing in a certain time. Focus on the entrance exam here. Do not kill yourself by trying to read big books and gain knowledge. You could do the aforementioned in your medical school years, but the need of the step is to escalate to your choice with minimum of fuss and maximum output. There are texts and materials which cater to and aim specifically at certain exams, use them!! If you think you will be guilty by not reading the entire text and still scoring well in exam, you probably need to see a psycho-analyst or do your MBBS again to read the entire text.

 

Be a firm believer of the fact that all you have is “one life” and to make it matter, the easiest and the best way is to follow your heart. This may sound like an evangelical preaching but what’s the harm in following it, if it can work for you!

 

Have a good time making the best choice for yourselves!

 

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 Farewell

 

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