Media Release
Bengaluru, Apr 4: The 56th annual convocation and college day of St John’s Medical College, Bengaluru was held at on April 4.
Dr Ramachandra Guha, renowned Indian historian, environmentalist, writer, public intellectual, and Padma Bhushan awardee, was the chief guest. Dr Paul Parathazham, director, St John’s National Academy of Health Sciences presided over the function. A total of 244 health professionals were awarded their degrees. This included 144 MBBS students, 82 postgraduates, 17 super specialty postgraduates and 1 PhD scholar.
Established in 1963, St John’s Medical College has produced around 3000 undergraduates and 1200 postgraduates till date. The institution was set up with a mission to train health care personnel to serve in rural and underserved areas of our country. From inception, nearly 70% of all its graduates and several postgraduates undertake services rural and underserved areas of the country.
The institution has been consistently ranked amongst the top medical colleges in the country by various surveys, and is 13th in the NIRF rankings of medical colleges overall in India and also 5th among the private medical colleges of the country, this whilst still being the 6th cheapest private medical college in the country.
The college is supported by a state of the art 2000 bedded hospital and over 100 critical care beds, which is NABL & NABH accredited, with an average of 2500 daily outpatients and 150 daily inpatient admissions, and over 550 doctors serving in the institution. It is rated as one of the best in the city and in the state, with patients seeking medical help from as far as West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Every year, International students mainly from Europe, USA, Middle East & Africa come to St John’s as observers for elective postings or to work in the Institute’s research labs. This year over 500 students did electives or trained in the college and hospital. The institute is one of the 12 NMC Nodal Centers across India to train faculty in medical education from various medical colleges across South India.
Currently, the college takes in 150 undergraduate students, and 176 post graduate and postdoctoral students every year across 40 specialties and sub specialties. An average of nearly 90% of students in all years of MBBS have passed the University exams this year, with several securing first class, distinction and university ranks.
Dr Surbhi Agrawal secured 6th rank in Biochemistry, 10th rank in Pharmacology and 3rd rank in Forensic Medicine, Dr Jai Milind Naik secured the 10th rank Community Medicine and 3rd rank in Pediatrics. Dr Navya Paulson Mangali got the 2nd rank in Pediatrics, Dr Manu got the 9th rank in Biochemistry and Dr Alen Roy and Dr Thomas John got the 10thrank in Biochemistry.
The postgraduate pass rate was over 90%, with 6 students getting among the top 10 university ranks. Dr Ashish Nathaniel Bosco got the 1st rank in Emergency Medicine, Dr Minitta Maria Regy and Dr Kadambari Nanmaran got the 7th and 10th rank respectively in Community Medicine, Dr Jasmine Sunny got the 3rd rank in Psychiatry and Dr Aiswarya Murthy got the 9th rank in Pathology, Dr Nayana S M scored the highest marks in MD Biochemistry, in the University exams.
The super speciality pass percentage was 100%. 5 of our DM/MCh students obtained university ranks among the top 10 university ranks, with Dr Sai Samrat came 1st in Pulmonary Medicine, Dr Abhinaya Varireddy came 1st in Neurology, Dr Ramakrishna R came 2nd in Nephrology. Dr Mihir Shankar and and Dr Abhishek Nitin came 5th and 7th in Plastic surgery.
Dr J Charles Davis, associate director of St John’s Medical College welcomed the gathering, and emphasized the mission and vision of the institution in reaching out to the unreached and excellence in providing training in healthcare to the budding medicos. He highlighted that graduation is just the end of another beginning.
The dean of St John’s Medical College, Dr George D’Souza highlighted the various accomplishments of the students, faculty, and staff of the institution and the various advanced teaching and research initiatives that have been implemented at the institution. He also enumerated the contribution made by alumni in advancing the cause of medical education, particularly for the underserved. He offered his wishes to the dedicated faculty, the graduates and post graduates who were the recipients of numerous university honors. He emphasized to the graduating students the need to be ethical, compassionate and competent throughout their career.
The graduates, postgraduates and super-specialty graduates and faculty were presented their certificates, and various awards won for various curricular and extracurricular activities.
The chief guest Dr Ramachandra Guha, in his address to the graduates and awardees pointed out the need to have inspiring role models who could mould the way in which one looks at life. He pointed out that the newly graduating doctors should not just perform the job that they were trained for or committed to do, but explore and embrace some of their talents and interests in arts, literature and music. This would help them to avoid mundaneness in what they do and to see deeper meaning in the things that they do. He emphasized that medicine is not just a vocation, but a calling. He ended his message on a lighter note counseling the graduates on marriage and finding the right life partner.
Dr Paul Parathazham, director, St John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, in his presidential address emphasized the need for doctors to balance the quest for money and meaning in life. He pointed out that, the sacrifice and the nobility of the profession should outweigh the priority to money. He advised the students about the importance of “giving” over gain that sustains us as well as others, filling our life with abundance and joy.
The programme ended with the vote of thanks.