I.M.P

(IMP – short for Important. Pronounced as aaee-em-pee, usually in a deferential tone)

To any outsider, medical education is probably an impossible job. Mastering some 50 books with over a thousand pages each in addition to the burdensome clinical study is no mean task. But, men must adapt and though we work like dogs, genetically we are still men. And so, to make things easier and the goals reasonably attainable, the concept of ‘IMP’ was built up.

I have always believed in studying subjects in their entirety. When your association with a subject (academically) is only for a year or two as in the case of MBBS, it is only fair that you start the subject as a toddler and gradually attain mastery over it without missing a single step in the midst. Books are meant to be read as a whole and while the importance due to various topics might me different, there is nothing which can be absolutely left out. As a result, I was shocked and disgusted to see the prevalent system in medical colleges when I started my education in the first year. Ragging, senior-worship and treatment of big, fat books with light contempt – everything had its roots in the concept of ‘IMP’. As you probably read above, ‘IMP’ means ‘Important’. There are variants and graduations too – Most IMP, Most Most IMP, Just Read portions, Uni(versity…) 100% questions – there’s a whole world of medical student jargon in there. I suppose you must have got it by now – IMPs are those exclusive portions you need to get through before exams to pass, possibly with a good result too. IMPs are the topics in the syllabus which are to be revered and memorized to an extent that you should be able to utter them back pronto in sleep. IMPs are memos from the Gods of Medicine. And how do you get those precious IMPs? Seniors. Get those ‘experienced campaigners’ to ‘TICK’ the ‘IMP’ portions. And so, ask for any book from a medical student and you will find it smeared with graffiti by a senior with IMPs and 100%s dominating the pages. The rest of the book might as well be just blank pages.

I am personally dead against the practice of IMPs and Ticking. How in the name of heavens can you prophesize what’s going to come in exams? Unless of course, the professors who set the questions have an identical list of IMPs with them. When after years of failed attempts, Bejan Daruwalla still fools around with vague horoscopes and Rakesh Roshan scratches his bald head wondering why Krazzy 4 sank at the box office inspite of being named with a ‘K’ as the great numerologists of Bollywood instructed him to do, the least you can expect of the future is that its going to be totally unexpected.  I say, what are you going to do when a patient comes with an ailment that was NOT IMP? Would you hang your head in shame and politely beg his pardon for not having any clue about that particular area of medicine?  It sounds embarrassing even when put in text. But still, the truth is that IMPs do remain the popular option in medical colleges because what matters most in current times are examinations and not real-life simulations. My disregard for IMPs has led me to have an evil reputation in itself. Firstly, I am considered a senseless daredevil, trying to make things more difficult for himself. Secondly, now that I am a senior, I am black-listed as far as ‘ticking’ portions for the juniors is concerned. Standing 2^nd in the University and with a stout difference of marks between the guy ranked next in the hostel, I am considered to be a kind of person who reads every single thing for exams (if truth be said, I really do that!). And so, reflect the juniors, what sense would it make to go and get portions ticked from a guy who doesn’t even care what portions are to be ticked? Their thinking is not far from correct – there was this only instance when I counseled a junior and instructed him to read certain portions – he ended up with a score of 16/50, a disaster if not anything else. Medical education is not meant to be just rushed through for the sake of getting it done and over with – it is to be patiently pursued, if possible enjoyed, and thoroughly ruminated in order to make proper use of it. IMPs are short-cuts and as they say, there are no short-cuts to success. If you do want to read selectively, sieve through the topics with your own discretion. At least go through them once personally and ensure that there is not anything you need/want to know that you are leaving behind. When you are blessed with a functioning brain, use it. People, they say, are blind followers like sheep. Prove them wrong – just for this one time.