CHENNAI: It’s been 50 years since they entered the Madras Medical College (MMC), the summer after finishing school. And yet, looking at the names on their reunion list is like the honours list at a medical awards ceremony. “Most of us were studying other courses in city colleges before we were accepted by MMC, but still there hasn’t been a batch with more competition than we had ever since,” fondly recalls Dr V Mohan, diabetologist extraordinaire of Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Centres and alumnus of the 1971 batch of MMC. This weekend, a large gathering of that batch has come together for a grand reunion in Chennai. “Most of our batch mates are flying in from other countries,” reveals Dr Mohan Kameswaran, MD of the Madras ENT Research Foundation. He counts a large contingent from the USA, a smaller one from the UK and another bunch from South-East Asia.Voted the ‘Best Batch in the History of MMC’ by all batches past and present, during the college’s 175th celebrations held last year, a small core group set about organizing a grand reunion. “We had one some 15 years ago but very few were able to attend.This time, we made sure that people confirmed and made it,” says Dr Kameswaran. Over the course of the last year, the group had been in correspondence with batch mates and also tracking down the ones who were missing. “Sadly a few had passed away, but it was most difficult locating some women, as they had married and had different surnames.” Somehow they managed it and close to 100 are attending, of the original 150 doctors who graduated in 1977.“There are plenty of sons who succeed their fathers and take up the medical profession, but it’s very rare that you see an entire batch of such sons exceeding the accomplishments of their fathers,” says Dr V Mohan proudly. He points out both Dr Kameswaran, a Padma Shri awardee, and Dr Mayilvahanan Natarajan, VC of the TN Dr MGR Medical University to make his point. “Collectively we’re probably the most awarded batch and recognized one that has passed out of MMC,” he adds. The reunion, at a resort at Mamallapuram, has not only brought the aged doctors together but has also brought their families into the same circle, “There’s an amazing joy to see some of our fellow medicos’ children and even grand-children here. Makes us realise how much time has passed,” says Dr Kameswaran smilingly, “And how old we are!”
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