It is exactly #25years since I entered Government Medical College, #Kottayam, Kerala, as a medical student, on 12th September 1995!
From a timid (& lean) lad all of 17 years, who couldn't speak English well, I believe I have come a long way.
Literally & figuratively! #thread

#Kottayam Medical College was a great place to learn - we had great teachers. Be it physical examination, clinical approach or placing patients are the centre of all our actions and plans - I learned it all from my teachers at KTYM. I bow to them

The buildings looked as if they were from a previous era, but the #MBBS training was as best as it could get in India.
Knowledgeable, skilled faculty members fiercely dedicated to teaching & patient care are what makes a medical college great, not necessarily swanky buildings.

I made great, life-long friends

We had fun - batch tours were all memorable

And we learned - a lot.
What we learned was much more than medical science. It made me a much better person, along the way.

And then we graduated - 26th June 2001.

Next was MD Medicine at Govt Medical College, #Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala (2002-2005).
Again, a great place to learn. Had great teachers like Dr Joy Philip, Dr Mathew Thomas, Dr Gopakumar, Dr Suresh.

The PGs (residents) at TVM were - undoubtedly - the best among the lot who got through the highly competitive PG entrance examination. The clinical learning was a collective effort and hence was fun.

Gained another set of great friends while at TVM.

I had decided upon #Nephrology b4 I completed my MD Medicine - thanx to the extensive exposure to Nephrology right from 3rd year of MBBS. We rotated in Nephrology in 3rd & 5th yrs and spent 24x7 days during internship. Had 4 weeks of 24hr rotation in Nephro during MD too!

Prof A. Vimala, HOD, Nephrology at KTYM & later at TVM Medical College was an important influence on me. She was a teacher par excellence, fiercely dedicated to patients & very up-to-date and thorough in her knowledge. She gave a copy of 'Primer in Nephrology' (NKF) during MD!

Next stop was Amrita hospital, #Kochi, as SR in Nephrology, with Dr V. N. Unni.
Learned first hand how an excellent 'hospital system' contributes to and enhances patient care - the dept was so well organised, I didn't want to leave!
But I hadn't reached by goal & I moved on!

Next 11 months were spent as SR at #SGPGIMS, Lucknow with Prof RK Sharma, Prof Amit Gupta, @narayansgpginep The patient load was HUGE & you really get your hands 'dirty'. Had the largest #CAPD program in the country at that time.
And I started speaking Hindi fluently!

In Jan 2007 I got admitted into DM Nephrology at PGIMER, Chandigarh - it was indeed a dream come true for me.
If Medical College Kottayam shaped me into a doctor, it was PGI which shaped me into an academic Nephrologist.

I was at the birthplace of Nephrology training in India & it was evident why it was considered one of the best. Huge clinical material, well oiled academic program, faculty members who were 'giants' in their field - PGI had all what a trainee needed. You can't escape learning!

I had Prof Vinay Sakhuja & Prof Vivekanand Jha @vjha126 as my guides. It was at PGI I wrote my first paper (a case report). By the time I left in Dec 2009, I had 6 case reports published and an original paper ready for publication. I was involved in other research projects too.

The 11 trainees were like family, the dept was friendly to trainees, learning opportunities were abundant, the whole environment was just great! I miss my PGI days!

#Chandigarh was a 'surreal' place, different from everything I had seen before. Great place, great institution, great teachers & great friends - you can't ask for more!

The next stop was @JipmerNephro, where I've spent my last 10 years, setting up an academic Dept of Nephrology from scratch.
That is another story, for another day!

I am better & wiser after #25years; being in Medicine definitely contributed to it.
Working at many different places, I believe, gave me a unique perspective, which came handy when I had to set up a dept.
Looking for forward to more exciting years ahead!