Blissful Life

When you apply skepticism and care in equal amounts, you get bliss.

Author: akshay

  • Mysore Medical College & Research Institute Admission 2014 – Documents Required, Fees Structure, etc

    Hello future student at MMC&RI, Mysore.
    It is quite possible that you’ve been searching all around for details of admission procedures and fee structure of Mysore Medical College & Research Institute, Mysore for the year 2014.
    But trust me, as a student of MMC&RI myself, you’ll find it hard to believe that “skmediaworks.in/mmcri” is the “official” website of our college.

    Since there’s not much we can do about that, here’s the information you’re looking for.
    http://skmediaworks.in/mmcri/files/latestnews/document_fees_structure.pdf

    I’ll summarize that:

    First MBBS Admission 2014-15

    1. Passport Size photo – 2
    2. All original certificates below
      1. Allotment letter (CET/AIQ)
      2. SSLC Marks card (10th)
      3. PUC Marks card (10+2)
      4. TC + Study certificate
        Cast certficiate Income certificate
        (Cat I/II A, /IIB/IIIA/IIIB/SC/ST)
      5. Physical fitness certificate with blood group (any govt hospital)
      6. Eligibility certificate / Migration certificate (AIQ / CBS)
        From RGUHS, Bangalore 
      7. CET & PMT (AIQ) marks (net copy)
      8. Total 3 sets xerox copies of all certificates
    3. E – Stamp bond paper Rs 100
      First party – Student Name
      Second party – Director & Dean
    4. College Fees Structure
      1. CET General – Rs 8375
      2. CET Sc/ST – Rs 15875
      3. AIQ – Rs 25075
    5. Hostel advance boy – Rs 7500, girl – Rs 7500

    Note: I just typed that information from the above linked pdf file. Here’s that once again. http://skmediaworks.in/mmcri/files/latestnews/document_fees_structure.pdf
    Since I’ve a class at 9, and it is 9:10 now, my typing could be wrong. So, refer that link.
    AIQ above stands for All India Quota. (AIPMT, NEET, whatever)

    More: If you’re an AIPMT student, the certificate number 6 in item 2 above, the eligibility certificate, need to be obtained from Rajiv Gandhi University, Bangalore. Yes, you need to first go to Bangalore and get that. (Takes a day or two, depending on your luck). And then come to Mysore. Book tickets accordingly.

    Even more: You can ask me, a third year student, for any detail you want. Look for my phone and email here.
    Btw, here’s the office phone number in case: 0821 2520512 .

    All the best. See you in August.

  • Why I Love Telegram Messenger and Love Not Whatsapp Messenger

    Whatsapp is huge. There is no argument against that. Everyone who has an Android phone is using whatsapp.

    And this post is not about why you should stop using whatsapp. This post is about why I love Telegram Messenger.

    Open Source
    Telegram Messenger is open for anyone to crack, or hack, clone, and improve. This is the biggest reason why it is the best among all messenger apps.

    Cloud storage
    Telegram supports multiple devices simultaneously for the same account. This is possible because all your messages are stored on the cloud.
    This gives you two advantages – you never need to back up your messages, and you can move between your phone, laptop, tablet, whatever and continue your conversations where you left off.

    Secure
    Telegram and whatsapp are like a metallic lunch box and paper wrap respectively, when it comes to security. Telegram even allows you to encrypt conversations such that only the recipient can read it.

    File Sharing
    Telegram allows you to send files. You can share pdf, mp3, doc, ppt, all those files you want to quickly send to a friend without having to resort to email or without using a pen drive.

    Additionally,
    Groups on telegram can be up to 200 members. Anyone can add new members.
    Free as in free water. The people behind telegram is the people behind vk.com, the world’s second largest social network. They have enough money to keep telegram running free for practically long enough.
    Fast, though it is always arguable.

    And the best for the last,
    Availability on multiple platforms
    Telegram has an official Android version and iPhone version only. But due to its open nature it has countless windows phone versions, a web version, a windows desktop version, and even a linux cli version mentioned on its website. That is not to mention the fact that you could develop your own client using the open source protocol.

    In fact, I even built a bot based on telegram.

    Give telegram at whirl, checkout telegram.org

  • First Thinks First – a workshop on first aid

    The Academic Society and St John Ambulance gave this workshop on first aid in the Anatomy lecture hall on 6th June.

