Aditya Dwivedi and Shilpa Rana met each other around 20 years ago at Yerevan State Medical University, named after Mkhitar Heratsi. Today, they are in Yerevan with their family, accompanied by their 9-year-old Aayaani and 5-year-old Aahana. Also with the Indian graduates is their fellow student and close friend, Ajita Bhuslan.
Since graduating in 2009, they have maintained regular contact and frequently discussed the idea of coming to Armenia in a shared group called “Mission to Armenia.”
After graduating from medical university, Aditya Dwivedi returned to India. After working at several different hospitals, he is now serving in the Indian army as a doctor. For the past 3-4 months, he has been working in Lebanon with a United Nations peacekeeping program.
“Within the framework of the UN mission, I have met many Armenian officers who have become good friends of mine,” says the Indian graduate with pleasure. He specializes in trauma and orthopedics, while his wife, Shilpa, studied in the General Medicine faculty as well. Although she currently stays at home with their children and doesn’t work, she plans to find a job related to her profession in the future. “Our soul is Armenian, our connection to Armenia is different. This is our second home.
The memories in our minds are still very fresh,” says Shilpa Rana. Even now, the graduates clearly remember the street leading to their beloved university, and they listen to Armenian music in India. “We grew up here; we were only 17 when we first came here, and now we are already 40. We matured here, and that’s why we feel more connected to Armenia than India,” the graduate candidly shares.
Ajita Bhuslan works in Mumbai as a general therapist, clinical cardiologist, and gynecologist. “I have always wanted to become a doctor. Back then in India, it was difficult to get a medical education. After some research, I decided on Yerevan State Medical University. After resolving the necessary paperwork at the embassy in Delhi, I flew to Yerevan in 2003. The experience here was very different, unique. We learned a lot, not only in the field of medicine but also in everyday life, especially how to be a good person. We made great friends here. We are successful because we chose Armenia to become doctors, and it is thanks to the education we received at YSMU that we are achieving success in life today,” she emphasized, adding that she misses those days and her beloved professors.
Ajita Bhuslan recalls that she underwent surgery in Yerevan and was in critical condition. “My parents were very anxious and wanted to come to Armenia, but I reassured them by saying that my friends were here and would take care of me.”
The meeting with the Vice-Rector for International Affairs and External Relations, Yervand Sahakyan, was emotional and warm. They reminisced about their interesting and busy student years.
“Even when he was the dean, Yervand Sahakyan was our constant connection with the medical university. He didn’t speak much, but when he did, it was always at the right moment. Whenever there were problems or difficult times for us, he was always our steady pillar of support in any matter,” recalls Shilpa Rana.
For the first time, Yervand Sahakyan personally accompanied the future students on the flight to the world of medicine. That year, during the summer, the Vice- Rector had traveled to India four times.
When they met Gayane Avetisyan, they couldn’t hold back their tears as they saw their former lecturer, now the head of the Department of International Students Educational Activities. The Indian graduates expressed their readiness to support the Alma Mater in any way possible.
“We are proud to be an inseparable part of the ‘Heratsi’ family,” they concluded.
Their advice to future generations of Indian doctors was to learn as much as possible, to draw lessons from experience, to explore Armenian culture, and to fully enjoy life in our sunny country.
