Piklu, the man who taught me to learn
There are very good teachers,
then there are the brilliant teachers, but are there ever the perfect teachers?
I consider this man was my perfect teacher.
Prof P K Mukherji, or Piklu as he was known (outside earshot) affectionately.
Then the Professor Director of Surgery, Medical College Hospital, Calcutta
A god fearing man, never did a dishonest day’s private practice
instead devoted his life to the State Health Service.
I bucked the trend and opted to do my residency under him.
He was hard to please, less than complete was never good enough.
My colleagues went on to have easier lives under conventional teachers.
I ‘suffered’ his supervision for nearly five years but have never regretted it.
A true “general” surgeon in the traditions of old, fearless,
would operate on anything outside the skull and the chest.
He was an exceptionally intelligent man, if I had a problem case,
I could almost hear the cogwheels clicking inside his brain.
For that many years, between us, it was a battle of wits,
he never asked a direct question, just set me little challenges to solve.
And then like in a game of chess I had to find out what he would set me next.
On a ward round once,
he stopped in front of a patient,
she was sitting on the bed, feet peeping out from under her sari.
His eagle eyes had spotted her slightly short 4th toes on both her feet,
he asked the lady to show us her hands, she had shortened ring fingers;
he remarked on the deformities, we, the ignorants, agreed it was funny.
She wasn’t our patient, so it wasn’t our problem;
we carried on with the round.
Carried on with our lives.
Few years later, I was studying for my exit exams, and I read of a syndrome,
an anomaly that gave the patient shortened 4th toes and ring fingers.
I sat numbed.
It was late afternoon. All consultants would have left by then.
I went looking for him and found him in his office in an empty operating theatre.
He was reading some surgical textbook.
I told him what I had read, and reminded him of that patient.
He looked into my eyes, as if for the first time, he really noticed me,
he said he had been waiting to see how long it would take me to find it out.
He said, he was there to teach me, but it was my responsibility to learn from him.
In his own way, he had set me a task and for months had not forgotten,
everyday he had waited for me to find out the answer by myself.
It was a strange way, but the only way he could teach.
And above all, he taught me how to think.
Sometimes a teacher and a student interact to bring out the best in each other.
That makes the teacher perfect for that student.
Maybe, just for me he was the perfect teacher.
Today, I have been invited to teach at a local university.
I do not want to be just another teacher,
I want be a teacher from who
students can really learn.
Teaching
Learning
Life
Calcutta Medical College
Calcutta
Bendtherulz said this on October 4th, 2007 at 17:36
You are so lucky ….to have such a role model in your life….!
And would like to say – even your future students are lucky ( they might not agree…. lol…)
ps – my teachers gave up on me… :-))))
pps -Just running from here and there….so your message is still pending…! Gosh so much to catch up here….!!see you later…byeee
earthpal said this on October 4th, 2007 at 20:27
Super post Little Indian. Inspirational. I really enjoyed reading it. I love hearing tales of inspiring people who have really made a difference to someone else’s life.
Good luck with the teaching. I think his mentoring and his influence will shine from you.
xntricpundits said this on October 4th, 2007 at 21:09
your post brings me the memories of DR.Ratnakumari when we were in first year of our MBBS.
One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child. ~Carl Jung
little indian said this on October 4th, 2007 at 22:56
@ bendyrulz,
where have you been? another trip into the mountains?
There is never a day @ work when I will not remember Piklu.
He is by far the most intelligent man I have met in my life.
I consider myself so very lucky to have learnt from him.
little indian said this on October 4th, 2007 at 23:03
thanks earthie,
he was an amazing man,
I have so many memories of him, where do I begin?
The older I get, the more experience I gather,
the more I find I keep falling back on what he taught me.
little indian said this on October 4th, 2007 at 23:07
@ xntricpunditz, thanks for stopping by,
there are many unsung personalities, who carry on with their work,
not expecting praise or thrive on applause.
Those of us, who have met such people are indeed very lucky.
It is our responsibility to pass on their skill to the youngsters who comes into the profession.
pinky said this on October 5th, 2007 at 13:02
On this day(World’s Teacher Day),you have thanked your teacher in a wonderful way.Its really nice of you to have share your experiences with us.I wasnt so lucky like you but still i too wish all my teachers Happy Teachers Day!!
