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wrote this for the upcoming Catalyst... since no one who visits this place actually reads it, i can post it here :) interviewing this lecturer was absolutely interesting but i do have my personal opinions.By Awla bt Mohd Azraai
Serious, strict and stringent WOULD have been the adjectives I’d use to describe him. I used to get stomach aches and tension-type headaches at the thought of PBL sessions with him. My classmates and I actually ‘prepare’ before going to his lectures lest we get asked by him. Our seniors called him “the walking Papa Robin” (referring to the Robbins and Cotran Pathology text book). My friends think he looks like George Clooney. He really does look fit and hardly aged for a 51 year-old man.
He comes very early to work, and to class too (unfortunately). Yet, he goes home quite late in the evenings. He always takes much of the recess time to finish his lectures. He does not feel the need to cover his glass window and I always steal a peek to see what he’s up to whenever I pass by (NB: he’ll always be in the same position at his desk).
As intimidated as I was with his personality, my curious nature got the better of me and I was intrigued to become better acquainted with this Pakistani pathology lecturer. One inconspicuous evening toward the end of Y2B2, I gathered up the courage and executed my impromptu interview. Within several minutes of the interview, I was amazed at how wrong my perception of him was. However, I did not follow through with my article at that time due to the lack of material and time constraints.
When Dr Khurshid announced his plan to leave IIUM Kuantan, I thought it was best to complete this piece and share with others the exact nature of this truly dedicated and amazing lecturer before he goes. Do read on.
General background
Born on the 23rd of June 1955 in Kohat, Pakistan, Dr. Khurshid Anwar is the eldest of four siblings. His family has never stayed in one place for long. His father was a government servant and his mother a housewife. He is married to a wonderful lady named Shahanaz and is blessed with two children. His eldest son, Saqib, 20, is currently studying medicine in Pakistan whilst his daughter, Sara, 19, is taking English Literature and Drama in Canada.
Medical training and working experience
According to Dr. Khurshid, the thought of becoming a doctor had never occurred to him, let alone a pathologist. However, when his exam results made him eligible to do so, he applied for a place at Khyber Medical College, Peshawar and was accepted. In 1979, he obtained his medical degree. He furthered his studies and completed his M.Phil (Pathology) in Karachi in 1983. Then, in 1987, he went to Japan to do his PhD on the role of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in carcinogenesis. Upon completion of his PhD, he returned to Pakistan and worked as a demonstrator at one of the Postgraduate Medical Hospitals. He was later promoted to Head of Department. In 1997, he was offered a teaching job in IIUM Kulliyyah of Medicine. And he has hence stayed in Malaysia for seven years until now (the longest period in a foreign country, he says).
Dr. Khurshid will be working in King Khalid University in Abha, Saudi Arabia as an Associate Professor and will be teaching pathology (what else?). What are your future plans? “I don’t know yet. I accept whatever Allah has in store for me. When my contract is over, I might move to Canada where my daughter and my wife’s relatives are. Nevertheless, I love teaching. Most of my family members are in the teaching profession.”
Interests and hobbies
His prime interest is jogging, that it has become a form of addiction for him (runner’s high). He jogs (or sprints actually), 6-7km everyday, usually in Taman Gelora, regardless of the weather conditions be it scorching heat or heavy rain. He even wakes up in the morning anticipating his 6 pm jog. It takes about 28 minutes for him to finish four rounds. Any longer than that would make him frustrated. He proudly mentions that he outruns most of the joggers there who are half his age save for two Chinese marathon runners whom are able to match his pace. Most of his acquaintances in Malaysia are the ones he met at Taman Gelora during his daily runs. He even met the Sultanah of Pahang there and they have become good friends since. Strangers would approach his wife and ask whether her husband still runs regularly.
Besides running, Dr. Khurshid adores reading. He makes sure that he reads at least an hour a day. Besides pathology books, he also reads other basic medical science books and medical books. Wherever he goes, he’ll make sure he has something to read. No wonder he knows a lot (and expects us to know a lot too!). After reading, he would try to visualise whatever it is he had just read.
Self-perception?
“I am a hardly serious person. Even my wife reproaches me sometimes for it. I do not like to put undue stress on myself. I believe in being honest and frank with myself and also with everyone else. I do not care much about other people’s opinion of me. The important thing is how I view myself. If I want someone else to do something, I would do it first. I think I’m a little cluttered in my speech and thoughts. I always jump from topic to topic.”
Advice?
When asked what advice he would give the students here, he declined saying that no one has any right to give advice for there is no right advice for everyone. Nevertheless, he did mention this; “Believe in yourself, work hard, and leave the rest to Allah. Never regret the past or whatever you have done for they make us who we are today”. He also said, “All I want is for my students to become better than I was”.
7 things I bet you didn’t know about Dr Khurshid;
- He is of Arab descent
- Besides Urdu and English, he can speak a little bit of Japanese but hardly any Malay
- He goes home for lunch to spend 20 minutes with his wife
- He neither likes nor requires stimulants to get him going
- His favourite drink is diet coke which he drinks daily
- His breakfast consists of half a toast, a quarter cup of tea and occasionally half an egg.
- He confesses to have never actually read Papa Robin from cover to cover (gasp!)
