A walk to remember: Endocrine Society of India Torrent Young Scholar Award East Zonal round 2015.

This letter aims to bring out a few highlights and the experiences of the participants, audience, quizmasters, and the judges at Endocrine Society of India Torrent Young Scholar Award East Zonal round 2015 held in Kolkata on 6(th) September, 2015.

PROLOGUE

Fortunately for us, nobody measured our plasma or urinary metanephrines on the morning of Endocrine Society of India (ESI) Torrent Young Scholar Award (TYSA) East Zonal round 2015 else all would have been diagnosed with pheochromocytoma! So said one of our quizmasters and how true it was! We will leave it to the readers’ imagination to envisage the palpable tension in the hall as the quest started for awarding the best brains in endocrinology.

ENDOCRINE SOCIETY OF INDIA-TORRENT YOUNG SCHOLAR AWARD

ESI-TYSA is an annual national level endocrinology quiz targeting primarily the final year Doctorate of Medicine (DM) Endocrinology residents across the country. Initially, it was a single step affair being held at Ahmedabad. However with increased popularity and more active participation from across the country, it is now a two-step event. The first step is a zonal event in Eastern, Northern, and Southern India, for the medical colleges in those zones. The top four candidates from each of these zones would participate in the final event at Ahmedabad later this year. Here are a few excerpts and opinions from all sections of the gathering on the day of the East Zonal rounds in Kolkata held on 6th September 2015.

IN IHE PARTICIPANTS’ SHOES

The participants had to go through four rounds in which various aspects of their skills and knowledge were assessed. The clinical eye round was truly a test of the clinical acumen as various case scenarios unfolded, to be diagnosed by the participants. It was a test of the clinical association skills of a participant, having to put together different clinical pictures to reach a diagnosis. Then came the “3 min in 3 years” round in which we had to present our thesis/research work during the DM training period. We could hardly beat the clock in this round. Brevity was the hallmark of this round. The third round “the journal grill” tested our knowledge of the topics on which we had publications on. It was a test not only about the research content and quality but also on the appropriate knowledge of how to conduct research in the best possible way. The last round “the adrenaline rush” was the most challenging of all. The thinking caps were on but it was a race against time again. Those of us who were able to think on their feet fared well but for some of us, our grey cells were coming apart at their seams! The critic's view of this round was that the questions were centered on diabetology rather than encompassing the vast subject of endocrinology but then we as endocrinologists are expected to know diabetes inside out. Yet another felt that the questions should have been more practical than just numerical values. Says Dr. Ashish Deshmukh, DM Trainee, Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College, Kolkata, “Our anxiety and fears on the morning of ESI-TYSA 2105 were allayed by Dr. Sanjay Kalra, the convener, with his introductory address. The judges and quizmasters did a wonderful job and it is hard to find any lacunae in the organization of this event.”

IN THE AUDIENCE'S SHOES

The audience, of course, had a whale of a time, being on the other side of the battlefield! There was a quiz for the audience too and our quiz masters had really made this part of the event a show stopper, with questions about trivia, mythology and nutrition facts.[12] Adding to it the audience took a whole lot of goodies home too! Says Dr. Ashok Kumar, DM Trainee, IPGMER, Kolkata, “Format of the TYSA is adequately formatted in terms of the assessment of the various skills of the participants, especially the in depth knowledge of the subject and the ability to assess different studies, which is very essential as we are going to be the future trendsetters in endocrinology.” Says Dr. Subhodip Pramanick, DM Trainee, IPGMER, Kolkata, “the endocrine TYSA zonal round is empowered with more dynamic anchors and orators, as well as renowned judges and the rounds are more interesting and competitive than they are in the medicine zonal round, which is rather exam oriented (multiple-choice questions, thesis, viva voce and clinico-pathological correlation).”

IN THE JUDGES' SHOES

The judges were truly the wise ones as they went out of their way to put the participants’ at ease and get the best out of them. What was a major lacuna in the performances, according to the judges was the inability to manage time skillfully by the participants. This dearth of time management was especially glaring in the “3 years in 3 min” and the rapid fire rounds.

IN THE QUIZMASTERS' SHOES

To take the lead and run the show is no easy task but our quizmasters were no ordinary people either! They managed to serve a mélange of fun and knowledge to the hungry crowd. Says Dr. Soumik Goswami, one of our quizmasters, “ESI-TYSA serves as a golden opportunity to network with peers, seniors and stalwarts in the field of Endocrinology. It helps the student know where he/she stands compared to his/her peers. Three hours may be insufficient time for this grand annual event and organizers should consider spreading it over 2 days with more clinical questions. All postdoctoral trainees should come forward to participate in this event.”

EPILOGUE

Retrospectively as we look back, it was truly a wonderful experience, an important part of DM Endocrinology curriculum.[3] It is an excellent platform for budding young endocrinologists at the crossroads of their career, to showcase their talents and make new friends. All is well that ends well. The stars have risen in the east for ESI-TYSA 2015. It will truly be a clash of the titans at the national rounds this year. May the best man/woman win!

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest