Dr Prabhu set to score a ‘Perfect 10’ as Dean of KMC, Mangaluru

He was the first-ever alumnus to become the Dean of Kasturba Medical College (KMC), Mangaluru on December 1, 2011. A little less than a decade to that date and come June 1, Dr  M Venkataraya Prabhu will set a record of sorts to excel all his predecessors – most of whom were his own teachers – to become the longest-serving Dean in the history of KMC, Mangaluru.

In 2011, little did Dr Prabhu know that he would emulate his illustrious teachers. June 1 will Dr Prabhu exceed the previous record of late Prof KP Ganesan (9-1/2-years). In reaching here, Dr Prabhu has crossed the  6-year stint by Prof M V Chari,  7-years of Prof M P Pai, 7-1/2-years of Prof  B M Hegde, and 8-1/2 years of Prof GD Veliath, all of whom he reveres.

Attributing the greatness and reputation that the college enjoys today to these illustrious teachers, Dr Prabhu also attributes his present stature to the founder of KMC Late Dr TMA Pai from whom he received a baptism by fire into KMC Manipal. Late Dr Pai had delivered the orientation speech on August 1, 1976. His 1976 batch was admitted as the last undivided batch to KMC Manipal.

It was in 1977 that KMC Mangalore started its 1st MBBS course to become a complete college. The founder’s 80th Birthday was celebrated during Dr Prabhu’s 1st MBBS in Manipal and whose words had a lasting effect on his future and continues to guide him today. Three generations of Pai’s have made him what he is today, Dr Prabhu acknowledges openly.  

A great admirer of Dr Ramdas M Pai, Chancellor, MAHE, Dr Prabhu compares his leadership to that of Sir Winston Churchill who won the Second World War for the Allies. This comparison is apt because Dr Pai won the war against the tyranny of the Medical Council of India under whose leadership he functioned as an administrator for the last 20 years – 10-1/2 years as Associate Dean from 2011.

It was in 2011 that then dean – Dr H S Ballal, now Pro-Chancellor, MAHE who gave Dr Prabhu the lucky break and inducted him as his associate Dean to start with and now is in the 10th year running as the dean. It was Dr Ranjan Pai, chairman of Manipal Education and Medical Group that told Dr Prabhu that he deserves a perfect 10 in giving him his final extension. 

Having taken a keen interest to develop Mangaluru campus with the support of the first lady of MAHE and trustee of MAHE trust – Vasanthi R Pai, Dr Prabhu attributes the leadership of Dr Ranjan Pai to the global rank that MAHE achieved with  KMC Mangaluru having broken into the top 20 in India in NIRF ranks which has been maintained consistently for the past 4 years.

Having been an undergraduate at Silver Jubilee of KMC, Associate Dean at Golden Jubilee and Dean at Diamond Jubilee, Dr Prabhu’s most memorable moment as Dean was the function “Light House Hill  @50” to commemorate 50 years of the inauguration of the iconic structure of KMC at Light House Hill Road on October 13, 2017, in the presence of which 13 senior teaching faculty.

These teachers who incidentally had witnessed the historic event of inauguration of the said building by VV Giri, the then Vice President of India in the presence of Dr TMA Pai were felicitated by Vasanthi R Pai, trustee, MAHE trust and Dr Ranjan Pai, Chairman, MEMG being the guests of honour with several distinguished alumni in attendance.

During his time at the helm of affairs in the annual NIRF rankings, which is the most credible ranking started by UGC in 2018 for the medical colleges, KMC has been consistently within the top 20  in the list of 25 national ranks announced every year  – not a mean achievement for which 100 medical colleges apply for. Dr Prabhu attributed all this to the team effort of all stakeholders concerned.

When he finishes his tenure as dean, Dr Prabhu wishes to emulate his former teacher K P Ganesan and work as a professor emeritus teaching clinical medicine. In addition, he also wishes to use his strong bonds with former students to strengthen the alumni movement. An interesting point is that during his stint as dean, he has had the privilege of working with five Deans of his alma mater – KMC, Manipal.

In addition, Dr Prabhu wishes to complete his autobiography which he has already started writing with some explosive details based on his journey that has been guided by what Victor Hugo, a French writer of the 19th century said, “No force can stop the march of an idea whose time has come”. Students going on to become teachers and then the ‘headmaster’ of their alma-mater is rare, he adds.

This post has been published in arrangement with Jaideep J Shenoy