MEDICAL COLLEGE EX STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION UK
Calcutta Medical College - original B&W by Johnstone and Hoffman 1885
MCESAUK is inspired by the parent association and is the forum of Calcutta Medical College alumni in the UK. It took shape in 1978 with Dr Kamal Panja at the helm. Over the years, what started as a simple get together has evolved into an elaborate event with creative cultural activities, intellectual academic sessions, great dining and drinks and variety programmes to cater to the wide tastes of the alumni and families. The reunions are always full of fun and stimulation that include drama, singing, dance, quiz, scientific sessions, variety programmes often with invited guest artists and a charity event with the highly sought after gala dinner and dance. They usually take place in July from a Friday evening to the Sunday afternoon and weather permitting ends in a barbeque. The average attendance is circa 200 with newer alumni joining every year. Guest lecturers distinguished in the medical profession or otherwise are invited during the scientific session and during the dinner. The scientific session is always accredited by a Royal College for CPD credits. Advertisers are invited and their presences are keenly felt during the scientific session whilst outside academia, jewellery and saree exhibitions and handicraft exhibitions are encouraged and indeed add flavour to the reunion.
Innovative convenors have always tried to make their reunion special. 1995 was the first time when the reunion was held in a hotel; in 2007, in Croydon, Indian food was served for the first time in the gala dinner; in 2009, there was a highly successful Bollywood/Hollywood style extravaganza in Nottingham, in 2010, the convenor went to great lengths to delight the delegates with Padma Hilsa fish in Macclesfield, in 2013 , in Holmes Chapel, there was a photographic exhibition highlighting how the college flagship building the Medical College Hospital; effortlessly merged with the then colonial architecture in Calcutta in the 19th century and was a palace in the ‘’city of palaces’’ in its own right; 2015 saw the introduction of a Reunion debate in Croydon and 2016 was marked by the staging of a Bengali version of Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice in a barge on the Thames. Creativity and intellectual camaraderie abound in the reunions.
The MCESAUK has its own constitution and is administered by an Executive Council which is elected democratically following all correct processes and procedures. The elected chairman is usually the senior most person with excellent track record in previous reunions in leadership roles. For the delegates, the Annual General Meeting in the final day of the reunion is the opportunity to have their say in the organisation.
The MCESAUK annual reunion is thus an ideal platform not only for the alumni and their families to think fondly of their glorious Alma Mater for three days but also for advertisers an ideal event to promote their products to a highly distinguished medical fraternity encompassing all disciplines in the science in the UK.