Since the first day of medical school, life never went the way we want. To be honest , the exams , vivas, clinicals, assignments , due dates, things became tougher with each day.
We were absent in family trips, vacations were something like a dream and then came the saviour ” the family study programme “. It was some thing like a monthly trip, that took us away from all the stress, all the hard work.
Walking by a paddy field, talking extremely senseless stuff with group mates, stepping in to the family we are allocated and suddenly taking the role of a doctor ! Convincing them all the knowledge we gathered day before. It was a real challenge.
Getting to know a family including a pregnant mother in personal, be so close to them that they reveal their fantasies to deepest worries. finding solutions for their problems and witnessing them being solved .. ah ! Such a self satisfaction.
So when Mr.Bandula Padmakumara asked me to write the most beautiful memories in my academic life , not the lectures that tortured my eye lids, not the exams that took away my sleep, not the vivas that dried up all the saliva or the night ward rounds which made us more like bats came to my mind, it was “the family study programme ” different of all, interesting of all, live and enjoyable of all came to my mind, and then this article series was born !
I hope you will enjoy reading this series of letters.
-Sudanthi Anuruddhika Sooriyahetti
