A world class educational centre in a multicultural environment
Manipal University –India|Malaysia ANC Pathe- Steering Sri Lankan dreams to an international platform
Medical students see all kinds of emotions and situations – those who have hope, those who have no money, and those who have no understanding of their medical condition. They develop an attitude towards being a medial practitioner, which is extremely essential for the profession. They also learn to understand that patients are more than the illness, injury or disease they were diagnosed with. Becoming a good doctor also means developing compassion, empathy, and excellent interpersonal skills, and that begins in medical school.
Therefore it was reassuring to speak to a young lady who was a perfect ambassador of the Hippocratic Oath she will later take.
Below are the excerpts from the interview with Methnikularatne …
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO PURSUE MEDICINE?
Medicine is the only profession that allows me to simultaneously help people while pushing my mental limits. It tests the limits of human compassion, memory, physical stamina, and resilience. And it is a nod back to the exact feelings I had as that five year old kid who wanted to become a doctor.
HOW WERE YOU REFFERED TO PATHE?
My first contact point for PATHE-ANC was the articles on the newspapers. It was then that I decided to make a visit and rest as they say ‘’ is history’’.
WHY DO YOU THINK MMMC IS THE RIGHT CHOICE TO MAKE?
The Melaka Manipal Medical College (MMMC) is a renowned private medical institution with a hallmark of academic brilliance and an enviable track record in providing quality medical education and is home to a legacy that spans over six decades. It is included in the WHO directory of recognized medical colleges and also in the International Medical Education Directory (IMED) of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).
Students passing out from MMMC have done really well, achieving almost a pass rate of nearly 98% at the bench exam for Sri Lankan working doctors formerly known as ERPM. It also houses one of the best anatomy museums in the world and is home to over 1000 dissected specimens, abling students to study anatomical models in depth.
I have always been intrigued by how research advances and enhances the industry and life itself. Manipal University places great value on research. I am privileged to be a student of an institute that is a premium centre for research which has since 2009 filed over 35 patents.
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANT FACTOR THAT MAKES MMMC A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE?
The department of student affairs was set up to look after the welfare of students. With about 27,000 students studying in the university, it is imperative to have a support group to look after their interests outside the classroom and provide special services.
The Student Affairs department’s activities cover wide areas such as guidance, wellness, health and counselling. It is constantly evolving ways to support and foster students interest in the university. A number of activities are held every year to ensure that the growth of students is not limited to classrooms alone.
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO SOMEONE CONSIDERING OVERSEAS EDUCATION?
Studying abroad can teach invaluable life lessons about what to do and not to. One can enjoy and learn great independence skills. Some of these things may sound trivial, but it may be the first time one has to budget for self, cook and clean for self, do the shopping, and so on. There is a great sense of freedom, meaning you will have to learn how to discipline yourself. It is all too easy to forget that one of the reasons you came abroad is to study, and it is important that you focus a large part of your time on your academic studies and not solely on your new found freedom and social life of course.
FUTURE ASPIRATIONS?
My passion is to be a cardiothoracic surgeon. I believe it remains a viable, exciting, stimulating, challenging, and most rewarding specialty for young physicians.
Mrs. KULARATNE- MOTHER OF METHNI KULARATNE -1ST YEAR STUDENT AT MMMC
I was devastated when Methni took ill and my immediate instinct was to take her back home. Then it struck me that she has a whole life ahead of her and that I may not be able to be with her at all times, that I need to let her learn to cope and be independent at crucial times as such and most importantly that there are people who would genuinely step up to take care of her in my absence.
As a mother it’s hard to have confidence that another would care for as much as I do but when I witnessed how attentively she was looked after by her very own chief warden I was ever so grateful.
Security and safety as a foreign student is as important as the quality of the education one can receive, therefore I appreciate that the management of MMMC have gone into great detail in ensuring that all student have equal opportunity to it.
Mr. KULARATNE- FATHER OF METHNI KULARATNE -1ST YEAR STUDENT AT MMMC
MMMC has over 27,000 students from 52 counties, though it may sound overwhelming, it is in itself a small village housing not only the study halls, labs and libraries. The vast land has many eateries, both outdoor and indoor sports complexes and gymnasiums, as a result all immediate requirements of our children are concentrated right here in the campus.
We have had the privilege to meet the lecturers and other office bearers of the campus and I am taken up by how responsible they are. We were also introduced to the very unique ‘’mentor programme’’ that is in place to guide the first year students through campus life, both in an academic sense as well as a person.
MMMC is an investment with no regret and I am thankful for PATHE for recognizing the potential of this institute. For April 2017 Admissions, please call
Naushad Meedinon +94 77 083 903 4 / +94 77 16 94 94 2 Address: PATHE STUDY MEDICINE - 111 1/2, Maya Avenue, Colombo 06
Website: www.pathestudy.org Email: naushad@pathestudy.org