Sister cities, sister schools

The relationship began back in 1982. Ramdas M. Pai, MBBS, who at that time was medical director of Kasturba Medical College (KMC) and is currently president of Manipal Academy of Education (MAHE), was in search of a sister city and saw San Bernardino as a possible site.

The person in the city government with whom Dr. Pai spoke quickly saw the similarities between the university towns of Manipal, India, and Loma Linda, California, and suggested that he contact both the city of Loma Linda and LLU.

That was only the beginning. In May of 1982, Loma Linda and Manipal became sister cities under the auspices of Sister Cities International. Loma Linda celebrated Manipal Day in 1991.

In 1984, MAHE and LLU signed an agreement for joint academic advancement. Since then, more than 30 faculty members from KMC, one of seven schools which are part of MAHE, and nearly two dozen faculty members from LLU have participated in a cross-cultural sharing of knowledge.

The bustling university town of Manipal, situated along the Malabar Coast of southwest India, represents the realization of a dream by T. M. A. Pai, MBBS, a country doctor, who set up his practice in the back of a store owned by his older brothers.

A small nursing home in the family compound followed, which grew into the Mission Hospital. Since those early days, Dr. Pai's empire has grown to include 11 hospitals throughout India, one teaching hospital in Nepal, and more than 50 educational institutions ranging from primary school through post-doctoral.

His son, Ramdas Pai, MD, currently serves as president of MAHE, which is comprised of Kasturba Medical College, Manipal; Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore; College of Dental Surgery, Manipal; College of Dental Surgery, Mangalore; College of Nursing, Manipal; and the Manipal Institute of Communication.

Institutions under the umbrella of the Dr. T. M. A. Pai Foundation include the T. A. Pai Management Institute, Manipal Institute of Technology, Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Sharadha Residential School.

Loma Linda University's agreement with MAHE in 1984 not only opened the doors for the exchange of ideas between the two institutions, but it also included a special arrangement for Seventh-day Adventist students who were interested in earning their education at MAHE.

The terms of this agreement remove the problem of attending classes during the Sabbath hours for these students. On average, 80 or more Adventist young people enroll in MAHE's professional training programs each year.

The potential "culture shock" for students and faculty who come to Loma Linda from Manipal is lessened by certain individuals who go out of their way to make the newcomers feel welcome.

Joan Coggin, MD, MPH, professor of medicine, School of Medicine, and vice president for global outreach, LLUAHSC, oversees the process of caring for the needs of these individuals prior to their arrival and during their stay. However, she relies heavily on one individual in particular to "put out the welcome mat.²

John E. Peterson, MD, may have retired from teaching all but an occasional class as a professor in the School of Medicine. However, he has taken the concept of "welcoming" to new levels for those from Manipal, personally arranging for transportation, meeting them at the airport whenever he can, and acquainting them with the important places with which they need to be familiar while at Loma Linda.

Many of these individuals have come to view him in the same light as a "favorite uncle." Dr. Peterson is a ready resource for them day or night during their stay, regardless of the request.

Loma Linda has played a substantive role in a number of important developments at MAHE. For instance in 1990, the director of Loma Linda University Medical Center's medical library spent two months in Manipal assisting MAHE in computerizing and updating its library resources.

More recently, LLU's School of Allied Professions faculty and staff played a pivotal role in helping MAHE develop one of its newest schools, the College of Allied Health Professions, by preparing the faculty, sharing curriculum, and providing consultation. Manipal was the first university in India to establish a college of allied health professions.

When the college's first class of 103 graduated in December, 1999, earning their bachelor's and master's degrees in physiotherapy, speech-language and hearing, medical laboratory technology, respiratory therapy, and occupational therapy during a colorful ceremony presided over by MAHE president Ramdas Pai, MD, Dr. Hopp presented the commencement address.

Future exchange and collaborative efforts are already in the planning stages as Loma Linda University and Manipal Academy of Higher Education continue their fruitful and beneficial partnership.