IQMU 2017: When Academics met Festivity

Academia is often times reduced to the dust of a worn out book, that evokes little interest in anyone save the reader of that very manuscript. Yet the very image this academia holds need not be so restrictive.

IQMU, the brainchild of Organising Chairpersons, Nandini Majumdar and Anushree Puttur is an effort to converge a wide interest in academics with that of a cultural experience. A medical graduate should essentially be a well-rounded individual with relevant medical knowledge as well as a culturally rich background.

IQMU, which stands for International Quiz for Medical Undergraduates, is being held from the 2nd to the 5th of March, 2017. The TMA Pai Halls are housing the various rounds of quizzes.

IQMU was inaugurated by the Minister of Education of Karnataka. The Dean was present along with the Associate Deans during the lighting ceremony. The Opening ceremony took place in the newly completed TMA Pai Hall-3. Justin Seeling, a representative of GEMx, made a presentation in front of all the participants and the organising committee about his organisation. He talked about various GEMx projects, the colleges under its umbrella and the ease with which one could go abroad on an elective, with the help of GEMx.

Following Mr Seeling’s presentation, the Dean, Dr Poornima Baliga welcomed the participants with open arms and promised customary Manipal hospitality.

It was Dr Sharath Rao, Associate Dean of International Collaborations, who declared the Quiz open. Day one of the quiz comprised one round of quizzing, with Dr Haniel D’Souza from the Department of Forensic Medicine, being the quiz master. The first round of the quiz comprised case-based questions which challenged the participants’ clinical skills and agility in recalling various drug names.

Each round of the quiz is being adjudged by a panel of jury, comprising professors and various heads of departments of KMC Manipal and the same was followed for the first round.

The second day of the quiz had two rounds, which took place in the first floor of TMA Pai halls. The quizzes began early at 8.30 AM. The participants fresh after the previous night’s competition brought with them a new-found intensity. After the first round of the day, the delegates of IQMU were taken on a Campus Tour of Manipal University. The MU Coordination team took the delegates to MARENA, the sporting complex of Manipal University. The participants were also shown the Health Sciences library. The delegates were both impressed and amazed at the infrastructure and facilities.

The second half of Day 2 had in store the second round of quizzing for the day. The organisers had an evening of cultural performances following the quiz. Untied Laces, the entertainment sponsors, had a showcase of performers along with the in-house KMC Street Play Team and the KMC Band,led by Pranav Rajshekhar.

With day two coming to a close, the final two days have in store even more competitive quizzing.