It’s not every year that a 71-year-old receives a degree for completing a super-specialty medical course. But on Thursday, at the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University’s convocation, septuagenarian M.A. Bose will receive his degree for an M.Ch in neurosurgery.
For 35 years, Dr. Bose has practiced as a general surgeon and ENT specialist in Aruppukottai, just over 50 km from Madurai. He had done his MBBS and MS from Madurai Medical College and then completed a DLO and worked at Christian Medical College, Vellore and later in JIPMER, Puducherry before setting up his own 12-bed clinic in Aruppukottai.
Also a sports enthusiast, Dr. Bose was a middle-distance runner and a basketball player and had captained the team from Madurai as a student.
So why neurosurgery? “It was partly due to my competitive spirit. A lot of doctors junior to me were coming into practice with super-specialty degrees. And, I have always found neurosurgery an interesting field and have had an affinity for the subject. And so, even though it was late, I decided to do it,” said Dr. Bose.
In 2010, he joined the course at Madras Medical College. “The selection committee interviewed him and after finding that there was no age criteria for the course, decided to admit him. However, he did not receive the stipend that is given to other students as he was not eligible,” said Jhansi Charles, registrar of the university.
Staying with his son in Arumbakkam, Dr. Bose would travel 10 km every day for his course. At the end of 2013, his son passed away. “After this happened, I became very depressed. I could not concentrate at all for a year. It was only in my third attempt that I managed to pass the exam,” he said.
Dr. Bose completed the programme in 2014. His future plans? “I am happy with my practice. Once every few months perhaps, I will get a neurosurgery case. It will be interesting,” said this grandfather of eight.
71-year-old Dr. M.A. Bose is all set to receive his M.Ch in neurosurgery
