Message from the President

Deshamanya Vidya Jyothi Dr J B Peiris

 

 

 

 

 

 

CoMSAA in its second year

In the life of an association, the second year, is comparable to the toddler phase of life. CoMSAA, on the other hand is already standing tall and taking long strides. Compared to our sister faculties in Peradeniya and Ruhuna, CoMSAA has had a belated start, probably due to the plethora of Associations and Colleges in the Capital city. Perhaps, the absence of a residential campus and lack of cohesiveness in the larger numbers were some reasons for the slow start of CoMSAA. The relative ease of obtaining a remunerated or academic post overseas, with the excellent medical education we received, may have been another factor. The mass exodus certainly did not help or encourage activities of an alumnus body.  Be that as it may, let us not be labelled ‘senile’ and lethargic.
Even in this electronic age it is not easy even to trace the many thousands who have left this hallowed institution with the most important possession of a prize education entirely free of payment. We are in the process of compiling a CD of the alumni with photos at the time of entry, which should jog the memory and help to enlist many more alumni, especially from distant lands.
During the coming year, I hope to concentrate on 3 of the objectives of CoMSAA, namely

  1. To encourage, foster and promote close relations between the School and its alumni and among the alumni themselves.
  2. to guide and assist alumni to establish academic, professional and research collaboration nationally and internationally
  3. to develop interactions with other alumni associations of other medical schools and the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine

The website(www.comsaa.org) and the blog are already in place and you are welcome to contribute to the newsletter by way of photographs, articles or snippets from your medical life.(E mail:comsaa@rocketmail.com).
Some of the areas which need support are:

  • Provision of computers to the fully computerised Faculty Medical Library where only 3 of the 10 old computers are functional.
  • Improvement of Common room facilities. CoMSAA has already provided a piano, TV and multi media projector
  • financial assistance scheme for needy medical students -

Initially a sum of Rs 500,000 will be placed in a fixed deposit by CoMSAA and interest will be utilized, to provide a monthly payment.
The committee and I will need the encouragement and participation of as many alumni as possible. I hope that you will encourage your friends to join in our effort.