About 229 medical students were awarded their degrees at the 53rd annual convocation and college day of St John’s Medical College in Bengaluru on Monday.
The graduating students included 144 MBBS students, 63 postgraduates, 16 super specialty postgraduates and six PhD scholars.
Addressing the students, Dr Kavery Nambisan, rural surgeon, writer, and alumnus of St John’s Medical College, urged the graduates and postgraduates not to pursue any stream of medicine for fame or fortune but out of passion and to serve people. She stressed on the need to serve in rural and under served areas.
This year the graduating batch worked when the Covid wave was at its peak. Many students were also afflicted. Despite the constraints and pressures that came with their work this year, many students secured first class. Dr Mahin Mundra secured the 7th rank overall in the third MBBS of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences exams.
The postgraduate pass rate was nearly 100%, with 10 students figuring among the top 10 rank holders of various disciplines and three of them securing gold medals. Dr Pooja in community medicine, Dr Linette Antony in ophthalmology and Dr Ijaz Pillai in PMR stood first. Dr Thomas Isiah Sudarshan in critical care, Dr. Nalina A in neonatology and Dr Swathi Kiran in paediatric nephrology took first place.