ODYSSEY

NEWSLETTER OF THE BELIEVERS CHURCH MEDICAL COLLEGE

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January, 2017 Vol. 2, Issue 1

From the Metropolitan’s Heart

In preparing His disciples for the enormous task

of spreading the Gospel to the whole world, Jesus

had an interesting approach. He did not sit down

with notebooks and pens, teaching them a series

of steps on how to reach the lost world. He did

not have them memorize certain methods and

techniques, quizzing them afterward to see how

much they had learned. Instead, Jesus simply left

His disciples with this powerful statement: “By this

all men will know that you are my disciples, if you

love one another” (John 13:35, NIV).

What is disunity except the lack of love? When we

as the Body of the eternal, mighty God, full of

grace and love, grasp the magnitude of simply

walking in genuine love toward each other,

nothing will be able to hinder us from seeing the

kingdom of God come in our generation!

(Excerpt from That They All May Be One,

by H.E. Most Rev. Dr. K.P. Yohannan)

EDITORIAL

Welcome, TrailBlazers

Jovial smiles and high spirits marked Freshers' Night

2016, where the "Trail Blazers", the pioneer MBBS batch of

BCMC, were welcomed to the campus. The programme was

held in the Amphitheatre in the presence of esteemed

guests and faculty.

The evening began with a symphonious prayer song

followed by a marvelous mélange of talents. The pulsating

ambience, flashing lights, foot tapping music and

captivating dance filled the air with unbridled energy. A

mime, based on a social theme - 'The Curse of Abortion' –

tugged at the hearts of the viewers. The event was made

even more remarkable by our Director, on stage with his

dynamic, musical performance. The highlight of the evening

was the 'hand mime' which amazed the audience by its

brilliant synchronization. In addition to this, the newly

elected student council was introduced.

The Freshers’ Night was thoroughly entertaining and a

sensational welcome party. Being a part of it made me feel

the magic of unity and the power of team work. I believe

that the magic in the air created bonds that will help keep

us united over the years that lie ahead.

HannahMaryShine

(Student Editor)

A group song by the MBBS students at Freshers’ Night, on 23rd Nov, ‘16 A mime, on the theme of abortion, at Freshers’ Night, on 23rd Nov, ‘16

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ODYSSEY

MEDICAL STUDENTS’ RETREAT

The morning of 12th December was pleasant and cool,as usual – the perfect day for a Retreat. The day’s eventsstarted with a song by the faculty of BCMC followed bythe Principal's talk. The guest for the day was Rev. Dr.Joe Joseph, or Achen Joe as he likes to be called, a well-known counsellor, currently the Director of theMarthoma Counselling Centre.The theme for the Retreat was ‘To Live, Love, Learn andLeave a Legacy,’ and the talks through the day dealtwith the importance of time management, stressmanagement, behavioural development, the power ofprayer and the effect of positive interactions andcollective efforts on our mind and thoughts. At thebeginning we were moody and did not have the energyas we were more mindful of our forthcoming anatomytest, but Achen Joe through his action and wordstransformed the class into a world of joy andenthusiasm where we were involved in dancing, singingand in activities which necessitated collective effort andthinking.Feedback from the students after the programmerevealed that everyone felt rejuvenated, relieved andblessed. I would also like to mention the Achen’s fourenlightening words: Alive, Alert, Awake, andEnthusiastic. The day ended with a vote of thanks by theDirector, BCMCH followed by lunch.

Krishna Gopal(First year, MBBS)

PATRON: Dr. John Abraham (Principal) STUDENT EDITOR: Hannah Mary Shine PHOTOGRAPHS: Varghese Tharakan EDITORIAL TEAM: Dr. Anju Albert, Dr. Anu C. John, Dr. Ashu Mathai, Dr. Sherin

Mathew, Mrs. Sreeja Ramachandran, Dr. Stephen Mathew

STUDENTS’BIRTHDAYS THIS MONTH

Aleena Joseph 10th JanuaryJoyal Alias Saji 15th JanuaryThara Kurian 17th JanuaryRohith Gigi 23rd JanuaryMunavvira V.P. 25th JanuaryAshish Thomas Puthuvana 30th January

(P.S.: Wish them when you see them, AND THEN, ask them for cake!)

Santa Claus bringing cheer to children during ward carolling

A MOVING PERSPECTIVE

When Breath becomes Air is a book written by Dr. Paul Kalanithi, a

neurosurgeon of Indian origin living in the United States, who was dying

of metastatic lung cancer as he was writing it. He passed away before he

could complete the book, and his wife Lucy completes it.

It is a beautiful book because it deals with questions that are of utmost

significance both, to our profession, and life in general. A thinker, with a

deep love for language and ideas, Paul initially wanted to be a writer. He

was also a philosopher at heart, grappling with the meaning of life, or

death. This would be what ultimately led him to pursue medicine and

neurosurgery.

He was a great achiever, excelling in his medical career. At the end of his

residency, Stanford University created the post of clinician-scientist just

so that they could retain Paul. At the threshold of great professional

glory, he was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. Despite treatment,

when he knew he had just a year or two to live, he decided to pursue his

ambition of becoming a writer. He and Lucy had a baby girl 8 months

before he died. His courage in the face of adversity, and his desire to

leave something of value to others is commendable.

His writing is honest, courageous, devoid of self-pity, and causes us to

engage with the real meaning of life. Looking at death head on, he was

able to have a perspective which eludes us otherwise. “Life can best be

understood backwards,” said philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, and this

book opens the door to such an opportunity. I would recommend this

book to you, students of medicine, because it is written in an easy, non-

preachy manner, giving us enough space to reflect on and engage with

our own inner selves. It reinforces my conviction that students of

science need a healthy dose of literature, arts and humanities to bring

balance to their lives and make them better human beings.

Dr. Satish Thomas

(Professor, Ophthalmology)

Rev. Joe leading the students during an activity at the Students’ Retreat

MAGNIFICENT MANGER

The MBBS students filled the air of the hospital central

courtyard with melodious Christmas songs and carols on

15th December, 2016. The crowd was thoroughly

entertained by a young, energetic Santa Claus who

danced all the way into their hearts. This was followed

by ward caroling by the students. Their songs comforted

the patients and brought joy to the children in the

paediatric ward, where they distributed sweets and gifts.