The Hindu : `Continuous acquisition of knowledge essential for medical graduates'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 14, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

`Continuous acquisition of knowledge essential for medical graduates'

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, MARCH 13. Over 750 students who passed out of the Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute in 2003 were awarded their degrees and diplomas on Friday.

In his convocation address, Jeffrey M.Drazen, editor-in-chief, New England Journal of Medicine, welcomed the fresh graduates to the "brotherhood of medical profession" and added that they will have no higher calling than their profession for the rest of their lives.

He said the graduates had three routes ahead of them: patient care, medical research and teaching. Whichever path they choose, continuous acquisition of knowledge was necessary.

He also pitched in strongly for medical research. "Sticking to one medical problem and researching on it for several years will yield results that will have impact on the lives of several million people," Dr.Drazen said. He had done research on the causes and nature of asthma and was involved with a team that brought out effective drugs for the disease. "I might not have treated patients individually, but when I hear that they are taking the drug I was working on, it is a wonderful feeling."

The guest of honour, M.B.N. Rao, chairman and managing director of Indian Bank, distributed prizes and medals to 29 students.

In his annual report for the year 2003, Vice Chancellor, S.Thanikachalam, said the students conducted 60 health camps in Chennai and its neighbouring districts. Nearly 15,000 patients were treated at the University's Thiruverkadu community centre. The university had extended its telemedicine facility to Chennai Central Railway Station. It also screened 60,000 children for diseases through various health camps.

Prof.Thanikachalam added that the university had initiated steps to begin 12 new programmes in medicine, three in allied health sciences and a certificate course in home health care. Two students who passed out this year - S.Dharani and S.Karthik - were this year's recipients of "The Founder Chancellor - Harvard - Student Enrichment Scholarship." They will be part of a student exchange programme with the Harvard University.

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