Bengaluru, Mar 27: It was probably the biggest day of her life as she finally added Dr to her name. Mangala Gowri, 23, was conferred with five gold medals at the 17th RGUHS convocation on Wednesday. And celebrating her achievements was none other than her father, Damodhar Bhat, who literally burnt the midnight oil making snacks to support her education.
A smiling Mangala preferred to take the backseat as her father basked in the limelight, saying how proud he was of his daughter's performance.
The star of the convocation, though, was candid enough to admit that she never really dreamt of becoming a doctor; she only wanted to be the best in whatever she did. Gowri, who did her MBBS from Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, said every time results would be declared she'd be surprised with her own scores.
"I didn't take the entrance exam wanting to become a doctor, but I did well. That's when I decided to take up medicine and my family supported me. Here too, I never really tried to be a topper but only gave it my best shot," said a modest Gowri, clutching the five gold medals she earned for scoring the highest marks in MBBS, OBG, obstetrics and gynecology, among others.
For her, the best part about being a doctor is the respect this profession commands.
It was an equally good time for Dr Roger Lau Sie Long, a Malaysian, who bagged 5 gold medals for his achievements in dental surgery. Roger, who has already started practicing with a government facility in Malaysia, said he'd miss speaking the little bit of Kannada he learnt during his days in the College of Dental Sciences, Davangere.
"I came here on a government scholarship which requires me to work in my home country for at least two years. I'm enjoying my time there but I'll miss India terribly," said the 25-year-old graduate.
Forty-three students were awarded PhDs and 26,252 others earned their degrees at the convocation.
Addressing the fresh grads, Dr K Radhakrishnan, former chief of Isro, said when someone asked him how his team handled pressure before any launch he'd say he learned from the surgeons.
Comments
Add new comment