Valedictorian Speech - SAITM Convocation 2016

The South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) held its Fourth Convocation recognizing its graduates from the 1st and 2nd MBBS batches of the Medical faculty and the graduates from the Faculty of ICT & Media and the Faculty of Management and Finance on 15th of November 2016 from 1.00pm onwards at the BMICH, Colombo.

The chief guest at the convocation was Prof. Sir Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, The professor emeritus of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the St. George's University London UK and the past president of the British Medical Association, International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (FIGO) and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG). 

Myself and Tharindu Ruwanpathiranage from the first batch of faculty of Medicine of SAITM received the honor of jointly delivering the valedictorian speech at this solemn occasion.

(Kindly note this speech was prepared before the era of chatgpt and artificial intelligence!) 

Valedictorian Speech

Good evening everyone! Our Chief Guest; Sir. Prof Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, The Chancellor Dr. Neville Fernando, vice-chancellor Prof. Deepal Weerasekara, Dean Prof. Shanti Goonewardene, Honourable ministers, professors, consultants, distinguished guests, Parents and dear colleagues,

It’s a great honor and privilege to deliver the first ever valedictorian speech in the SAITM medical faculty’s first ever graduation ceremony, which we have waited so long for. We thank the management for giving us the opportunity to deliver this speech. At the very outset we would like to dedicate this speech in memory of late Prof. Malkanthi Chandrasekara, our previous vice chancellor who had done a yeoman service to the medical field and helped immensely towards the establishment of SAITM. 

Let us take you down the memory lane to September, 2009, when we first joined SAITM. We came to an empty building with ongoing construction. There was no hospital at the time. It was an empty land back then. While we were doing our academic work, the sounds of clanging metal, drilling and construction workers scurrying through their daily work echoed through the halls. 

At the time when we started our pre-clinical subjects including anatomy, physiology and biochemistry, one of the biggest obstacles SAITM faced was a shortage of cadavers for students to perform dissections. Today, just like we eagerly wait for provisional registration for internship, back in 2009 we were eagerly waiting for cadavers. The lack of cadavers soon became a thing of the past, especially thanks to the donations by many patients, which we will forever be grateful for.

Those days, everyone knew each other because our batch was small. It was only us in the premises and were very close to one another, and the empty halls back in the day were thankfully filled with the sounds of conversation and laughter of our batch. Today, there are 900 medical students, engineering students, media and IT and management faculties. It’s now almost impossible to know everyone at SAITM. 

On the subject of unique experiences for the first batch SAITM, we come to SAITM’s first ever Fresher’s night. It was unique and very special, because despite the tradition being the seniors organizing it for the new batch, we became our own seniors and organized it for ourselves.

Our small batch was closely knit, but a certain incident brought us very close together in the most unexpected form of the car accident at Millenium Drive, which happened in our first semester. Without going into details, the accident was severe enough for onlookers to believe that all of the passengers in that car must have died. There were 6 of us in that car. All of them were injured, but they all survived and recovered well and are graduating today. Two of them are currently onstage delivering this speech. 

This incident was memorable indeed, but not just because of our individual struggles to recover, or because the batch came closer together to support each other. It was the first time we were exposed to the hostility of the public eye, especially in the field of healthcare.

Shane: I was covered in bruises and bleeding from injures to my face and on a cervical collar. I remember a doctor at the ETU at the Colombo accident ward asking me “aren’t you all the people trying to become doctors through the back door?” At the time I didn’t know what it meant, but like I told him on that day, even now, I still use the front door when I go to SAITM. 

Tharindu: During our anatomy dissection sessions, I got severe allergic conjunctivitis. Since it was very severe, and eye drops didn’t seem to help, I decided to go to the National Eye Hospital, Colombo to consult a specialist. There, while the OPD Doctor was examining me, I told her that I was a student from the SAITM Medical Faculty. The moment I said that I noticed her face change. From that moment on, she avoided eye contact, avoided any conversation and told me to continue the same medication and sent me off, with no prescription or referral to a specialist. The person who took me to her felt so bad and asked me to come again the next day. I was taken directly to the eye surgeon next day. This time I made sure not to mention SAITM, and I received the correct medication. I found out later on that the doctor who examined me in the OPD had a daughter studying at the Colombo Medical Faculty. I can’t really say whether that fact is relevant, but one can’t really ignore it.

We wondered whether it was ethical to treat us differently just because we were private medical students. Does the Hippocratic Oath consider such differences? Or were they following a ‘Hypocritic oath’? Despite all that, we’ve persevered, and today marks the day where the world sees the fruit of our perseverance.

The pre-clinical tutorial staff at the time was very dedicated and gave us individual attention. It was like family. With the help of our teachers we were able to perform excellently in our pre-clinical exams. 

