Dr PRABHU AS EXAMINER

Dr Prabhu was one of the examiners in August 1991 for my MD (Pathology) examination. This was probably the only time I met her. To say that she was a superb examiner and a very fair one would be an understatement. I was never taught formally by her, and therefore do not know if she had a Socratic manner of teaching. But she certainly had a Socratic manner of examining students. I remember two specific instances.

Partly because she was so knowledgeable and in equal part because I was middling-at-best in my concepts in blood banking, I recall that she muddled me up on truly simple things such as antigen and antibody at the blood banking practical and viva voce.

More interestingly, the next day, in one of the cytology slides, I made a diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma in the liver. She discussed the findings with me and raised so many queries and doubts, and logical interjections that she convinced me (or rather, I convinced her!) that it was actually a hepato-cellular carcinoma.

When I came out of the examination hall, I learnt from the others that it was what I had initially labelled it—a metastasis! She had fooled me again!

In both instances, she had a highly amused look on her face (which I can see as I type this). Despite these follies of mine, she (along with Dr Wagholikar and Dr SS Shrikhande) chose to pass me, and I am grateful to her and to them for that.