How to make Pakistan better tomorrow

By an Anonymous Dowite (D'18)

“One very important aspect of motivation is the willingness to stop and to look at things that no one else has bothered to look at. This simple process of focusing on things that are normally taken for granted is a powerful source of creativity.” -Edward de Bono

As a Pakistani citizen, as a human being in the process of becoming self aware and as a person trying to reflect on basic moral values and ethics I firmly believe that the very failure of our nation to progress is its failure of self realization and in having a sense of the fundamental aspects of life. It is one thing to sit in front of the virtual babysitter and point fingers at other people (or the government or any entity for that matter) but another thing entirely to to actually do something about it.

I firmly believe that the foremost aspect to work on is education - civic, scientific, social and political. The absence of education is manifesting itself in the most obvious forms: a political system rife with corruption, lawlessness, continuance of illogical traditions such as “honor killings”, lack of knowledge of one’s own rights and  most importantly, the stereotypical approach to finding the “easy way out of everything” with no heed to the outcome and implications. The thing is, if we do not correct something at root level, it will amplify just like a cascade and eventually result in a vertical flow of corrupt minded individuals, right up to the guy in the white collar calling all the shots.

Having said that, paradoxically, I still don’t feel it is something difficult to work on. Executing mega projects, armament development and diffusing political tensions are what a government is expected to do but we’re lacking the right initiative here: awareness. 

As “charity begins at home”, so does the change in a mindset. The aim is to correct the thinking first; everything else will fall into order there on. To do that, in my opinion, we need to start campaigns and innovative programs. Campaigns organized by reputed organizations like Coca Cola ™, Unilever ®, and Nestle ® and so on. As a result, it will attract a lot of people and this effect will be augmented if we involve celebrities. Because frankly speaking, the government cannot be expected to do anything about an issue that has plagued the country since its inception; 66 years are enough to realize a problem. It is the NGOs that have a chance to make use of this opportunity, promoting not only their brand name and image but also the marketing value worldwide. What needs to be focused upon are basic things like good health- which we also lack a sense of, let alone care about. 

 Another way out is to involve interactive sessions, demonstrations and the reflection of all the complications regarding the negligence of the same, such as people saying “the government doesn’t bother cleaning up the streets” even though there are trash cans and disposal sites but hey, we are just too lazy to walk another ten feet aren’t we? If somebody trashed our homes like that, we would know wouldn’t we?  Stuff like this is exactly what this nation needs: a proper wake-up call, a proper initiative to think of home not as the four-walled structure in which we reside but for a start, the neighborhood in which we dwell.  

Those who drive rash and without regard of all the people they endanger do not obviously know or care about what happens when things do not go the way they thought, so show them what happens- pictures, videos, interviews of those affected/stricken with grief, strict laws etc. Make them realize their error because regrettably most of us have shut off the part of our brain which makes us think like humans. 

Education, the single most important facet that could lead a nation to swift growth is the missing ingredient. Political power and association attract our youth more than books do, even more than family well being does. So show them what happens to those who wish to trek on such a desire for power, as only words in public notices and newspapers apparently cannot do the trick. It is the responsibility of those who are well off and in power to push the government for mandatory education laws, so that at least you have citizens who can read their name when they see it. 

If not that, at least we can educate those who are less fortunate than us and in consistent contact with us like our house maids, personal guards, drivers etc. Because no one is going to come from outside and tell us to correct ourselves. We have already got below that point to the extent that more or less the only time we do think about such issues is when someone makes us think; very rarely do we do so on our own. Taking it up to the level of multinational organization has very optimistic prospects. 

Almost 70% of the Pakistani population resides in rural areas, with education being one, of the many, basic necessities that are deficient. So for a start, the schools being set up can be designed in a way that they teach students during daytime and serve as a small scale industry after school hours, for making carpets, hand crafted items, embroidery products and so on. The rent from the industry can be used for enhancement of the school facilities, payment of the teachers’ salaries and possibly even reduction in school fee to a minimum. Competitions can be held in the district and teachers can be given bonuses if their students take part and excel in the contests, to serve as an incentive for example. And the list goes on..
Bottom line: Education is the key to development, if we actually want to progress.