Then we went on to begin our para-clinical subjects. It was very challenging. We had to experience a constant change in syllabuses, lecture schedules and lecturers throughout a short period of time. Naturally, since we were the first batch of students, we had to go through many experiments. We were like guinea pigs, of sorts! With all these we managed somehow. Whatever difficulties came across we managed to stick together and impress the examiners. 

After completing the para-clinical subjects, things were arranged for us to begin clinical training at Homagama Base Hospital. Alas! We were only there for 1 day. A well-known trade union was against our arrival and they threatened to strike, protesting against our presence there. Our training was stopped with immediate effect, which was heartbreaking. It marked the beginning of our constant suspense and anxiety, thanks to forces that we could not control. The students and their parents started worrying day and night what will happen to our future. 

Soon after that incident, Dr. Neville Fernando, our Chancellor and the administration arranged for us to do clinical training at a reputed private hospital in Colombo. Once again, it was short-lived and lasted only 2 days. The same trade union claimed that our presence was a threat to the lives of patients. Training was, once again stopped with immediate effect. 

All medical students eagerly wait to see actual patients and apply the knowledge they have gathered. But for us it was not to be. Our suffering, uncertainty, anxiety started flowing in.

Then our chairman did the unthinkable. He converted the proposed engineering faculty building to a teaching hospital. It was one of the bravest decisions he took to ensure that our education will continue, despite all odds. Many people criticized him and thought it will never work out. But he didn’t give up. 

Construction began, and we were eagerly waiting at SAITM, looking through the window at the construction site, counting days till it was finished. In the height of all that uncertainty, construction was suddenly halted, due to a technical issue, which broke the morale of the entire batch.

This led to some of our batch mates leaving the degree programme, one by one. Some of them announced their decisions and said their goodbyes, and some left in absolute secrecy. Most of those who had left have already graduated in foreign universities and some have started their internships. 

We were helpless. We didn’t know what to do. Being the first batch, all of us got together and cheered each other up, as well as the junior batches, but all of us felt miserable inside. 

Tharindu: There were times we got together and played cards at Diyatha Uyana in an attempt to relieve our stress. We were that helpless. 

Shane: I remember, when my parents asked me whether I would like to switch to a different university or degree programme, I thought this will never work out. During that time, I found God as my refuge and comfort. In faith I entrusted everything to God’s almighty plan and thought everything will happen for the best. I remember vividly how one day when I cut lectures and stayed at home where I got a call from late Prof.Chandrasekara, who motivated and encouraged me to come back. 

There were many ups and downs in our life, comprising of, but not limited to the experiences we just shared with you all. In medical terms our life was like an ECG with arrhythmias, CTG with accelerations and decelerations and an EEG with chaotic waves! 

We somehow kept pushing our lives through all our ups and downs. We realized there was no escape but to face our problems and find solutions. The only way was to be optimistic and hopeful. Despite the lack of clinical facilities at that time, we decided to obtain clinical exposure by various other means. Our first encounter with patients was when we went all the way to Norochchole to help in a free clinic conducted by Prof.Anura Weerasinghe.

Soon our hospital was built and was ready to function. Patients started flowing in and we commenced our clinical training. We began our clinical appointments under the guidance of well reputed and acclaimed professors and consultants in the country, who have taught our fellow state medical students. They taught us with great dedication and love, and treated us like their own children. 

Part of our training was done at the Base hospital at Avissawella. There were obstacles as usual to start the training. The same trade union began strikes for baseless reasons, once again. This time, there was no stopping us. We were probably the medical students who had been threatened the most, in the entire world. We had our training under the protection of the police and the watchful eye of the CID. 

Our time in training was full of precious memories. There were joyful, sorrowful, as well as terrifying moments. The training was intense, and looking back we realize that made us better doctors to serve patients in any circumstance. 

With all this happening around us we didn’t forget to have fun and to engage in many extra-curricular activities. We organized Christmas parties, Avurudu Uthsawa, the annual Poson kadala dansala, took part in talent shows, organized Christmas Carols and Bhakthi Geetha. Some of us were the pioneering members/captains of sports activities such as Rugby, cricket, and football. Moreover in good will we did charitable activities via our SAITM Charity Foundation, donating shoes to a local school in Kaduwela, donating a library, developing a science lab, distributing clothing items, donated wheel chairs and organized alms-giving to the clergy and the poor. 

We also organized massive health camps in our hospital as well as outside. We organized public awareness campaigns to publish the truth about SAITM. We pasted up posters, distributed leaflets in rain and sun, organized public seminars and many more, all being tireless and selfless work of the students.

Despite all odds, we studied for our ultimate goal. We faced the final MBBS in May, 2016. During that time, it felt like even Mother Nature turned against us. That is when a component of our exam was postponed due to massive floods along the Kelani valley which also affected Malabe. This was recorded to be the worst in the last 30 years in Sri Lanka. For that point in time, we focused our efforts on helping the local community organizing health camps for those affected by the floods in the Kelani Valley.

