Those enchanted four and half years

Chapter 14

As I sat in Pharmacology lecture hall on the introductory day of our second year, I looked around. This was the same batch that had been sitting in anatomy lecture hall exactly one year back, I thought. But we all had changed a lot since then. We had grown one year older medical students. Things had certainly changed. We were no longer required to sit according to roll numbers. Shabana and Avinash sat together, hand in hand. Miss Beautiful looked more beautiful, and Miss Wierdo looked weirder.

I had been on a few dates with Amey in the past year. We talked about everything in this universe. He sometimes spoke suggestively. I always waited with bated breath for the proposal. Arun had become my best buddy. We shared everything with each other. "Welcome to your second year of medical life," the head of department of pharmacology, Dr.Saxena, addressed us. "In the first year, you have learnt the basics. Your second year is the bridge between your first and final years. Here you will learn to co-relate normal and abnormal. This year you will be taught four subjects. In Pathology, you will learn the abnormalities that occur in various organs in various diseases. In microbiology, you will study various micro organisms causing various diseases. In forensic medicine, you will learn medico-legal aspects involved in medical field, while pharmacology is the science of drugs. Along with that, you start attending clinics of clinical subjects from this year itself. Second year has three terms, 1&1/2 yrs. Plenty of time to study and plenty of time to have fun. As you all know, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. This is your year to balance enjoyment with studies. I personally feel that extra-curricular activities are a must with the curriculum for an all-round development. I wish you all the best. Your routine college starts from tomorrow."

Our time-table had been displayed on the noticeboard. This year too we had two lectures in the morning. From 10am to 1pm we hadclinics. Afternoon session comprised of practicals. We rushed to see theclinics time-table, I was relieved to see that I, Sufee and Nayana were in thesame clinical batch. We were starting with medicine posting. "We are having medicineposting, I am so excited!" Sufee said, as we started walking towards thecollege gate. "You are excited about medicine posting?" I quizzed, puzzled. "Of course,because Rita told me that the registrar of medicine (registrar was the term forfinal year MD student), Tanay, who takes clinics, is a very cute guy," Sufeesaid. "Of course, I shouldhave known," I said, smiling. "Seniors were saying forensic medicine is very toxic," Nayana said. "It has to be," Sufeesaid, "because Toxicology is a branch of Forensic Medicine." "Bad joke Sufee,"I said. As we were walking past theanatomy lecture hall, we saw a crowd of girls and boys waiting outside thehall. All wore an expression of panic, fear and anxiety. Now was our turn ofhigh-fiving each other and loudly shouting 'JUNIORS'!!!