    Schedule


    —
    Behind the scenes
    Dr Abeer, Bhavika, Dr Chandrakumar, Dr Gurudatt, and Dr Manjunatha (possibly more or less people) shaped this workshop.
    Volunteers (who were present while we were practising the skits at the Lion’s waiting shelter) included: Pratibha, Swathi, Shruti, Vivek, Madhu, Nivedha, Noor, Meghna, Terese, Prashasth, and Me.

    Volunteer meet at Lion’s hall

    I made this PowerPoint at CCD with Dr Abeer and Bhavika. The skit would go along with the presentation.–

    On the day:

    I went searching for printing facility (for this) in different shops in landsdowne building to no avail. And reached the Anatomy Lecture Hall about 15 minutes late (at 9). Connected the laptop. Bhavika had brought her speaker too.

    The inauguration was done by the dean.

    Dr B Prakash, Dr B Krishnamurthy (speaking), Dr CL Gurudatt

    Dr B Krishnamurthy giving a memento to Dr Prakash (left)

    Dr B Prakash handled all the sessions – including demonstrations.

    While I was taking photographs behind the audience, Bhavika called me to the stage (for a computer problem?) and I ran to her to know that Dr Prakash needed a volunteer to demonstrate mouth to mouth. Thus, I became the brave volunteer.

    Me lying dead, and Dr Prakash checking for breath sounds

    I also received 4 CPR strokes, which almost made my heart stop (ironically).

    Lunch was served in Histology practical hall.

    Skit team doing something and all

    And then we staged the skits.

    Following these Dr Prakash demonstrated different bandages, carrying methods, etc (which I fondly recalled from my old scouting days)

    By the end of these (at around 5) everyone was in a hurry to leave and there were only about 55 left to do case scenarios. I had a broken clavicle and the team of first aiders managed to identify my problem and bandage me up pretty accurately.

    And after a squabble with the Anatomy department attenders we packed up.

  • CME on dissertation and synopsis – a statistical view

    The Department of Community Medicine, MMC&RI organized a CME on statistics today in the P&SM lecture hall, which was being renovated all this week for just this occasion.

    The first talk was on the importance of statistics in medical research.
    I missed the second talk about synopsis.
    Then Dr Ganagaboraiah talked about which statistical tests are best for which methodology, the pitfalls in using different tests, the importance of correct sample size, avoiding bias, the importance of confidence interval, significance, power, etc.

    This was followed by my favourite session on R by Dr S Ravi. He showed R studio and gave some reasons to use R in a beautiful latex (beamer?) presentation.

    And ironically, systat (who was sponsoring the day?) gave a talk about the systat software in the end. The conversation revolved around how systat is at par with SPSS which highlighted the generalized apathy towards R. Makes me wonder if I should quit medicine and build a GUI for R and sell it.

  • The Wait While The Dosa is Baked

    Read how to make Dosa here

    I finished Ophthalmology postings.
    And I started Orthopaedics postings.

    These days are very rainy, very clam, very eventless.

    NIE has a quiz fest from today. I’m participating in all that I can. Because tomorrow I’m going to attend the Firefox Launch party. It’s unfortunate that “biz-sci-tech” quiz is on the same day.

    I have registered mbbshacker on quora too. I will put less personal stuff there.

    Downloaded all the videos in Duke University medical neuroscience course on coursera. On week 2 now. It is interesting. I might even skip neuroscience if I finish this course.

    The rain is quite heavy in South India. It’s 35 inches back home, says dad.

    There are two internals back to back next week. ENT on Tuesday. PSM on Wednesday. I am yet to start ENT.

    I’m living on my bed (literally) these days. Never get to wake up before 8, never goes for a jog, nobody plays football in the evenings.

    The fact that I could gulp down all the knowledge on earth if I wanted to is exhilarating! It leaves me confused about what course to take after MBBS. Clincial Neurology might be too “clinical”. Psychiatry is a very good option. Community Medicine is where my aptitude is (I believe). I am not sure I am research type. I might find practical research boring. Theoretical, maybe yes! But I don’t know if there’s theory in medicine. I might have to start my own research lab. Or I could join this guy:

    Whatever is my future, I’ll have to wait till the dosa is baked to eat it.

  • “Share” Button is the Biggest Threat to the Human Capacity to Think

    The ability to read and rationalize is unique to human beings. It could be the so called “fast paced environment” in the 21st century
    that caused it, but we do not read things
    carefully these days.

    In ancient past the only way for people to communicate was to talk to each other – in sign language, or through pictures, or through a proper language. Conditions improved when we discovered script and ways to write down words. Printing press made it absolutely easy to create multiple copies of what we had to say. But computers connected to the internet changed the scenario.