Again it is “easier said than done”, so it is not going to be practical to have it all done with a flick of a wand and an “abra ka dabra” spell. It will take time, maybe even a decade or two but at least there will be an initiative. Sow a seed today and keep watering it, bit by bit, eventually it will grow one day. That happens to be my hope—if we can change enough minds to set it into motion, then the entire process is perpetual. 

In a nutshell: “Men can starve from a lack of self-realization as much as they can from a lack of bread.” ― Richard Wright

Hope

By Asra Saleem (D'18)

As swiftly the time scampers,
the rising sun sinks, the heart hamper
the future, so inevitable, haunts me
blocking the light of glee..
as quietly my heart cries,
the pearls from my eyes die,
the gleam of light as i see
manifesting hope, making me free..
the emblem of emotion as it gave,
imbibed with success and full of daze
you will win whispered my heart
God is with you, you are safe..

Shah Jahan Mosque

The Most precious jewel of Thatta

 

(Photograph by Muhammad Yousuf Bhatti D'18, exposures executed using Wasiq Paracha's camera. Merged and processed in Lightroom)

  Mughals were traditionally known as keen builders. It is said of the  Mughals that they "built like giants and finished like jewelers". During the time of Shah Jahan (also known as 'Builder King' ), Mughal love of architecture was redefined and transformed, resulting in some of the world's most stunning buildings. Shah Jahan mosque is one of them. 

Shah Jahan Mosque was built in 1674 in the town of Thatta, 100 kms from Karachi. After Emperor Jehangir, Shah Jahan's father, banished him from Delhi, Shah Jahan sought refuge in Thatta. The construction of the mosque represents his gratitude towards the people of Thatta for giving him shelter during the difficult times.

The mosque, a heavy brick structure of simple construction built upon a stone plinth, with heavy square pillars and massive walls, is centered around a courtyard. There is a lot of use of red bricks with blue coloured glaze tiles probably imported from another Sindh’s town of Hala. The mosque has overall 100 domes and is one the few mosques having such number of domes. 
It has been built keeping acoustics in mind. A person speaking inside one end of the dome can be heard at the other end.

This beautiful 17th century structure is one of the best-restored and well-maintained heritage sites in Pakistan. If the Makli necropolis is the crown of Thatta, the Shah Jehan Mosque is its most precious jewel.

  You may Follow Muhammad Yousuf Bhatti on  www.facebook.com/themybs

   (Click the image above to view high res version on Flickr)

I Confess. Not.

A take on DMC Confessions
By Butool Hisam (D'17)

I have posted about the confessions page quite a number of times, so much so that I doubt people would need to read my name and breathe that ‘not again’ sigh when they see it. Or they might do just the latter. 

This post is not about giving the admin a good old bashing, it is about analyzing what the Confessions page is a reflection off.

As a second year, I have been a witness (though thankfully, from a distance) of the dirty politics people tend to play. I am sure that for a lot of people, this year must have been very trying in terms of which CG they would join, whether others in their group would accept them or not etc. These are issues that I can and am writing about pretty casually but by the end of the day, they can be someone’s nightmare. As if we, as medical students, need any more of them.

Most of the time, if not always, such squabbles ranging from downright petty to serious, stem from one thing; backbiting. And before anyone feels like I am pointing a finger at them, here is my ‘confession’ (only I am not doing this anonymously): If backbiting be a kingdom, I would be its damn Queen!

I backbite all the time; of our teacher’s accents, the miserable timetables, the admin people who make me run around for signing one simple form and what not.

But here is the thing; this is not something I am proud of. If I am admitting that what I do is wrong (and it is), it is because I resolve and hope to stop.

I have, however, tried to steer clear of backbiting about my fellow-students. Like most of you, I participated in the nerve-wrecking rat race we all have to go through to get into medical school. And as happy as I was to finally get in, I was thankful simply to be there.

I don’t know what battles others fought to get in. I don’t know what you go through every day. I don’t know you. And in a class of about 350 people and a college of over thousand students, I may never get to know you well enough.

So why should I judge you for aspects others might perceive as odd? The haircut, the choice of friends, the accent etc?

