August and thereabouts is a most interesting time of the year at AFMC. The interested wanderer moving through the corridors of the boys hostel would have noticed - hold your hats - Penguins darting around!! Penguins??!!?? here?? in the tropics? Close scrutiny reveals what his realistic mind has been seeing all the while - Boys with zero cut in white shirts, black trousers and black ties who are attemping various acrobatics or maybe cracking a joke or two or doing what ever it is that suspiciously human looking chap is asking them to do. Just as our observer is wondering who they might be, he is startled by that sudden booom down the corridor - "FRESHER". Ah, the new batch is being admitted to AFMC, and it is the onerous duty of the senior to help them through the growing pains of the metamorphosis from a lesser mortal to that enigma called "AFMCite". Orienting them to live life at AFMC, so to say. What better way to do this than with some fun and frolic.

Well, having taught the fresher all he could for the morning, the exhausted senior partakes of a sumptious breakfast and sets of for the college where, provided he dosn't get waylaid at the girls hostel ( which falls enroute), or at the midway canteen (which also fortunately falls enroute), he would attend an odd class or two to complete his sleep that was sacrificied for the benefit of the freshie. His slumber broken by the exit of the lecturer, our dear fellow totters down to the bank where having withdrawn the princely sum of Rs. 150 or so, he would repair to Satish's (one of the many canteens), where over a cuppa, he would mull on the intricate economics of how to make that ammount last while having a whale of a time.

All this when he found time for representing the collge or at worst his batch in cricket, quiz,debates, dramatics, music or whatever it was that he loved to do. He or she (lest the feminist bring their wrath down on me) is always on the lookout for an avenue to freakout, be it the birhtday of the college or a batchmate or anyone for that matter, or the rocking AFMC socials, or the impromptu get togethers at the Laloo's (another of those canteens!!!) (Imp Note: all AFMC cafeterias provide STD at the authorised rates)

Some where in between , like the famous TATA steel ad, He also studies medicine. Wasn't life hectic and fun. Hey hold it, despite all this the AFMCite also puts his college at the top of the charts in a national survey (hyperlink Indiatoday site). The no of AFMCites doing the college proud in Inida and abroad is staggering. How's that for a allround performance.

The descerning reader must be on his feet by now asking the obvious Q -> What of the fresher? An intensive search through the hostel, past the AFMC mosque and the AFMC temple, past the Open air theatre( where both english and hindi movies are screened twice a week free of cost), past the two beautiful and elegant Auditoria (named after the great Dhanvantri and Bharadwaj), past the very futuristic lookin new lecturehall complex and the breath taking tri-radiate golden jublee block, takes us to the Physiology and biochemistry departments. But no, He isn't here! Where could he be? How about that old british building ? Ah, there he is, grappling with the intricacies of human anatomy under the high roof of the dissection hall and the watchful eyes of the omnipresent Dr. Z. But what Ho! He is dozed of ! Right at the feet of Caddy the cadaver. And he's smiling too? Ah that's it then. He is seeing visions of the day when he too will be out of the penquin suit and will don the garb of the AFMCite, when he would represent the college and of the day he would passout a most complete doctor and a well polished personality.

Things do change, and AFMC is no exception. There is daily early morning PT!!! You actually see the familiar beige in unfamiliar surroundings of the clinics and at even more unfamiliar times like the dusk!!! but traditions remain the same. The 'cadets' still gather at Laloo's Insti (now called AFMC Cafeteria) to discuss plans of Lonavala/Goa next sunday or who the would dance with at the next socials.The spirit of AFMC lives.

This you see is AFMC, not just any other Medical College - not just any other College for that matter.

KILROY WAS HERE!