My Guntur Medical College - 1952

My Guntur Medical College – August 10 , 1952
Dr.Balakrishna M. Ramaraju
I am told that Guntur of today is not the same Guntur of my medical college days – let me dwell a while on my adolescent Guntur – then it was a Town , an administrative town under Madras Presidency , a town with no paved roads , streets lighted by Kerosene lanterns , no high rise buildings , but then it was my birth town , I had my own home , my own backyard to play about , a fresh water well to draw water for drinking and to take a bath , but now Guntur has no claim over me and neither I have a home there , except childhood memories , beginnings of medical education . Let me not digress . Look back , me and my father entered The Of…fice Of The Principal Of Guntur Medical College on 10 August 1952 and handed over all the documents authorizing my admission into G M C , Guntur along with the sealed envelope from Directorate of Medical Education , Madras . My father was told that the admission is for first two years 1952 – 1954 at Guntur Medical College ( Indian Medical Council gave accreditation to G M C Guntur only for the preclinical stage of M B B S course ) and next three years 1954-1957 at Andhra Medical College A M C Visakhapatnam , subject to my passing First MBBS on time ( here my father looked at me – you know his thoughts by now ) , and then if all subjects are cleared on time I will be considered after 1957 for a position of House Officer / Houseman / House Physician / House Surgeon / Intern ( all mean same , but at that time in Madras Presidency it was known as Housesurgeon position ) and my father was asked to sign a bond that he is responsible for my conduct , behavior , attendance , payment of fees , fines if any , discipline , any damages et cetera ( again my father’s looks at me were full of heavy burdensome responsibility of him putting his name down on that piece of paper – I will not let him down but at that time he was not sure being himself a very strict disciplinarian and highly principled gentleman that he was – May His Soul Rest In Peace ) . With all those formalities completed , I was asked to present myself as a student on 15 August 1952 , India Independence Day for Tri Color flag hoisting , Jana Gana Mana Singing and later on to meet with professors , fellow students , orientation , and to be ragged by seniors – let us see what will happen when I return back to G M C in 5 days time – so be it , sera sera , what will be will be – Krishna .