I do get the need to confess, sometimes. I realize we all need an outlet. But I am also acutely aware that there is a fine line between having fun and hurting someone. Most of the ‘confessions’, however, are just plain rude and hurtful. You think someone did something wrong? Please have the decency and courage to tell them on their face. Moreover, if we have something negative to say about others, the fact that we don’t have the guts to say it on their faces, says a lot about us, not them. Funnily enough, such confessors manage to insult themselves quite finely in the process of dissing someone else. They can read about their ‘achievements’ more here: http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/18824/things-have-gone-too-far-on-facebook-confession-pages/.

Look at where we are. We study in the heart of Pakistan’s ‘most dangerous city’. We have to spend hours in a hospital where humanity appears to be wailing in misery. Where little kids run about barefoot near wards reeking of sweat. Where people come from afar just to get free treatment even if it means having to sleep on the floor near the corridors. If this is not enough to humble us to be more considerate human being, then perhaps nothing will!

Ultimately, I really cannot say much to the admin. But a lot can be said about the people who have liked the page and are posting such confessions. You are the ones promoting it, not them. If you could take a stand and simply stop confessing such absurdities that only harm others in the long run, you could put an end to this platform giving voice to a bunch of cowards hiding behind a computer screen.

You can follow Butool on www.labyrinthine916.blogspot.com/

A Dowite Doctor

SEMESTER!!!
By Laraib Zafar (D'17)

Books books everywhere,

Reading them without fear

In the point, in the house,

On the computer with a mouse;

Dealing with lectures and websites,

In days and even nights.

Half the year I studied like a nerd,

But in the semester I didn’t know a word;

In the other half I stopped being a nerd,

Still in the semester I didn’t get a word;

So study no book or read those all,

Semester will prove you don’t know a word at all!

  BEING A DOWITE IS MORE DIFFICULT THAN BEING A DOCTOR ….

  

Preparation for MCAT

by Adil Siddiqui- D'18

(with some contributions from Anum Zehra Raza- D'18)

I know how it is, how it feels to be hanging there not knowing what the future awaits for you. Trust me, you need not calm down right now since you hardly have a month left. If I had been writing this post a month back, I would have asked you to be cool about the exam and take it easily. But since the span is less, you guys need to bring up your A-game right now.

I hope by now you all have joined a coaching centre for MCAT preparation and given dozens of tests there (it surely helps!). In case you haven’t, you need not worry. There are students who managed to get in, without attempting a single practice test. These institutes are going to scare you about how hard the paper is going to be and how competitive the race is. They may be true about the latter but not about the former.

The NTS test was the easiest MCQ test I've ever written in my life! My emotions were contrary to this conclusion (and yours might be too) when I first entered the test venue: an enormous, tented ground with thousands of chairs and tables. The only thing that helped me out there was a little trip to the lavatory before the test and loads of prayers to settle my nerves.

So this was a brief strategy as to how you are to think about the day of the paper but there are still questions unanswered. How do you need to prepare for it? Is it okay if you leave some topics? There are thousands of people who have given the MCAT and everyone might have a different tactic to study for it. What worked for me might not work for you. Nevertheless, I will tell you about my experience, how I failed to do what I was supposed to do and what you should do.

 

Study smartly!

Although I am in DMC on merit, I do have regrets. I didn't study much for the paper. I did not go through the books at all before the last month. And whomever you are going to is going to tell you the same thing, "The paper is made from the Intermediate books and the Intermediate books only".

It's good if you have gone through all the subject books twice by now. If not, it's okay. I hadn't too. When it comes to how much you are supposed to study, I had friends studying six to seven hours a day apart from the six to seven hours they spent in the coaching center and it did pay off for some. For some, it didn't. (I won’t tell you how long I studied because it’s shameful :p ).

The key to it all is smart studying. Smart studying is studying in a manner in which you'll be able to retain whatever you go through and not simply reading the way you would read The Kite Runner.

Highlighters are a good tool for this purpose but please don’t end up painting the book! Highlight the lines that deem importance, for example you should highlight the vitamins involved in the Krebs cycle (Vitamin B complex), what the grasslands are called (bread baskets of the world), or the definition of Pauli's exclusion principle.

You might be wondering if you can leave some topics. Yes, sure you can but on your own risk. You cannot expect anything from the NTS! 