    With the ability to copy-paste and spread a word without spending a penny came a detestable habit – forgetting to read and analyse what is going through. While copy-pasting needed one to define one’s selection by dragging with their mouse around the right words, “Share” or “Forward” makes it a single-click affair, and much worse.

    Here is an audio (in Hindi) which tells us how this ease-of-use has actually made us lazy to think about even the consequences of a click. A radio jockey pretends to be a Facebook manager who is rewarding active users and calls up two guys – a Muslim and a Hindu – who had put status updates against each other on the preceding day. When asked about what they had posted, they are ashamed to answer.

    Notice that at the end of the audio the poor fellows accept their mistake and admit that they were “copy-pasting what someone else had posted”.

    This happens in chain forwards too. Most chain forwards begin with a claim of authority (“The Scientific Association of ABC warns that…”) which is directly followed by a false claim (“…eating XYZ is harmful for body as it contains UUU…”). Following this there is either an unscientific explanation of how this works, or a very emotional story of someone being affected by not following this advice. And at the end there is the quintessential “forward this to your friends and relatives”.

    The people who actually read this critically will focus on two things – the authority who is claiming it, and the explanation behind it. They proceed to verify that the authority has actually issued such a warning or that the purported harm is plausible according to the given explanation.

    But the people who forward it mercilessly focus on different things – the claim, the emotional story, and the “harmless” opportunity to help a lot of unsuspecting people. I wonder if they even read the claims. They gloss over the long piece of text and then think “Uh, oh! What if this is true? This affects a lot of people, I suppose. After all there is no harm in just sharing it.” Click. Shared.

    The people in the above audio clip might also have done the same. They would have superficially understood the emotions being conveyed in a message. And then they would have taken it for granted that the claims in it are actually true. And, worst of all, they would have shared the message with best intentions.

    It is when we forget to slow down and think that mistakes tend to happen.

    When in doubt, do not share. When you are compelled to share, “say something about it”. Add your opinion, or doubts about it along with what you share. And never share something that you have not read fully.

  • Holidays and working days

    General election is definitely making a wave. I did my first vote on April 10 standing in queue for just over an hour in Maruthayi LP school. I resisted the urge to rub the indelible ink right after the officer put it on my index finger. I wanted the mark to stay, at least till the first day after holidays.

    The polling day was April 17 in Karnataka. The finger was thumb.

    On Vishu I went to Nagarahole National Park with my family for the third time. It was also the third time we returned without being able to go for the wild safari. This time it was none of our mistakes, it was the summer rain the evening before.

    r/getDisciplined is my new hope to get better at academics.

    On the way back to college I had two great ideas – upgrade Ubuntu to trusty tahr, and advertise a one on one, home workshop for website creation/Linux basics/Python for students. The former was done. Latter needs a website.

    Classes are going as slow as it ever have been after 6th term began. I could have failed a subject in second year, there is enough free time to learn a subject. Or to watch House of Cards.

  • MAA grant

    The medical education unit room in the first floor of Platinum Jubilee Hall is a neat place.

    There is a projector with a flexible base that stays where you put it.
    There are excellent rotating chairs and static cushioned chairs with nice tables that go along.

    And last Thursday the room hosted the MAA grant interview of candidates.

    There were 17 projects which sought the 10×10000 and 2×5000 grants by 1961 batch and 1984 batch respectively.

    Dr Manjunath had already informed everyone how their presentations should be outlined.
    Dr Shekar, Dr Balu, and a few elders from 1961 batch was present to discuss the presentations.

    It went in alphabetical order except for a few changes.

    I was second to present my “Study on the Respiratory Effects in Road Construction Workers”.
    Somehow the title had to include the word “prevalence”. Also, unlike what Dr Sumanth, my guide, and me thought, there is some problem with smokers and non-smokers being included in the study.

    The inclusion criteria should not be one year. It should be more considering how chronic bronchitis is defined to be two years.

    And peak flow meter can measure only obstructive diseases.

    Totally, I was apparently “just coming and doing research” which is “not the way research should be done”.

    To be frank, I felt like I am going to be better off not wanting to do any research. After all, I’m not going to be patient enough to do data collection. I should rather switch to statistical analysis (my opinion). That’s where all the fun is. And that won’t have to go through all these trouble of convincing people about ethicality and practicality of stuff.

    Others presented projects about tobacco, birth asphyxia, and stuff.

    From today, I’m a research analyst :p

  • Workshop on Coercion

    What could be called the 2nd Indo-European symposium on coercion, started today morning at 9 in the first floor of Platinum Jubilee Auditorium, JK Grounds, Mysore.

