1974 Batch of GMC Amritsar is in fact a posse of achievers. While my wife Romy is packing our bags for our journey to Amritsar to attend the much-awaited Golden Jubilee Meet, my thoughts are focused elsewhere. I am looking back at the fifty years we all spent together as members of the 1974 batch of this glorious medical college. The one word which defines us collectively and individually is achievers. Yes, we have achieved a lot in the past half century and given back to our society and motherland to the best of our capabilities.
Coming events cast their shadows before. We bunked the First Professional examination in 1975 once, Community Medicine examination three-times during 1977-78, and Final Professional Examination once in 1979. Yet we managed to get through without much collateral damage, quite an achievement (no pun intended). Although casualties we suffered in Anatomy, Gynecology, and Eye & ENT were more than usual. We took it in our stride and moved on. We successfully thwarted the triple challenge we faced after our house jobs and managed to get admission in PG courses and PCMS jobs. It indeed was a spectacular achievement, although we had to go on two weeks of pen-down strike. The cooperation and coordination between different sections of our class all these years has been marvelous. The unconditional support and cooperation extended by girls has been exemplary and one of the most important factors that contributed to our success. This is indeed an incredible achievement, and the credit must go to all the girls in our batch.
While we set new standards of academic excellence, we never lagged behind in extra-curricular activities and sports. Our class can boast of high caliber debaters, orators, authors, singers, artists, and singers who won prizes in intra college, inter-college, and Youth Festivals. We are also proud of athletes and sportspersons from our class. We very fondly remember our basketball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, hockey, and cricket teams and all the other athletes. Their dedication in whatever they did and commitment to maintain high standards of performance still warms our hearts. The hallmark of performance has always been quality be it in academics, sports, or performing arts. This indeed has been an achievement. It never comes easy and requires perseverance and commitment.
The cycle of achievements did not stop in the college, because it is engrained in our DNA. It continues even today. We have amongst us top quality medical teachers who are working or have worked in prestigious institutions in India and abroad. We have amongst us gynecologists, surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, ophthalmologists, otolaryngologists, surgical oncologists, head, and neck surgeons who are known for exemplary work ethics, patient care, and professional excellence. We are equally proud of physicians, pediatricians, neurologists, endocrinologists, diabetologists, cardiologists, pathologists, radiologists, and other specialists from our class who are working both in India and abroad and doing excellent work.
Some of our class fellows have turned entrepreneurs, industrialists, and some are running corporate hospitals and their own nursing homes. Those amongst us who chose to be in health services served as civil surgeons and SMOs and served the community at the cutting edge. It is no wonder that we have amongst us civil servants who worked in Indian Administrative Services (IAS) and Indian Revenue Services (IRS). One of us is a diplomat and working as Ambassador of a country in India. It is no small achievement that one amongst us joined World Health Organization India office and launched National Acute Flaccid Paralysis program in Uttar Pradesh. This again is a matter of pride that one of our classmates is known world over as the founder of Laughter Yoga movement.
I am sure this is not the end of it and our best is yet to come. May God grant good health and success to us all. This batch of achievers is destined to earn more glory.
Dinesh Kumar Sharma
