A Letter of Love to Beginning Students of Homeopathy

Greetings to all you young students with a twinkle in your eye, a spring in your step, a prayer in your hearts and that special spark of intellect. This is a day about you! The homeopathic fraternity whole-heartedly welcomes the nascent freshness of your mind and spirit into its fold. This is a moment which would be close to your hearts because it is a moment of opportunity. This is the moment of truth for you as you are stepping into a stream of medicine that would not just herald your career, but also your life.

I just met a twenty something techie the other day while waiting in my clinic and he was continuing to work on his hand-held device. “I envy you”, I said, “that you can carry on with your job at any time.” He was not amused and said, “Well, try as much as I do, it doesn’t save lives.” Well, that is the resounding truth of your job in the days to come; it has the capacity to save lives. Isn’t that an enviable job? Isn’t it a job that would command love, affection and respect all bundled into one?  With a few sugar pills imprinted with homeopathic medicines, the suffering individual does not have to undergo the pain of treatment along with the disease!

Make no mistake about it.  Many have joined Homeopathy not by choice, but mostly after not being able to procure an admission into mainstream medicine. It is a blessing in disguise, because the possibilities of homeopathic treatment and the vastness of its application are growing day by day. This is the profession one needs to be in! With the right attitude and a positive approach you can enjoy the immense potential of this burgeoning medical science. Without the right attitude, we have seen many good minds wither away as they dwell on what they have missed out on, rather than making use of the good opportunity in their hands.

Homeopathy is an emerging science, at the juncture of what computer science was thirty years ago. Homeopathy is recognized all over the world and we reach out to people in their own languages. We will play a stellar role for the progress of Homeopathy and you will be the Prince/Princess of the brigade! You have a little way to go and you take your first step in that direction now.

As you reach the college on the first day with parents in tow, you may have butterflies in your stomach. Your mind is preoccupied by what your teachers will be like, about what new friends you’ll meet, how the curriculum will challenge you and that you would be living away from your family and friends for half a decade. Don’t let anyone dismiss this as anxiety. It is rather the spark in you. It is a precursor to setting of a goal and a shaping up of an ambition. This is the same nervous energy that is going to drive you.

For you to succeed you will need the blessings and guidance of the untiring gentlemen who are the pillars of the college. As you strive to achieve your goals, the faculty are always there by your side, to help you achieve your potential.

It has been 25 years since my freshman class had those butterflies and still the faculty of our college (HKES’ Homeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Gulbarga, Karnataka, India) look to nurture us. It is a lifelong relationship. They have helped many an ugly pupa to moult and fly away as a beautiful butterfly.

You are coming from a background of basics in science. The quick launch into medicine and Homoeopathy may be a little overwhelming. Don’t rush to belittle any subject, as the mystique of Organon of Medicine will take a while to sink in. It is not uncommon to find disappointments on the way, but consider them as challenges and learn from the little failures.

Coming from a third world country, where making a living is also paramount and a profession is largely counted as the means to achieving financial freedom,  parents are anxious about how their wards will fare. Homeopaths can make as good a living as any, and the profession brings with it the satisfaction of serving mankind, including the poor and needy. From this service you get to practice true religion!

Do we hear a mumble under your breath?

Honge kaamyab, hum honge kaamyab,

ek din,

man me hai vishwas, poora hai vishwas, hum honge kamyaab, ek din……..

Affectionately,

Dr. Venugopal Gouri