Young Raghu Y.A. of Yadahalli in Chickballapur district created history in his family and village on Friday by graduating from the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI).
The 24-year-old’s career path was decided by his uncle. The latter’s mentoring role was a given when Raghu’s mother became a maternal mortality casualty: she passed away 12 hours after giving birth to him.
Raghu, a picture of pride in his graduation robe, said: “I want to specialise in community medicine and work to reduce maternal mortality. What happened to my mother should not happen to any other woman in our country. I want to strive to reduce the maternal mortality rate in our country.”
Work to be done
The young man, who belongs to family of farmers, said: “Even today, a majority of childbirths take place at home in my village. There is a lot of work to be done.”
Ironically, while this young doctor wants to work in rural milieu, his family wants him to be a city medical practitioner to further his prospects.
The mood was upbeat on the BMCRI campus on Friday as the parents and teachers watched 139 students take the Hippocratic Oath. Some of the students The Hindu spoke to shared their memorable experiences in classrooms, hostels and during their internships.
They also recalled the stressful days when they burned the midnight oil.
Recollecting her most “defining moment”, Nikhila R., who walked away with three gold medals, said: “During my internship in October last year, the first delivery case I attended was of a lady who was childless for five years. I still cannot forget the expression on her face when I showed her child. This is truly my calling.”
‘I fainted’
Akhila M.V., who earned three gold medals and graduated as the Best Outgoing Student (Female), recollects the day she fainted during the lab for dissection session of cadavers. However, today “I get a high out of dissection and I want to specialise in surgery”.
Communicable diseases
Another student, Sriram Gubbi feels that non-communicable diseases are currently India’s most pressing problem.
He wants to specialise in research and is worried about the limited opportunities in the country. He has decided to go abroad for higher studies.
Rural service
Even as the dignitaries invited exhorted students to go in for rural service, the graduates expressed their apprehensions about working for a year in rural areas. Dr. Akhila said: “We are concerned about our careers. We want to complete our postgraduation and come back and serve rural areas as better doctors.” She pointed out that rural areas didn’t have infrastructure.