A friend of mine told me sometime about his sir who is 96yrs old now and still very happy and satisfied with his life.He lives in Dehradun and teaches Yoga.His sir taught him the most important thing in life: Visualization.I have also read his book “Secretwisdom by Dr Premnath” which is a masterpiece according to me.I wish i could meet him atleast once in my life.
Its rare to find teachers like Prof Mukherjee and Dr Premnath.You have been really very very lucky!!
The Perfect Teacher at Blogbharti said this on October 5th, 2007 at 14:01
[…] Little India talks about his perfect teacher, Dr. PK Mukherjee a.k.a. piklu. He says that there are good teachers, brilliant teachers, but explores the possibility of a perfect teacher. I told him what I had read, and reminded him of that patient. He looked into my eyes, as if for the first time, he really noticed me, he said he had been waiting to see how long it would take me to find it out. He said, he was there to teach me, but it was my responsibility to learn from him. […]
little indian said this on October 5th, 2007 at 14:23
@ Pinky,
gosh I didn’t even know it was today was World Teachers Day!
I say this about (Prof) Piklu, for unlike me, others had only unhappy things to say about him. There was something in the way we had connected as teacher and student that I still remember.
He had a photograph of his religious guru inside his locker, and his first task was to light a dhoop every morning. He always was early to work, and I would try to be in the wards before him. In response he would come earlier. The day he beat me, I would go to his office, and he would be lighting a dhoop with a mischevious glint in his eyes and half a smile hidden under his fabulous moustache, as if to say, ha! I won today.
Its those little things we shared I think helped us through that many years. When he retired I was dragged in by the rest of the faculty to say a few words on behalf of the trainees. I choked, I couldn’t believe he was leaving for ever.
anish said this on October 5th, 2007 at 23:54
A very nice post little indian. Thanks for sharing your memories of your teacher. Great teachers are really rare..
Ronnie Ann said this on October 5th, 2007 at 23:56
I think teaching is one of the noblest things we can do for the world. Of all the gifts he gave you, to me the greatest is that he taught you to teach. How lucky your students will be! I wish you much luck. Thanks for sharing this inspirational tale of an inspirational man. And of Pikku too. (-;
naj said this on October 6th, 2007 at 03:21
I had a professor like that too.
Anyone else under whom I studied after him, turned out to be mediocre, self-serving, narrow minded, and petty.
My professor set such standards, that I became discontent with anyone who didn’t meet up to his standards …
Congratulations on your lectureship!
little indian said this on October 6th, 2007 at 10:16
@ Anish,
thanks for dropping by and your thoughts.
I have been told that without a diploma or degree in teaching, one is not a proper teacher.
I think of Piklu and in my mind go, Oh yeah?.
little indian said this on October 6th, 2007 at 10:19
@ Ronnie Ann,
thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for your good wishes, if I can be even a fraction like Piklu, I’ll consider it an achievement.
little indian said this on October 6th, 2007 at 10:27
@ Naj, hi, haven’t spoken to you for a while.
You are very right, I too feel in the same way.
After Piklu, every one I have met or had as my senior since, were far below the standards he had showed could be set.
Little did I know at that time, how deep an impression he was leaving in me, I am grateful to fate, for making me take the decision to choose to work under his supervision.
mysoul said this on October 7th, 2007 at 16:58
Should I say you were lucky, or should I say PikluJi was lucky…Or should I say, all is as it should be? Not sure. But this surely was an inspiring blog.
little indian said this on October 7th, 2007 at 22:14
@ mysoul,
thanks for stopping by.
Without doubts I was the lucky one.
I didn’t just learn surgery from him, but also learnt to look, listen and think with intent.
akhila said this on October 8th, 2007 at 18:02
I didn’t know you were a surgeon…
Or was there a clue which I ignored
Glad to know know that you are going to teach…
little indian said this on October 8th, 2007 at 21:54
thanks akhila, long time no hear.
No I never left a clue, never wished to. (The reason I has asked about you in your last blog, is because I remember how it feels to be a med student. 🙂 )
But when I got the invite to teach I was overwhelmed by my feeling of gratitude for a man that almost every one has ignored just because he didn’t have a foreign qualification, he wasn’t wealthy or was “cool”.