Dr. Aamir Amin from Srinagar has topped the Final Professional MBBS Examinations held under the University of Rajshahi (RU), one of the largest and oldest universities in Bangladesh that is affiliated with over twenty medical colleges including his alma mater, Khwaja Yunus Ali Medical College (KYAMC).
Breaking previous records, he has secured honours in Medicine, Surgery and Gynaecology & Obstetrics – all three subjects. He has also topped in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Professional MBBS Examinations with honours in Anatomy, Biochemistry, Forensic Medicine, Pathology and Microbiology.
Here is an excerpt of his conversation with GK:
Q: How does it feel to graduate summa cum laude (with the highest praise) in a field like medical science?
A: It feels quite wonderful. However, it doesn’t take long before your imposter syndrome kicks in and you start feeling the need to work ten times harder. My final exams were met with a significant postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently, the results were also delayed by a quarter of a year. So, you can imagine just how grateful I am that they are finally here now.
Q: Who has been your biggest inspiration during this time?
A: My parents. I have a trail blazing mother who has fought a very public battle with cancer and empowered thousands of Kashmiri women in the process by shattering taboos and social stigmas, as well as a father who stood right by her side like a pillar of solidity and showed me what it means to take care of a family. Years ago, when my parents visited me in Bangladesh, the first thing they asked one of my professors had nothing to do with my studies. Instead, they asked, “Is he a good human being?” I remember that my jaw dropped to the floor and I got goosebumps at the unexpected question. Thankfully, the answer was directed in my favour and I ended up realizing what really matters to my parents.
Q: You have received your primary medical qualification from KYAMC. How do you think the institution has shaped your identity as a doctor?
A: As a KYAMCian, I have been trained and equipped with the skills that place me on an equal footing with medical students from the rest of the world. I have been given an opportunity to study under some of the best clinicians in the country and from abroad as well. The faculty at KYAMC shapes and moulds us to become 21stcentury doctors, the hallmark of which is their fidelity to teaching evidence based medical science. We are motivated to observe, freely question and learn from our teachers in the hospital setting. I have been given a chance to visit Bangkok, Thailand to attend the prestigious SIMPIC and interact with medical students from dozens of countries. There is a healthy tradition of rewarding merit and genuine hard work at KYAMC.
Q: What is the secret of your success? How do you study for your medical exams?
A: I study using the Pomodora technique which is just a fancy name for relatively short, intense, twenty minute sessions with five minute breaks in between. This is markedly different from the traditional image of a diligent medical student who labours for hours on an end and remains fixated on his/her books which, I believe, is unhealthy and frankly unsustainable. The idea is not only to retain information but also to understand the concepts that shall one day will help you save the life of a fellow human being. Clinical co-relation is the best tool a medical student can employ and no amount of theoretical knowledge can take its place. Since the decision to pursue a career in medical science was entirely my own, the interest and drive which is required to stay focused comes naturally to me, as opposed to someone who is forced to join this path in life – whatever the reason. Over the last two years I have also started including an early morning, structured exercise regimen coupled with a good diet as a part of my lifestyle. After all, a truly healthy mind can only live inside a healthy body.
Q: What advice would you like to give aspiring medical students in Kashmir?
A: Find your calling. Look within yourself; identify what you want in life and how you can contribute to the world, and what excites you more than anything else. Many of the answers will come to you along the journey. I wanted to become a palaeontologist as a child. My interest in dinosaurs expanded into biology which further streamlined into a passion for medical science. You must also learn to draw strength from your own life experiences and the people around you. I left Kashmir over 5 years ago, after helping take care of my maternal grandfather for a period of three months during which I learnt how to extricate myself from other people’s opinions and to go after my own passion and dreams with full agency. Moreover, it is also important to find supportive people around you. I am grateful I was advised to choose KYAMCH for its academic standards and its gorgeous campus by C-Mars Counselling and further helped by EssEss Career Consultancy.
Q: Describe your formative years? Where did you complete your schooling?
A: I had the good fortune of studying at Burn Hall School (BHS) and was encouraged by my teachers to participate in extra-curricular activities including art, writing, debating and speaking while also being given multiple opportunities as class monitor and finally as a School Prefect. This has significantly helped augment my communication and decision making skills as a doctor. I also went for tuitions to the inspirational Mrs. Sakeena Shafi from class 3rd to class 8th, to whom I owe a great deal of my academic sensibilities. As a child, I had a voracious appetite for books, articles and magazines – particularly those relating to nature and science. I wouldn’t call myself athletic, but I liked playing table tennis and basketball. My parents made sure I got a chance to travel abroad whenever possible and experience different countries and cultures.
Q: Moving on to a bit of a sensitive issue; what would you like to say to people who are critical of doctors who study from private medical colleges in India or abroad?
A: This isn’t a sensitive issue at all, to be honest – at least not for me. In Kashmir, just like in the rest of the world, the most proficient and hardworking medical stream students get into government colleges by qualifying entrance examinations, where as the remaining bulk of aspirants seek out admissions in private colleges either in India or abroad. I strongly believe that this applies as general rule while also acknowledging that the reality on ground is far more complex. The average duration of the MBBS course is nearly five and a half years in Bangladesh. Furthermore, the curriculum is rigorous and strict as far as its application is concerned, in that it has mandated compulsory tests called “items” held several times a week and “card exams” held monthly, in addition to term exams for all medical students, which they cannot skip and must qualify individually, all the while crossing a 75% attendance barrier, in order to be eligible for any of the four professional MBBS examinations. Rotations and ward classes are to be compulsorily attended twice a day starting 3rd year that are followed by “ward finals”. There is, in fact, never a study free interval during which students in Bangladesh are disconnected from the course. Years of turmoil and instability in Kashmir, on the other hand, has rendered the curriculum deficient on several fronts, despite the enormous hard work of the students here. Foreign medical graduates must qualify screening tests before they can practice in India, and with the National Exit Test (NEXT) at the threshold, it seems that even locals will now be joining them to face similar examinations.
Q: What are your views about Bangladesh and its people?
A: Bangladeshis are very family-minded and have a strong sense of identity. There is a sweetness in their behaviour, quite like the confectionary they famously produce – even more so towards foreigners. When I first went there over half a decade ago, I was advised by my parents to respect the local culture and to put forth the best version of myself as a reflection of Kashmir, and I have received nothing but the same from Bangladesh – or rather, much more in terms of love, acceptance and respect. The fact that I can speak Bengali has further strengthened my bond with this beautiful country which is like a second home to me. I admire its vibrant people, especially my amazingly diverse KYAMC family, far beyond what I can express in words here.
Q: Last question, how do you look at your future?
A: With so much that’s happening around the world nowadays, it has never been as important for a person to have a strong core. For me, that has always been my family, and I am still learning how to balance this with my own aspirations in life. Honestly, I can’t say much right now because I fully understand how young I am in this profession and I still have a lot to discover about myself.