    Checkout their website here: mysorecoercion.com

    First, Prof. Tom Palmstierna talked about various forms of coercion used in Europe. Belts, net beds, clothes, so on. The interesting thing is, these practices are not the same in different regions. Some countries practise seclusion, some countries practise restraint, and mental health workers in different regions consider their own methods as good, and others’ method as terrible.

    He went on to point out cochrane reviews which said that there is no evidence to show that coercion is useful. By which he only meant that coercion per se is not helpful. And this point was clarified in questions, when Dr S said that coercion or physical restraint is the first step to treatment.

    Although it was argued that coercion and restraint are not the same, Prof Palmstierna said that coercion is a spectrum which goes from restraint to strong advice.

    The discussion about CTOs will happen later.

    The second session – about the definition of coercion in the Indian setting, was made into a discussion session because Dr Murali Krishna was unable to reach.

    The crowd was asked about different forms of coercive practices followed in India. It was said that people are tied up, that it is mostly the family that does it rather than the doctor, that religious leaders and institutions have a role in how psychiatric patients are managed. That sometimes there is nobody to coerce the large population of India – people who walk on streets, talking to imaginary friends. Chain cannot be used after Erwadi incidence. There are physical, mechanical, covert medication, etc. Covert is common. Seclusion is not so used. Coercion is a necessary evil, it needs to have a law. Different opinions will always exist.
    Family’s concern, patient’s concern. Autonomy of patient vs freedom of society. Coercion is not a punishment. Role of BOV in MHA 1987 is not explained. Non-Indian citizens have to be considered. Is coercion always in the best interest of patients? Mental Health Care Review Board has only a role in supervision.
    Shouldn’t we be bothered about treatment more rather than the right of the patient?

    We should try to achieve general good clinical practice. There should be no difference in hospital or community. Legislation will delegate the powers to execution.

    Mysore Declaration on Coercion
     Last year, in the Indo-European symposium, a small step towards setting up guidelines about coercion was made.
    In India, covert medication, etc is common place. But we do not have data about the use of coercive measures and other forms of leverage. This makes international comparison difficult.
    There is a need for recognizing the rights of the mentally ill.
    Disproportionate, unsafe or prolonged coercion or violence against persons with mental illness is a violation of human rights.
    There are barriers like lack of awareness about the treatment and outcomes expected, the assumption that mental illness is always accompanied by mental incapacity, lack of provision for advanced planning in the event of future incapacity and compulsory admissions; lack of resources, lack of training.

    Long term goals would be to involve patients in decisions made about them. To develop strategic plans, benchmarking, regular analysis of data, regional and national and international comparisons and transparency.

    And so on

  • Time to Fly

    It has already been half a month since I turned 21.

    The sedentary life was giving me a heart attack. So I started jogging. Three days later replaced that with football in the evening. Only “Campnow stadium” (or hostel ground) is so full of dust that playing there is equivalent to smoking 2 cigarettes.

    Postings in community medicine is proving useful. Though I have not taken any case seriously in the wards, I have been reading about parallel stuff – like the story of tuberculosis (that led me to the understanding that tuberculosis has a very important role in the history of medicine) and the Indian national programmes for children.

    Here is a beautiful quote:

    2000 B.C.—Here, eat this root.

    1000 A.D.—That root is heathen. Here, say this prayer.

    1850 A.D.—That prayer is superstition. Here, drink this potion.

    1920 A.D.—That potion is snake oil. Here, swallow this pill.

    1945 A.D.—That pill is ineffective. Here, take this penicillin.

    1955 A.D.—Oops . . . bugs mutated. Here, take this tetracycline.

    1960–1999—39 more “oops.” Here, take this more powerful antibiotic.

    2000 A.D.—The bugs have won! Here, eat this root.

    —Anonymous

     Classes are still going slow. OBG is the only subject that is proving interesting.

    Outside the classes, things are going faster.

    Last Monday Dr Dharav Shah, a psychiatrist from NIMHANS took a beautiful session on how doctors can stop the alcohol epidemic.

    The Kreida 2014 team is beginning to rev up. All teams have been decided. I am doing sports quiz, one of the new items in this year’s kreida.

    Academic society will also kick up some dust soon with its activities.

    Fest: To hold, or not to hold – that is the question. Because October is too close to the exam. May is too close to today (which prevents fund collection) and to rain (which prevents outdoor fest)

    Trip: To go to Goa, the best time is November to March. Due to Kreida, March is blocked. I am sure I will have to walk without clothes if we go in this month itself.