Why Neurosurgery
Following my graduation from Bangalore Medical College, I returned to Chennai (it was Madras at that time.) Getting a job was difficult, despite getting registered in the employment exchange. I was not cut out for a GP with a clinic.
As many young graduates do, I dreamt of becoming a Surgeon. I knew, my M.B.B.S grades were not good enough for the much sought after orthopedics or general surgery post graduate courses. Although my only exposure to Neurosurgery was my mother’s surgery for facial tics by the pioneer Neurosurgeon, Prof. BRM (B. Ramamurthi), an impressive talk by well-known Neurosurgeon, Prof. S.Kalyanaraman during my housesurgency, prompted me to think of ‘Brain surgery’ as an exciting option.
Christian Medical College, Vellore and Madras Medical College were only centers in the country that offered a direct admission to Neurosurgical post graduate programme without a general surgical post graduate qualification in those days. I thought a junior residency would help. In addition, they offered Rs.200/mth, which was incentive enough for me!
Resident Internee
My first day in Neurosurgery was the 3rd of August, 1977 as a Resident internee at Madras Medical College. For the first time, I got exposed to a well-organized department. Weekly Wednesday meetings and Friday grand rounds were very educative. Every monthly mortality meetings was a ‘cross fire’ session. Being the most junior in the department, my role was to maintain the case files and be an observer. Observe, I did; observed the hierarchy, working of some internationally known surgeons and silent politics within the profession.
Prof. BRM was the towering head of the department, although he was elusive for me. He retired on the 31st of January, 1978. Along with him, the most junior in the department, yours truly, too had to retire from the government service, as the then government stopped paying the Rs. 200/mth and instead wanted me to pay the hospital to be a trainee. Needless to say, I was the only resident internee the Neurosurgery at Madras Medical college ever had. I was the first and the last.
To my bad luck, following Prof. BRM's retirement, the direct admission to Neurosugical post graduate programme was discouraged and later withdrawn.
I was back to square one, jobless and unsure of the future.
To my bad luck, following Prof. BRM's retirement, the direct admission to Neurosugical post graduate programme was discouraged and later withdrawn.
I was back to square one, jobless and unsure of the future.
more to follow>>>