There is a fair chance of repetition of questions. So try solving past papers; any NTS paper will do. MCAT books might also facilitate you; I had Dogar Sons. I didn't look at it much but the chapters I went through became my forte. You should only go for MCAT books if you are done with intermediate books. If not, then don't waste your time on anything extra.

Subject wise tips

It's been a year, I cannot recall it all but what I remember is that the Biology and Chemistry section of the test can be easily solved if you have read the books (thanks to the "ratta" type questions).

Try not to ignore Organic Chemistry since it's important. Do chapter 10 thoroughly. In Biology, no chapter is less important than the other. If you are worried about Kingdom Plantae and Animalia, you should at least know the botanical names of plants and classification of animals. Though, no more than one hard and three easy questions are going to be made out of these two chapters combined.

Physics is what most pre-medical students find difficult. The key to do good in Physics is to solve all the numericals and examples given in the Intermediate books. It helps when you have the image of the answers of each and every numerical in your mind from the examples of the books (This is a good trick, trust me :D).
Any numerical requiring very lengthy working is not expected to come. So, do not and I mean DO NOT look at the ladder numericals in God knows fourth or fifth chapter of the first year book. The examiner isn't stupid to give it in the paper since you only have a minute for a question.
Chapter 2, 3,4,10 are most important. You cannot, at any cost, ignore them. At least one dimension would be asked from chapter 1 and that would probably be the only thing to be asked from this chapter. You must know the definitions from chapter 5. Numericals would be mostly from chapter 2,3,4,7,8,10. Doppler effect is the likely thing to be asked from chapter 8. You are expected to know the mass, radius of earth/moon from chapter 6. Learn the values of all important constants.

For English, you need to not worry at all. Two vocabulary questions are the only tricky thing in this section, which wouldn’t be a problem if your English is fine.

 

Manage your time properly

"One minute for a question", keep that in mind. Contrary to this, I was taught "20 seconds for a question" from where I did my preparation but the mere thought of it is bogus too.

Yes, you might not even need 20 seconds for easy biology questions but then there are Physics numericals and Organic chemistry that definitely take a minute. I used the word 'easy' here , you must understand that every student who's least interested to get into a medical college will get these questions correct (the pattern of the NTS test is approximately 10 difficult questions, 50 moderate questions and 40 easy questions).

Don't bother about more than half the hard questions if you're not aiming to get in the top 25. Getting in the top 25 sounds very fancy but it all dies down in a while when you're in the medical college.

Do not overdo your paper

All of you might have calculated your score out of 50 by now. If not, then you should do it now. Add 10% of your O levels’ equivalence or Matric percentage to 40% of your Inter or A levels percentage and you have the result. It's well and good if it's above 40. If it's not, you just have to score more in the test, there's no big deal there.

This score, out of 50, will give you an idea of how many questions you need to attempt correctly in order to secure your seat. If for instance your score is 43/50, keeping in mind last year's closing percentage of 85.3, you need to score a minimum of 86 in your test. If you are sure you'll get 86 questions correct, do not try to pick an intuitive answer. Negative marking can mess it up for you. I attempted 91 and got five wrong. 

Final Advice 

Lastly, do not rush with the smearing circles there, you're supposed to fill it in pen so no recovering your answer.

At the day of the paper, be prepared with everything you're supposed to bring. DO NOT leave the admit card like a lot of people did. Have a light breakfast, try not studying a lot the day before, and rather spend some time watching light comedy, praying or reading poetry. This helped me and it might help you too.

You need to have that one determination in you: you are going to beat the sh** out of the paper! It probably is the most important paper of your life and you'll be dealing with a hundred folds difficult papers from now on. I'm not going to say it's okay if you mess up the paper. You're going to ruin your life if you do that trust me. And it'll be a matter of hours when you find out if you're becoming a doctor or not.

I'm sorry to fabricate this tension in you but start studying like there’s nothing else to do. Read the books again and again. As the stress starts building, don't be too fussy with your parents; they are the ones who want it the most for you.

I've given you a good tactical analysis I hope, but of course, the experience of it will be somewhat different. Good luck with everything that comes along the way. Do share your experience after the paper and ask anything if you're confused about it.