Educating two generations of MCh (Orth)

It’s not very often that a course can lay claim to educating a father and son, a generation apart, but the University Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery (UDOTS) can boast just that!

Dr Mathunram Chidambaranathan, from the state of Tamil Nadu, India, began his MCh (Orth) studies this September while his father Dr Goundappa Chidambaranathan graduated from the same course 21 years earlier in 1998.

It was whilst attending the 25th Anniversary MCh Celebratory Dinner, held in Coimbatore in 2018, that Dr Goundappa Chidambaranathan spoke with Mrs Sheila MacDonald (MCh Orth Course Administrator) expressing his son’s desire to follow in his educational footsteps and embark on the MCh (Orth) Dundee degree.

Dr Chidambaranathan Senior’s research topic was “Vascular compromised lower limbs: comparison of results of amputations in patients who received vascular surgery and those who did not”. Dr Mathunram’s research topic for this year is “Analysis of revision for CPT implant in total hip replacement using binary logistic regression”, which is supervised by Dr Weijie Wang (Senior Lecturer, UDOTS).

Dr Goundappa Chidambaranathan (first left) with his fellow students and staff in 1998, on the grounds of the old Dundee Royal Infirmary.

Father and Son are pictured, top right, with Mr Sadiq Nasir, Specialist Tutor & Project Support.

Mr Arpit Jariwala, Director University Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, stated:

“This event is probably the most authentic marker of the success of a course and its long-term legacy with MCh (Orth) Dundee helping the father to rise high and now his son is following in his father’s footsteps. The MCh (Orth) Dundee family continues to grow and flourish.

Billy Graham once said “The greatest legacy one can pass on to one's children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one's life, but rather a legacy of character and faith”. So, thank you Dr Goundappa Chidambaranathan for believing in MCh (Orth) Dundee and passing on the key of your success to your son. I’m hoping to see both Senior and Junior Chidambaranathans’ in the next few months and be a part of their success story also.”