The beginning of the end

Four days in the final year and even though the result is out (which means thank God we can't go back to the hell which is special patho ) it still feels so unreal. When Kemunited's photo came on my timeline with the caption "Congratulations new final year" I truly experienced what bittersweet meant. I know it will seem laughable to first year but it really seems like yesterday when we were in first year and our new final year was celebrating. 

These four years have gone too fast and too slow. Like a tortoise in a blur. I remember each and every substage and my unexplainable fear of them. But they came and they went. I remember the biochem tests of second year (which I failed all) and pharmacology tests of third year (which I failed most) . I remember the orientation day and the day of first written and of course the day of first viva as if it happened yesterday but also as if it happened a lifetime ago (by lifetime ofcourse I mean special patho and pharma ago ;) ) . And now I realise how our parents and grandparents talk about their youth as if it happened yesterday. Because I realise that I have been out of my high school for almost eight years. Nearly as long as I was there for.

 

I don't know who will become the presidents of different societies this year. I mean one can guess but I for one certainly don't know for sure. But the thing is it won't be the same. I doubt whoever will be the president of KEDS ,KAPS and KELS will come close to the charisma we felt the presidents had when we were first and second year. It probably has more to do with us than with the would-be-presidents (Let's be honest , I am being diplomatic here. We all know the truth   ) Because then they seemed so larger than life to us. May be my class fellows will have the same effect on the juniors specially the first year. But for me personally I will forever associate the societies with the Bhais and Bajis who seemed to run KE when we came. (Although one ex-CR seems to be making a comeback in a major way but technically he was before our time )

(The actual first picture is better left hidden for most of our sakes)

This blog isn't meant for warm feelings (those who want that should go read Aisey mein thori si ankhein bhar aen . It made me teary when I was only half way through the college ) . It's about celebrating my personal journey and journey of the flawed but still very close to my heart batch 2016. (Most of whose members seem to have graduated on 1st January if Facebook is to be believed). We were the first batch which had no idea what Jillani was. We are the among the pioneers of the post Dr Akram-Dr Attiya-Dr Kamran era and now even post Dr Cheema-Dr Khawaja Azeem era. We know their stories , we have heard the fables . But we don't have exactly  the same experiences as our seniors or our juniors . We are the last batch which only studied in old Physio and Anatomy lecture theatres and DH and who saw Pathology Department in ruins for two years (I am seeing a pattern here . It's literally as if KE is re-inventing itself after us) . We were the last batch of Dr Sahaf (in case of my ward batch truer than ever) and (as far as I know) Dr Pal ,the two of the last few teachers whose names are spoken with reverence, terror and humour with equal volumes.

You know you are at the beginning of the end when many of the conversations about your class-fellows seem to involve weddings. Even though I think up till now our announced engagements and weddings are relatively few and my friends (and I ) are probably waiting for any intra-class engagement in vain but still . Right upto fourth year, wedding didn't use to come in equation except as a joke. But now it seems real . Not yet near ( most of my friends are more-or-less ring free ) but real all the same. 

And although I hope to write in further detail as we reach the middle and finally the end, it seems like the beginning of the end is many people's end of the beginning (as it should be probably) because if the number of people who are studying for USMLE all manage to score good marks hopefully , we can have a pseudo-Mayo hospital in state of New York in a couple of years. (Or maybe California because I am writing this in a coat and a  quilt in Lahore at the end of January . And no , I am not yet thinking of giving it myself ,just looking out for my brothers-and-sisters-in-arms  :D )

Finally I have to say three days in wards and I am literally already sick of/because of them. And it seems like we have left Special Patho only to be caught by the tentacles of Medicine, Surgery and Gynae and as I ignore the advice of every single person I meet (to do each subject once with respective wards) , I'll wait and watch and hopefully the final year with all its majestic glory and functions ( I won't say the names of my friends who have already decided their sari colors ) will cement in my heart even happier memories which will outlive my knowledge by far if past four years are any indication. 

(From first year album when you take pictures of KE/Patiala from every angle )