Against all odds, we completed our final MBBS exam exceptionally well, impressing the external examiners who came from state medical universities, the very same examiners who assess our fellow state medical students and showed them we are second to none. 

Looking back now, we realize that we had an adventure of a lifetime. We didn’t just learn medicine through this journey; we learnt lessons for life, especially to be patient in all trials and hardships. 

This was possible mainly because of our unity. We had each other. All of us fought our own internal struggles. During the times we felt weak and alone, there were 22 brothers and sisters to fall back to, who’d always be backing us up. That was our driving force. There is no enmity or jealousy among us. We all studied, laughed, cried, ate, drank, sang, and had fun... well pretty much did everything together. 

Our teachers motivated and guided us through every hardship, to whom we have our utmost respect. United we stand – divided we fall. Which infact was our motto. We were not alone in our journey. There were many who helped us. 

First and foremost; our dearest parents – who gave us birth, nourished us, and gave us education and being patient with us. It was them who suffered the most because of all the difficulties and uncertainties during our time at SAITM. Dear parents we are eternally indebted to you. We thank our brothers and sisters, friends and partners of our married colleagues for their patience, understanding and love. 

Dear Chairman, Dr. Neville Fernando – for being the pioneer of private medical education of Sri Lanka. He was there for us through every single moment, whenever we felt helpless. He’s a visionary, he cared for us like a Father (well, a grand-father). We learnt many lessons, all just by observing his personality. As long as our intentions are good, whatever obstacles we face can be overcome. Most of all, age is not a barrier to start something new. We consider our chairman, Dr. Neville Fernando as the father of private medical education of Sri Lanka. Thank you very much sir. 

Academic staff – led by our dean; Prof. Shanti Goonewardene, all our professors, consultants, lecturers. We are extremely privileged to have studied under great teachers who loved us like parents, but showed no mercy in assuring the quality of our education. It’s our wish and goal to overcome all adversities heading our way in our future, all while making sure you have more reasons to be proud of us!

Then the administration led by our Vice-Chairman; Mrs. Himali Jayatilleke, the CEO; Dr. Sameera Senaratne, and our charismatic Registrar, Mrs. Husni Hussein. Thank you for all the hard work, sacrifice, dedication and love. You ensured that we received the best education and a bright future. Thank you!

We thank all the doctors, nurses and our dear patients, from whom we learnt so much. Thank you all so much!

To everyone constituting the Non-academic staff – including clerical staff, maintenance, finance, and marketing; thank you for all the work you have done to establish SAITM and NFTH, bringing them to the successful status that they are today.

We cannot forget the media unit of SAITM – who worked hard to publish the truth in the media about SAITM and despite all opposition and slander. Thank you all for being a pillar of truth in the public eye, against all adversity!

To the supportive staff – Thank you for ensuring that we always had a beautiful and safe environment to study. You were always sure to carry out your everyday tasks with a smile!

Looking back, we are happy to be have been a part of the pioneering effort to establish private medical education in Sri Lanka. Dear friends, we have suffered a lot but we’ve also done a great service to the future of this country, paving the way for private medical education. 

Looking to the future, we would like to share with you some lessons from our past 7 years at SAITM:

If anyone comes to you for help, do not ignore them or deprive them of assistance. Show the deficiencies and give the opportunity to improve. Always help others in whatever way possible. 

Do not sacrifice your noble profession and go against the principle of your oaths. As doctors we may hold many important positions in the future in various circumstances. Let us remember our primary objective is to care, to cure and help healing the sick. What matters will not be the big positions we hold or the extraordinary things we do in the field, but what matters most will be the extraordinary love one shows in caring for their patients, for that is a true hallmark of greatness. 

And my fellow graduates and colleagues let us not take revenge on our enemies and persecutors. We have suffered a great deal on this journey, but let us forgive and forget them. Love everyone, especially those who have hurt us in the past. Let’s focus our efforts on helping others embark on this same journey, but not take revenge on those who hindered us.

Always have an attitude of gratitude; a lesson we learnt from Dr. Neville Fernando. We are not here because of own strength. We will always be dependent on someone, from the day we are born till the day we die. We are indebted to society and all those who helped us. Let us pay our debts through service to mankind. 

My dear friends; remember that everything in life happens for the best. We have worked hard for 7 years and we have done it! Against all odds we are graduating today as medical graduates from SAITM with pride. We have prevailed against all odds, and stand true to the testament that SAITM has prevailed! Let’s not forget, our journey in serving our fellow man has only begun. Let’s continue to work towards becoming the best doctors that the country needs, and inspire future graduates from SAITM, to make it the best medical faculty in the country!

THANK YOU

MAY GOD BLESS YOU

MAY THE TRIPLE GEM BLESS YOU!

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