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CC BY 4.0 · Indian J Plast Surg 2024; 57(05): 334-341
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1791984
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Prof. C.P. Sawhney: Teacher Par Excellence and a Karmayogi

Ramesh Kumar Sharma
1   Department of Plastic Surgery, Paras Hospitals, Panchkula, Haryana, India
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“Teaching is more than imparting knowledge; it is inspiring change. Learning is more than absorbing facts; it is acquiring understanding.”

—William Arthur Ward

Dr. C.P. Sawhney (popularly known as CPS) tremendously influenced the evolution of plastic surgery in India ([Fig. 1]). He was an astute clinician, inquisitive researcher, an extraordinarily gifted surgeon, and, above all, an excellent teacher who inspired generations of students and plastic surgeons. I had the good fortune to be under his tutelage both as a trainee surgeon and as a faculty colleague.

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Fig. 1 Prof. C.P. Sawhney, photographed at the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India (APSI) meeting in 2014.

Dr. Sawhney was born in Montgomery on May 15, 1930 (now in Pakistan). The family shifted to Amritsar in 1945 in view of better educational opportunities. He studied at Hindu College and later joined Glancy Medical College, Amritsar, to complete his MBBS degree. Dr. Sawhney excelled in his studies from school through postgraduation, consistently ranking as the class topper. He was resolute in his desire to become a surgeon, declining opportunities to explore other branches of medical science, despite encouragement from professors. He completed his MS General Surgery under Prof. S.S. Anand in 1956. He worked at Patiala Medical College for some time before shifting to Chandigarh.



Publication History

Article published online:
29 October 2024

© 2024. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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