I must admit that I, too, was—and still am—a medical teacher who guided—or is misguided the more appropriate word?—over three dozen postgraduates in writing their MD theses. I do not wish to stand on a pedestal or adopt a “holier than thou” posture. I have erred, misjudged, behaved badly, mishandled situations, and at times, been …
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Medical Education
The Double-Blind MD Thesis
“So, what’s up?” I asked the young postgraduate from a neighbouring medical college. He had just run into me on the road. “I’ve finished my thesis, sir,” he said, sounding both relieved and battle-weary. “Now preparing for the MD exams—just two months to go.” “That’s done?” I raised my eyebrows. “Already?” “Yes, sir,” he nodded. …
Poverty of Thoughts. Bankruptcy of Ideas.
Dr. B.S. Chaubey. A name that evoked both awe and trepidation. He was fire and ice—blazing with intensity, chilling with his stare, his mind a scalpel that could slice through the most complex diagnoses in a few minutes. For twenty-five years, he reigned over the Department of Medicine at GMC Nagpur, shaping generations of physicians. …
𝐊𝐆 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐆: 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐯𝐬. 𝐍𝐨𝐰
Nostalgia has a way of sneaking up on you. You try to avoid comparing the “good old days” to the present, but somehow, you end up doing it anyway. The younger generation hates it. They roll their eyes when we compare the 60s and 70s to today. But as you age, those comparisons just happen—whether …
𝗡𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗴𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁
After spending four decades in Sevagram, I often find myself reflecting on the past, comparing it to the present, and pondering what the future holds. It’s one of my most cherished pastimes—a price I pay for the salt that now outnumbers the pepper on my scalp. The conversation begins with medical students. We often blame …
𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗗 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺: 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀
The MD thesis—a daunting challenge that separates the strong from the faint-hearted. It is like a visa that grants access to the MD examination, a grueling rite of passage filled with challenges and obstacles. As the deadline looms, the pressure intensifies, and the postgraduate students start desperately hunting for two players—a skilled statistician to generate …
𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝘁𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹: 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱
A few years ago, I was invited to speak about snakebites at an annual conference in Nagpur. As a physician who had treated hundreds of patients with venomous snakebites, I was excited to share my experience. On that Sunday morning, as I arrived at the conference hall 15 minutes early, I found only two people …
The Ghost Who Writes: A Tale of PGs and Thesis Ghostwriters
On a sunny afternoon at the hostel of a medical college, a third-year postgraduate student appeared visibly worried as he skipped his lunch. He approached a group of his senior friends, who were now senior residents in the same hospital. PG: “May I ask you something? Two years ago, I submitted my thesis protocol to …
Medical Education: Does language matter?
Twenty-four medical schools in Madhya Pradesh have made an offer that makes one sit up and notice. Now the teachers can teach and assess medical students using medical textbooks in Hindi. Students have also an option of writing their exams in Hindi. For first MBBS students, the state government has developed, and recently released Hindi …
BS Chaubey Gifted Teacher Award
On 17 September 2022, I was conferred Gifted teacher Award, named after my teacher Dr BS Chaubey. I was interviewed on the occasion of this award. Sir, we know you as a teacher but we would like to know about your childhood. Born on August 15 —I was the youngest of six siblings. My mother …