Our Medical School Days

Dear Friends,

I had this interesting e-mail from a UK doctor who was not in our batch. It was much later (after exchanging a few e-mails) that I discovered that I know him well, although he was a couple of years junior to us in medical school. Just goes to show that we have followers from outside the batch!

Lucky

Web master / Administrator
Colombo Medical Grads 1962 Blog

Dear Sir,
     I was in Colombo Medical School from 1965 to 1971, currently living in UK, just retired from an active medical career on reaching 65 years. I am curretly the President of Sri Lankan Medical and Dental Association in the UK, having served it in various capacities over the years.   I am forwarding to you the poem written by me titled "Our Medical School Days" with explanatory notes for those who were not there in those days. This appeared in the souvenir issued for the annual dinner dance of SLMDA held on october 22nd at Radisson Edwardian Hotel, heathrow, London.
     I am sure your batchmates will appreciate this piece of work which has taken into account numerous slogans used by medical students of those days.

Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam

As his poem is of interest to all medics of our vintage, I am pleased to post it here (without the explanatory notes which you don't need).

OUR  MEDICAL SCHOOL DAYS

JOURNEYED  ALONG  THAT  PASSAGE  OF  FAME
FOR  SECURING  TITLES  AROUND  ONE’S  NAME,  
FACED  SOME  DAUNTING  FRESHMEN’S  WOES 
SETTLED DOWN  FOR  THIS FIVE- YEAR  COURSE.

ANATOMY  INDEED  BEING  A  “WAAS”  SUBJECT
“LEST  UR”GED  TO  TAKE  CARE  OF  THE OBJECT,
"GRAY”  AND  “CUNNINGHAMS”  TO  THE  FORE 
“HISTO”  AND  “EMBRYO”  MAKING  THE  CORE.

PHYSIOLOGY  THE  “WRIGHT”  ACTIONED  GLORY
REGARDED  AS  A  “KOCH”  AND  “BULL”  STORY,
BIOCHEMISTRY  “WHO-WERE”  TO  THEN  SWOT
WHAT  WAS  ONCE  DUBBED  AS  “TOMMY”- ROT.    

PHARMACOLOGY  A  “KOTTE” COID  COMPOUND
WAS  LION(E)LY  DISPENSED  IN  DOSES  ABOUND,
MICROBIOLOGY  THE  ONE  “CHAPPIE”  DOMAIN
BUGBEAR  TO  MOST,  LEAVING  A  FIXED STAIN .

PATHOLOGY  HAD  “COORAY”  FOR  THE  MERRY
“MUIR”  ORGANS  OF  DISEASES  HE  DID  FERRY, 
PUBLIC  HEALTH  WAS  “PACHAYA”  SPREAD  FIB
WHICH  NEEDED  SANITISING  TO  MAKE  IT  GLIB.    

PARASITOLOGY  A  “DISSA”STER  MANNED  WELL
FORENSIC  MEDICINE  A  “KODA”S WALLOP  HELL,
MEDICINE  AND  SURGERY  THE  CREAM  OF  ALL
WITH  “OBS”  AND  “PAED”  TO  CRAM  THE  ROLL. 

“ATTY”CULATE  PHYSICAL  EXAMINATION  DRILLS
“ANTHO”LOGY  OF  CHOP  AND  SAW  SKILLS,
UNDER  TUTELAGE  OF  THESE  “ROLEY”-“PAULY”
WENT  THROUGH  THE  WORKS  “WILLY”-“NILEY”.  

“VISVA”LISING  THE  MATERNITY  MANOUEVERS 
LISTENING  TO  “STELLA”R  CHILDREN PALAVERS,
IN  LECTURE  HALL  AND  HOSPITAL  WARD  BOTH
LEARNT  THE  CONTENT  OF  HIPPOCRATIC  OATH.

 “BILL  MARKS”  THE  COMMON  ROOM’S  GRAND
KEPT  “CUE”  AND  “CUT”  TABLES  FOR  A STAND,
“LOSER  PAYS”  WERE THOSE  CANONIC  QUOTES
GOT  MANY  QUEUEING  TO  POCKET  HIS NOTES. 

CRASHING  FINALS  REPEATEDLY  CERTAIN  SLOBS
THEIR  WEAK  POINT  WAS  “GIN”  AND “KNOBS”,
OTHERS  DEPARTED  ONCE  ACHIEVING  SUCCESS
TO AN ELITE  CAREER  AND  LUXURY  IN  EXCESS.