Have you ever thought how it would feel if one went to one’s alma mater after half a century? How would everyone be? Would they be fit enough to attend? How many would be with walkers or wheelchairs? Or will they come dancing as they they enter the college one more time after many  years of career growth and deverlopment.

On the 25th of December 2024 our Alumni was invited to travel the same road that Sarah traveled as a seventeen year old, to stay for two days and nights at the Peoples University of Medical Sciences (PUHMS) to celbrate the Golden Jubilee of the university that was founded in May 1974. The decision to attend was exciting because the college we graduated from, Nawabshah Medical College, has now morphed into a prestigious university that has widespread international recognition with its graduates spread all over the world. Moreover, the members of our alumni aren’t in boring run of the mill jobs, they are valuable members of the medical profession and positive influencers in the communities they are living in today.

Much to the concern of the organisers, we opted to travel from Karachi to Nawabshah in the college bus, just as we did that hot sultry day in May 50 years ago. They were worried about our physical health, whether we could tolerate the five hour drive into the interior of SIndh. Heh, heh, little did they know that we were rocking to popular songs and were dancing, or standing in the aisles most of the journey. We may be from the first batch of the college, but heaven forbid if anyone called us decrepit.

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Arriving at the college, as the bus eased itself slowly within the massive gates, the first impresion was a kaleidoscope of lights. Thousands of twinkling lights decorated the buldings and the gardens of the campus. But hark… was that a local folk band that we hear playing?

We exited the bus, no we jumped off the bus to cheers of the younger alumni who had arrived earlier and the final year medical students who had stayed back instead of going home for the winter holidays. The sound was deafening, but oh, so uplifiting! We didnt hold back, we swung and stepped into a traditional folk dance which made everyone cheer even more. Take that! We laughed. We are not decrepit!

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The Vice Chancellor of the University was there to welcome us which was appreciated. We were give rooms in the rest house that was especially built for visitors to the university, and all of our needs were well taken care of. Whether it was a cup of tea at odd hours, a delicious breakfast or ensuring that we had hot water to shower in.

We were repeatedly asked what batch we were from, and it was fun to watch the surprise on everyone’s face when we said that we were from the first batch. No, no, we are not pulling your legs,” we would say. “We are really from the first batch!”

The hospitality, the respect and most of the the unadulterated fun that we had was exceptional. Many of our friends and colleagues who decided not to attend regretted it later on when we showed them the videos and the photographs.

The formal program the next day had the usual official speeches alongwith one from the Minister of Health. I spoke as a representative of the alumni to cheers of the audience.

Awards, accolades, pictures on the alumni wall of pride and musical programs filled the rest of our visit. The next day even though we travelled back together once again, there was a thread of sadness in our moods. I think it was because we were aware that this celebration would not be repeated in the near future. At least not in our lifetime. But we were able to connect to friends and get their contacts. The age of the internet is helping us stsy in touch which is so much better than when we went to make our mark in the world after we graduated.

The college in Lifelines, where Dr. Sarah studues is based on this college. Our Alma Mate.