The joy of bathing a newborn baby

I had to attend an interview for selecting the best intern in the department of preventive and social medicine (what is also known as community medicine to modern people). There were only three candidates. On inquiry I found that the interns had to apply for the award, and then they would be called for the interview if they met the selection criteria. That reminded me of the procedure for applying for some of the high, higher and highest awards in the country, including the sports awards. It seems one is not automatically given the award for being what one is, and achieving what one has achieved. It is given based on these facts all right, but only if one has applied for it. On similar lines, three interns had applied for it, and were called for the interview. Normally I request the person who is in charge of the internship programme in my department to go for this interview. But today that person was busy in the operation theater and hence I went myself. The interns were enthusiastic, but not well groomed for interviews. By modern standards, an interview is not a place for being honest. One has to give politically correct answers and get what one wants. They did not know this and gave honest answers. They had not conducted deliveries, and hence would not be able to do so after getting their degree certificates. The curriculum looks fine on paper, but the system is such that many things in the fine curriculum remain not covered despite the facilities being present. They did not have any satisfactory answer for not conducting deliveries. I don't think is possible for the staff members to find out when women are about to deliver, then find the interns and take them to the labor room to make them deliver those women. There are resident doctors on duty and qualified senior residents or lecturers to supervise their work. The students just have to be there and deliver women under supervision. I still recall my days as a student, when we used to compete with student midwives for getting a chance to deliver women. I recall holding the newborn babies in a basin of hot water to give them their first bath after I delivered them. It took some skill to hold them in the water with their heads above the water with one hand and give them a bath without dropping them in that water. It was great fun too. Now the students and interns are missing out on the essential education as well as the fun, and reading in libraries for the common entrance test which determines whether they can do postgraduation or not, and if they can, in which subject.