My recollections of the Third Year
By Naghmi Shirin
Nice recollection Nauman, but I must clear at this stage that except for a few who used their feminity to get through, most of the girls were very hard working. The reason that rarely a girl failed her exam was that they did not have those extracurricular activities that you guys had.
In the third year, we encountered real patients. One girl student left medicine because she abhorred touching the patients. In Mayo, we had a large variety of patients from all over Punjab. History taking was the toughest and the most boring task. However, it was a nice change going to wards in the evening to prepare our cases. We had started feeling like doctors.
There were quite a number of interesting personalities who taught us in wards. There was one Asst Prof.Khurram, who used to draw a line around him and instructed every female student not to cross that line.
We were extremely afraid of Prof Lakkar. One of our friends Maryam Hassan was related to him. Once she invited us for lunch. When we were seated, all of a sudden Prof Sahib appeared. We could hardly swallow. Later she told us that he was her khaloo and she was actually staying at their residence. However, after that we avoided paying any further visit, although her khala was an extremely nice lady.
Saturday, December 04, 2010
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Third Year… A transition from basic to clinical sciences
We were in third year now. Clinical ward rotations had started. Instead of useless dangling on my neck, I could now use my stethoscope to listen to heart sounds. Physicians practicing clinical medicine now taught us at patient’s bedside. We encountered some brilliant clinicians such as Prof Aziz of TBCD ward, Prof Mahmood Ali Malik of Medicine, Prof Rasheed Lakkar and Zafar Haider of Surgery. I also got a chance to brush up on my rusty Punjabi by communicating with patients. Finally, it started to feel like we are on the road to become doctors.
We also started studying pharmacology and pathology. We were the first class that Prof Bilquees Jamal taught in KE after her UNO job. Her lectures were interesting and her personality even more so. I still remember her description of the ‘muscarinic man’ illustrating the pharmacologic effects on acetylcholine on body. We also heard some good stories of her days at the UNO. We also heard some colorful Punjabi words and jokes.
Prof Zafar ul Aziz taught us Pathology. One day I decided to wear Shalwar Kameez to his lecture. Big mistake. He singled me out and had me approach the lectern. He wanted to know if I was son of a political figure. When I told him that my dad had served in the Pakistan Navy and had now retired he wanted to know why he had retired. I also remember that in our professionals, quite a few boys failed and none of the girls did. I found out why he was like that but that is another story.
With so much going on the third year went very fast. It was hard to believe that we surpassed the midpoint of our medical college. Soon, we would be real doctors.
We were in third year now. Clinical ward rotations had started. Instead of useless dangling on my neck, I could now use my stethoscope to listen to heart sounds. Physicians practicing clinical medicine now taught us at patient’s bedside. We encountered some brilliant clinicians such as Prof Aziz of TBCD ward, Prof Mahmood Ali Malik of Medicine, Prof Rasheed Lakkar and Zafar Haider of Surgery. I also got a chance to brush up on my rusty Punjabi by communicating with patients. Finally, it started to feel like we are on the road to become doctors.
We also started studying pharmacology and pathology. We were the first class that Prof Bilquees Jamal taught in KE after her UNO job. Her lectures were interesting and her personality even more so. I still remember her description of the ‘muscarinic man’ illustrating the pharmacologic effects on acetylcholine on body. We also heard some good stories of her days at the UNO. We also heard some colorful Punjabi words and jokes.
Prof Zafar ul Aziz taught us Pathology. One day I decided to wear Shalwar Kameez to his lecture. Big mistake. He singled me out and had me approach the lectern. He wanted to know if I was son of a political figure. When I told him that my dad had served in the Pakistan Navy and had now retired he wanted to know why he had retired. I also remember that in our professionals, quite a few boys failed and none of the girls did. I found out why he was like that but that is another story.
With so much going on the third year went very fast. It was hard to believe that we surpassed the midpoint of our medical college. Soon, we would be real doctors.
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Prof Pharma and the Girls Hostel.
By Naghmi Shirin
We had another interesting personality of our college days, she was Prof. Bilquees Jamal Zafar popularly known as Madam Pharma. She was one of the best teachers, who made pharmacology not only understandable but interesting as well. There can be no two opinions about that, but today I am going to discuss some interesting aspects of her personality.
She was appointed the warden of our girl’s hostel. She shifted with her family to the newly constructed bungalow for the warden within the premises. Every morning we woke up to a loud roaring sound and we knew that some servant was being targeted. Her cursing vocabulary was quite wide and we learnt quite a few colorful Punjab words. However, I admit that she was a good administrator. She brought a revolution in the girl’s hostel. Her discipline was strict and no wrong doings by servants or girls escaped her notice.
She was fond of animals and kept a large Alsatian dog and some deer as well. One day the deer came out of the cage and the dog ran on and on after it. The whole lot of servants was running to stop the dog but neither one nor the other gave a heed to anyone. At last, the deer collapsed with a broken leg.
We in the hostel, tried to avoid confronting her. But some people liked to get her attention. She was the guardian of a number of female foreign students. She had appointed some of our class fellows who were in her good books to teach them. Though how much it helped them, is questionable...
Madam had a great collection of exquisite Saris. When we attended her class, the first thing we use to notice was her sari of the day. We really loved them. I think she never wore the same sari again.
She had a strong personality. She was often found taking a walk in the gardens of pharmacology department. Students considered that area a Red Zone. Once we went to her office for some problem. We saw a nice well-suited gentleman sitting there. She introduced him by saying 'Well girls meet him, yeh mere shauhar honey key dawadar hain' and he smiled sheepishly. Later we learnt that poor gentleman was her husband, Prof Zafar Hayat, the renowned Principal of Nishtar Medical College.
By Naghmi Shirin
We had another interesting personality of our college days, she was Prof. Bilquees Jamal Zafar popularly known as Madam Pharma. She was one of the best teachers, who made pharmacology not only understandable but interesting as well. There can be no two opinions about that, but today I am going to discuss some interesting aspects of her personality.
She was appointed the warden of our girl’s hostel. She shifted with her family to the newly constructed bungalow for the warden within the premises. Every morning we woke up to a loud roaring sound and we knew that some servant was being targeted. Her cursing vocabulary was quite wide and we learnt quite a few colorful Punjab words. However, I admit that she was a good administrator. She brought a revolution in the girl’s hostel. Her discipline was strict and no wrong doings by servants or girls escaped her notice.
She was fond of animals and kept a large Alsatian dog and some deer as well. One day the deer came out of the cage and the dog ran on and on after it. The whole lot of servants was running to stop the dog but neither one nor the other gave a heed to anyone. At last, the deer collapsed with a broken leg.
We in the hostel, tried to avoid confronting her. But some people liked to get her attention. She was the guardian of a number of female foreign students. She had appointed some of our class fellows who were in her good books to teach them. Though how much it helped them, is questionable...
Madam had a great collection of exquisite Saris. When we attended her class, the first thing we use to notice was her sari of the day. We really loved them. I think she never wore the same sari again.
She had a strong personality. She was often found taking a walk in the gardens of pharmacology department. Students considered that area a Red Zone. Once we went to her office for some problem. We saw a nice well-suited gentleman sitting there. She introduced him by saying 'Well girls meet him, yeh mere shauhar honey key dawadar hain' and he smiled sheepishly. Later we learnt that poor gentleman was her husband, Prof Zafar Hayat, the renowned Principal of Nishtar Medical College.
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