Grade

Met WY in the grand round. As usual, both of us were hiding at the back of the lecture theater so that we could enjoy a moment of casual conversation.

"You know, there are going to be so many changes. Our life is getting more and more difficult." She sighed.

"Yes, " I knew what she meant, "Changes in every aspect indeed, so much so I find it difficult to thrive here."

"You ?" My friend seemed incredulous.

"True. And I do mean every aspect too. Take our students as an example. Fourteen years ago, when I first organized the final examination, students hardly had any complaint about their grade - and that only happened if a candidate failed unexpectedly. Now, there are handfuls of them each year - and they all say why they have a C but not B or even A !"

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My memory was brought back to the time when I first joined the sub-specialty training. One day, during a casual conversation, the man who still had a moustache (who, at that time, was also the chairman of the department) mentioned that our house officer, who was so-so in every aspect but somehow arrogant, claimed (not complaining to the faculty office !) that, although he scored a B in the final, he really deserved a distinction in medicine.

"If you give him a distinction," I said coldly, "I would return mine to the Faculty - so that I would not be considered to have the same standard as him - nor that we are the same kind of people."