I got a story to tell...
During my MBBS life, the only thing I did for PG entrance was keeping my motivation to crack it alive. I never did focused studies for PG entrance during my undergraduate life. After I finished MBBS and internship started, although I wished to invest enough time for entrance studies I could hardly do it in the whole year. I spent nearly a year and a half after graduation, studying for 6-7 hours a day on an average. Making notes and revising them were key in preparation.
The PG counselling took place in JLN auditorium at AIIMS Delhi. After filling up the required forms and getting the documents verified, I was called inside the hall. Candidates were called rank-wise to choose their specialty of choice. I couldn’t help but feel extreme pity for two unfortunate souls who returned late after taking a short break to go out, only to realize that they lost their preference in rank order when they returned. When I was called, looking at the seat matrix displayed on the screen and praying that all my prayers and hard work should pay off, I walked up to the stage where the academic dean was seated. I chose the 6 year DM Infectious Diseases course and confirmed it in the first counselling itself, leaving no ambiguity and anxiety for the upcoming counselling sessions.
As there was no separate ID department, DM ID residents would belong to two departments - Medicine and Microbiology, with the department of Medicine having the final say in our matters. The most exciting times were in the “ID2” postings in senior residency when we would go see the ID consultations sent from various departments in the hospital. ART, DOTS Plus, ID on-calls, Medicine on-calls, anti-microbial stewardship activities all made up our curriculum. COVID outbreak was indeed a dark cloud, but it had a silver lining at least for a budding ID physician!
During residency, lack of a department dedicated for this specialty would sometimes cause an ‘identity crisis’ as to where do we actually belong. Maintaining charts, collecting reports, accompanying patients for investigations, preparing seminars and journal clubs amidst the duties and being diligent in thesis work at the same time, all of it could become overwhelming at times especially in the initial ‘culture-shock’ period for a non-Hindi/Urdu speaking person like me. Nevertheless, AIIMS with its massive funding provides the residents with best infrastructure and facilities and I kept riding the tide for 6 years.
For ID, AIIMS Delhi is a very good place, as it is a hub for people from different geographical regions and a variety of infections endemic in different regions can be seen. And here I am now in Kochi, back in my homeland after 6 years, as an ID physician in a wonderful institute working my way towards prosperity and peace, God willing.
The harder the struggle, the greater the reward. Keep your faith alive in all circumstances.