IGCLA: Day One

The third Indo-German Convention for Lindau Alumni started off on the morning of September 21st 2017 with a diverse array of workshops conducted by experts outstanding in their fields. The three hour workshops showcased the interdisciplinary nature of the conference, as they ranged from hands on experience in performing gel electrophoresis to group discussions about the challenges of providing healthcare in a warzone, including diverse modules such as Ayurveda, Laser in Dermatology, Basic Research Methodology and Statistics, Biomedical, IT in Medicine, Emergency Medicine as well as Bowel Anastomosis.

This was followed by the inauguration ceremony held at TMA Pai Hall 3. The dignitaries on the dais included Dr. Pragna Rao, Dr. Poornima Baliga, Dr. VM Katoch, Dr. Philipp du Cros and Dr. Akshit Awasthi. After a few inspiring words from them to stir up the spirits of the delegates for the days to come, the student awardees of the ICMR STS grants of 2017 were felicitated by the chief guest, Dr. du Cros.

Following the official inauguration, the conference kicked into high gear. The first day of case and research poster presentations were held in TMA Pai Hall 1. Delegates walked around eating lunch while reading about dissected cadavers and assorted case based curiosities.

The first talk of the conference was by Dr. VM Katoch, an eminent scientist and former director general of the Indian Council for Medical Research. He addressed various topics ranging from the significance of public health to the importance of medical research.

The next talk was regarding the opportunities available to Indian students who wish to pursue a career of research in Germany. It was delivered by representatives of the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). The talk outlined various paths students could take and also listed several scholarship and internship programs.

The final talk of Day 1 was by Dr. Pushkar Vaidya who presented an inspiring case in favour of terraforming other planets. In addition to providing creative solutions to the global threat of climate change, astrobiology simultaneously gives us hope that our favourite science fiction novels could be a matter of reality in just a few decades.

Day 1 of IGCLA came to a close with a medical quiz hosted by Dr Deepak Nayak M of the Department of Pathology, KMC Manipal. Participants were in teams of three which included both undergraduate and postgraduate students. The winners were Dr Venkatesh, Avinash Rao G and Sudeep GC, all students of Kasturba Medical College, Manipal

Once again IGCLA has managed to bring together and captivate the best and brightest students from across the country and provided an opportunity for learning and networking that few other conferences do. If this was a sign of things to come, the next three days should certainly be interesting.

– Reported by Annapoorna Chakrabarty

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